Narrative:

After pushing back from gate in ZZZ to conduct deicing operations approximately 100 ft away from the gate but short of taxiway alpha; we configured the aircraft for de-ice. The ramp agents began de-icing with type I when I received a call from flight attendant 1; she reported that de-ice fluid was coming in from the top of the main cabin entry door and some fluid had landed on flight attendant 2's hair and uniform jacket. (Both flight attendants were in the fwd galley area during de-ice operations.) flight attendant 2 was able to dry off her hair as best as possible and remove her soaked uniform jacket and put on a sweater. Our crew discussed the event and concurred that we were ok to continue to ZZZ1. Flight attendant 2 reported she was ok for duty. We agreed that we would keep in touch throughout the flight and check on flight attendant 2 just to make sure she had no ill effects from the exposure of de-icing fluid. As the flight progressed towards ZZZ1 flight attendant 2 began to feel lethargic and her eyes became irritated. After arrival in ZZZ1 and the deplaning process was complete flight attendant 2 was not feeling well. We began making phone calls to the safety team; supervisors; union and scheduling. Flight attendant 2 was released from the trip and was told to seek immediate medical attention for possible chemical exposure and burns to her skin. This unfortunate event occurred in my opinion because the ramp personnel sprayed de-ice fluid directly on the top of the main cabin entry door where it meets the fuselage and the hi pressure from the hose was no match for the door seal at point blank range. Also if we as a crew knew the possible ill effects of de-ice fluid to the skin and scalp and eyes; I would have immediately returned to the gate; deplaned and had the flight attendant seek immediate medical attention for possible chemical burns to the skin and eyes. The adverse weather section of our operating manual(south) tell us everything about de-ice fluid except what to do if we are exposed to it and how it may harm our skin; eyes; lungs etc. To avoid this possible event in the future I would like to suggest the following. 1) emphasize to the ramp agents to avoid spraying directly on doors and hatches that have cabin or cockpit accessibility. Explain to them how the door or hatch seals can't take a point blank range hit from the de-ice nozzle. 2) during de-ice operations have the flight attendant's seated in their jumpseat or if cabin duties or galley duties are still being performed make sure they stay away from the main cabin entry door roof line. 3) have the flight deck inform the flight attendant's that de-icing operations will be commencing immediately and please take your seats or remain clear of the doors and once de-ice operations have been completed; inform them that they may return to their duties and that no threat of possible de-ice fluid will be entering the cabin. 4) the company shall provide information for the OM; fom and fame; recurrent ground training and a bulletin outlining and describing the immediate dangers from being exposed to de-ice fluid. Include items such as skin rash; chemical burn; eye irritation; severe headaches; and the possibility of blood absorption through the skin to cause crystallization of the kidneys. This is nasty stuff and we need to be informed of it's dangers and what to do if this should happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ-700 CAPTAIN REPORTS DE-ICING FLUID WAS SPRAYED DIRECTLY AT THE UPPER MAIN CABIN DOOR SEAL RESULTING IN TYPE I FLUID ENTERING THE CABIN DOOR AND SOAKING A NEARBY FLT ATTENDANT'S HEAD AND UPPER BODY. THE FLT ATTENDANT EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT DURING THE FLIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM GATE IN ZZZ TO CONDUCT DEICING OPERATIONS APPROXIMATELY 100 FT AWAY FROM THE GATE BUT SHORT OF TAXIWAY ALPHA; WE CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT FOR DE-ICE. THE RAMP AGENTS BEGAN DE-ICING WITH TYPE I WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM FA 1; SHE REPORTED THAT DE-ICE FLUID WAS COMING IN FROM THE TOP OF THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR AND SOME FLUID HAD LANDED ON FLIGHT ATTENDANT 2'S HAIR AND UNIFORM JACKET. (BOTH FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WERE IN THE FWD GALLEY AREA DURING DE-ICE OPERATIONS.) FA 2 WAS ABLE TO DRY OFF HER HAIR AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND REMOVE HER SOAKED UNIFORM JACKET AND PUT ON A SWEATER. OUR CREW DISCUSSED THE EVENT AND CONCURRED THAT WE WERE OK TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ1. FA 2 REPORTED SHE WAS OK FOR DUTY. WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD KEEP IN TOUCH THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT AND CHECK ON FA 2 JUST TO MAKE SURE SHE HAD NO ILL EFFECTS FROM THE EXPOSURE OF DE-ICING FLUID. AS THE FLIGHT PROGRESSED TOWARDS ZZZ1 FA 2 BEGAN TO FEEL LETHARGIC AND HER EYES BECAME IRRITATED. AFTER ARRIVAL IN ZZZ1 AND THE DEPLANING PROCESS WAS COMPLETE FA 2 WAS NOT FEELING WELL. WE BEGAN MAKING PHONE CALLS TO THE SAFETY TEAM; SUPERVISORS; UNION AND SCHEDULING. FA 2 WAS RELEASED FROM THE TRIP AND WAS TOLD TO SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR POSSIBLE CHEMICAL EXPOSURE AND BURNS TO HER SKIN. THIS UNFORTUNATE EVENT OCCURRED IN MY OPINION BECAUSE THE RAMP PERSONNEL SPRAYED DE-ICE FLUID DIRECTLY ON THE TOP OF THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR WHERE IT MEETS THE FUSELAGE AND THE HI PRESSURE FROM THE HOSE WAS NO MATCH FOR THE DOOR SEAL AT POINT BLANK RANGE. ALSO IF WE AS A CREW KNEW THE POSSIBLE ILL EFFECTS OF DE-ICE FLUID TO THE SKIN AND SCALP AND EYES; I WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE GATE; DEPLANED AND HAD THE FA SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR POSSIBLE CHEMICAL BURNS TO THE SKIN AND EYES. THE ADVERSE WEATHER SECTION OF OUR OPERATING MANUAL(S) TELL US EVERYTHING ABOUT DE-ICE FLUID EXCEPT WHAT TO DO IF WE ARE EXPOSED TO IT AND HOW IT MAY HARM OUR SKIN; EYES; LUNGS ETC. TO AVOID THIS POSSIBLE EVENT IN THE FUTURE I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING. 1) EMPHASIZE TO THE RAMP AGENTS TO AVOID SPRAYING DIRECTLY ON DOORS AND HATCHES THAT HAVE CABIN OR COCKPIT ACCESSIBILITY. EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW THE DOOR OR HATCH SEALS CAN'T TAKE A POINT BLANK RANGE HIT FROM THE DE-ICE NOZZLE. 2) DURING DE-ICE OPERATIONS HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT'S SEATED IN THEIR JUMPSEAT OR IF CABIN DUTIES OR GALLEY DUTIES ARE STILL BEING PERFORMED MAKE SURE THEY STAY AWAY FROM THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR ROOF LINE. 3) HAVE THE FLIGHT DECK INFORM THE FLT ATTENDANT'S THAT DE-ICING OPERATIONS WILL BE COMMENCING IMMEDIATELY AND PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS OR REMAIN CLEAR OF THE DOORS AND ONCE DE-ICE OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED; INFORM THEM THAT THEY MAY RETURN TO THEIR DUTIES AND THAT NO THREAT OF POSSIBLE DE-ICE FLUID WILL BE ENTERING THE CABIN. 4) THE COMPANY SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR THE OM; FOM AND FAME; RECURRENT GROUND TRAINING AND A BULLETIN OUTLINING AND DESCRIBING THE IMMEDIATE DANGERS FROM BEING EXPOSED TO DE-ICE FLUID. INCLUDE ITEMS SUCH AS SKIN RASH; CHEMICAL BURN; EYE IRRITATION; SEVERE HEADACHES; AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BLOOD ABSORPTION THROUGH THE SKIN TO CAUSE CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE KIDNEYS. THIS IS NASTY STUFF AND WE NEED TO BE INFORMED OF IT'S DANGERS AND WHAT TO DO IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.