PLANT CLOSES AFTER SICKNESSES

ADVANCE -- Four days after Tina Blankenship complained of headaches and dizziness at work, authorities at Paramount Headwear know what caused her flu-like symptoms.

The illness wasn't caused by a hazardous chemical, said David Fleming, director of health and safety for Paramount. Instead it was caused by a buildup of steam and water reacting with deposits in the plant's service lines.

More than 200 Paramount employees became ill Monday. At least four people fainted and a woman, who has a history of seizures, was placed in intensive care at a Dexter hospital.

After a lunch break Wednesday signs were posted on the company's time clocks notifying employees the plant was closing.

Blankenship, who works in the embroidery department, has been having headaches for some time. Her symptoms included feeling lightheaded and dizzy while she was inside the building.

"It was like I was working in slow motion," she said. "It was like I'd taken a strong pain medicine. I was more alert after I came home but I still have headaches."

The plant shut down Wednesday so officials could determine what caused the employees to experience severe nausea, headaches and dizziness.

"We conducted a wide range of chemical analyses," Fleming said, adding that the company contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for advice.

The chemical tests concluded that the employees suffered from carry-over -- a condition caused by a buildup of steam and water deposits in the plant's service lines. It was likely the result of a chemical reaction when the boiler was cleaned Saturday.

"It's a one-time release," Fleming said. "We want to prevent any degree of reoccurrence."

Every steam line in the plant will be cleaned before the more than 200 plant employees return to work Monday.

Some employees in the embroidery department will return today, Fleming said, but Blankenship still had not been notified at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Plant management had not decided if employees would be paid for the time away from work.

"Paramount doesn't lay off," Blankenship said, adding that supervisors would call employees when the problem was resolved.

It will be an extensive task to clean the lines but that's not the plant's main concern, Fleming said.

"It's very costly in a multitude of things," Fleming said, adding that in order to meet production deadlines some hats were shipped to another plant.

Paramount opened its Advance plant in December 1989.

Company headquarters are at Bourbon, 30 miles northeast of Rolla.