Chemicals in the workplace
All of us are exposed to chemicals in the workplace, even the office worker who breathes air tinged by carpet cleaner or fresh paint.
In Idaho many local businesses rely heavily on chemicals for processing their products, and statewide the chemical industry alone employs 1,877 persons. Agriculture, health care, retail trade, transportation, manufacturing, and professional and scientific services are examples of other industries in Idaho that depend directly or indirectly on chemicals.
One of the most common work-related chemicals in Idaho is ammonia, a potentially hazardous chemical used extensively in agriculture throughout the state. Anyone whose job involves handling pesticides, nutrients, or preservatives for food-producing farms and ranches must take special precautions to avoid being poisoned by high concentrations or inappropriate use of ammonia and other agricultural chemicals.
How do chemicals make us sick?
Breathing is by far the most common route for toxic chemicals to invade the bodies of workers. For every eight hours at work we breathe about 2,000 quarts of air, including contaminants.
Skin contact and swallowing are other ways harmful chemicals can enter the body and do damage. Usually the amount of chemicals is so small that the immune system can rid the body of them, although most of us carry around tiny amounts of toxic chemicals without any noticeable ill effects.
When the chemical “load” is greater than the body can handle, symptoms develop. The body has many valuable chemicals that help keep us alive, and when artificial chemicals that mimic these natural chemicals reach a high concentration, we become sick. Chemicals accumulate in the body and interact with other chemicals to increase the effect.
The term MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) is now applied to a person’s inability to tolerate one or more chemicals in the environment.
There is no single set of symptoms for chemical-caused illness. Exposure to some chemicals causes burning of the eyes, while other chemicals bring about nausea, vomitting, and other symptoms of acute illness. Long-term effects such as birth defects, sterililty, arthritis, and chronic breathing problems can also result.
The best way to avoid work-related chemical illness is to follow industry and government guidelines in the use and storage of all chemicals. Face masks, gloves, and other protective gear, when warranted, can also reduce the risk of harmful chemical exposure in the workplace.
Copyright by © Griffith Publishing 2008
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Learn more about chemical exposure in the workplace:
OSHA standards for identifying chemical hazards at work.
Downloadable (free) pocket guide to chemical hazards. NIOSH.
Poster and data for avoiding injuries from chemicals in cleaning products. EPA
Free videos to download or obtain as DVDs to help prevent chemical and dust hazards. CSB