Dangerous Workplace Chemical Exposure:
Let's look back back at the biggest stories last year about toxic chemical exposure at work and the lessons we’ve learned from them.
WHO Leaves Out Key Findings in Benzene Review
In February of 2018, Reuters reported that the World Health Organization’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, had downplayed the effect benzene had on people exposed to the chemical in a 2015 report. Exposure to benzene is associated with acute and long-term adverse health effects, including cancer and aplastic anemia. Exposure can happen from active and passive exposure to cigarette smoke, but also from the use of benzene-containing petroleum products like gasoline and solvents.Workers who are exposed to printing inks, those who work where steel or rubber is produced, fire fighters exposed to toxic smoke, workers in gas stations, shoe manufacturers, and laboratory workers are those most at risk for benzene exposure. The WHO estimates that more than 3 million workers in the United States are exposed to benzene at work each year. The kerfuffle over the WHO report teaches us to be cautious in dismissing or underplaying the hazardous effects of chemicals we encounter at work.
EPA Delays Ban on Dangerous Solvents
At the end of 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would delay an Obama administration-era ban on the high-risk use of three solvents, including methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidine (NMP) in paint strippers and trichloroethylene (TCE) in aerosol spray degreasers, spot-cleaning agents in dry cleaning, and vapor degreasing.Research has shown that exposure to solvents such as these through the air and skin can lead to acute and chronic effects on the central nervous system, including problems with mood, memory, and dexterity. Workers in the car collision industry seem to be particularly at risk and should always ensure that safety gear, such as respirators and gloves.
Workplace Exposure to Pesticides and Metals Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease
In December 2018, a new study in the journal Heart revealed a link between workplace exposure to pesticides and metals with a heightened risk of heart disease among Latino and Hispanic workers. Contact with pesticides in the workplace increased the risk of atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm, by nearly six times, while exposure to metals increased this risk four-fold. Exposure to pesticides at work nearly doubled the risk of coronary heart disease. The study revealed the need to better understand the risks of exposure to pesticides and metals at work and to increase safety awareness.These stories of toxic chemical exposure at work divulge the importance of safety gear and limiting direct worker contact with hazardous chemicals in the workplace. But they also show the need to be aware of the chemicals we come into contact with in the workplace and the possible hazards. Just because a chemical is government approved, doesn’t always mean it’s safe.
