Workplace Exposure

Toluene is a clear and colorless liquid that turns to vapor when exposed to air at room temperature. According to OSHA, it’s often used in a mixture with other solvents and chemicals, such as paint pigments, so employees who work with paint, metal cleaners and adhesives may be at risk for exposure.

Pneumoconiosis is a group of diseases that includes asbestosis, silicosis and coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung.

Exposure to wood dust can cause health problems for workers. Wood has natural chemicals and may contain bacteria, molds or fungi, according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

The American Academy of Dermatology cautions outdoor workers to be aware of an invisible hazard: the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Exposure to these rays for hours is a major risk factor for a number of skin cancers, including melanoma – the most serious form.

Breathing problems. Itchy skin, rashes and burns. Irritated eyes. For some workers, including maintenance workers, janitors and housekeepers, these symptoms may have a common factor: cleaning products.

Occupational asthma is a respiratory disease in which on-the-job exposure to certain substances causes the airways of a person’s lungs to swell and narrow.

Toluene – often used in paint, metal cleaners and adhesives – is a clear, colorless liquid that vaporizes when exposed to air at room temperature. According to OSHA, it also has a sharp and sweet smell, which is a sign of exposure.

You can’t smell it, taste it or see it, but it can be deadly. Carbon monoxide – sometimes referred to as the “silent killer” – prevents oxygen from going into the body and can result in death in a short period of time, the Michigan Department of Community Health states. But how does carbon monoxide form, and when are workers at risk?