Report MTT Safety Equipment Room Safety North Carolina working Underwriters
Report MTT Safety Equipment Room Safety North Carolina working Underwriters
Report MTT Safety Equipment Room Safety North Carolina working Underwriters
Print Room Report & MTT Safety Equipment Print Room Safety Health concerns about Print Room Safety Recently MTT has found there is concern about the adverse effects of the inhalation of these pollutants, due to the fact that most print centers are in large buildings with multiple print engines confined to interior rooms. In most cases, existing HVAC equipment can not move and clean the air sufficiently, and the
Print Room Environment MTT has discovered that concentrations of the following particles, in most data centers and print rooms, can in cases over load employee’s lung capacity to expel these pollutants. As you will see the National Institutes of Health uses the Max2100 systems in Washington D.C. Paper Dust, Toner Dust, Ozone concentrations, and Fusing Oil Micro Droplets are the main causes of pollution in the print environment.
Elgin M. Etchison Chief, Systems Operations Management Branch Division of Computer System Services Center for Information Technology National Institutes of Health 301-496-5815 - office 301-718-1260 - pager elgin@mail.nih.gov - email
The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that lung diseases are some of the most common job-related disorders in the United States today. It recommends that in cases where workers are at risk of dust inhalation, precautions such as: proper ventilation, mask filtration, and enclosure of dusty areas should be taken. Architects and office managers should plan office space so that machines are located in well-ventilated rooms. When large numbers of photocopiers and laser printers are in use, some design and ventilation experts recommend clustering them in isolated areas with separate ventilation systems.
Researchers are looking at another possible cause of respiratory illness-toner dust emissions from dry-process photocopiers and laser printers. In a recent letter to the editors of the British medical journal, Lancet (September 1996), Christine Armbruster of the Vienna Pulmologisches Zentrum in Austria, reported the case of a 39-year-old nonsmoking newspaper worker, whose lungs were X-rayed and then biopsied. The procedure revealed remnants of photocopier and/or laser printer toner dust. His only symptoms were a dry cough and shortness of breath. Biopsy of his lungs and lymph nodes showed tissue lumps-or granulomas-and material which, on analysis, proved to be silicon, iron, copper and some aluminum. These are elements commonly used in toner dust. EPA Research A wide variety of occupational lung diseases, ranging from asthma to coal miner's "black lung" disease, are known to be caused by breathing airborne metal or mineral dusts. When metal dusts are inhaled, it can build up in the lungs and lymph nodes. The lung and lymph tissue may react by developing small lumps, or granulomas. In early stages of disease, the granulomas may have no effect on lung or lymph system function. However, with prolonged exposure, they can enlarge, multiply, and eventually grow together, causing lung fibrosis. Photocopier VOCs. Photocopiers emit hydrocarbons, ozone, and volatile organic compounds, at levels which can remain constant or even increase over time. Little research has been conducted, however, on particulate emissions or their health effects on office workers. EPA Research Researchers at EPA's Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina have been working with Underwriters Laboratories and industry to identify, evaluate and prevent indoor air emissions from office equipment. According to EPA officials, no standard protocol for measuring emissions has been developed, so results from different studies are not comparable. Past studies have tended to concentrate on emissions exceeding occupational limits, but have not adequately identified emissions at the levels found in typical office environments. EPA is presently designing a test method for measuring indoor air emissions from all types of office machines. According to environmental engineer Kelly Leovic of EPA's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division, researchers have developed a large chamber test method for measuring emissions. Her group will be testing a number of mid-range dry-process photocopiers to identify the causes of indoor air emissions, including toner dust particulates, and help industry develop pollution prevention strategies to reduce the output of these machines. They will present their findings at a joint symposium conducted by EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory and the Air & Waste Management Association next July. Job-Related Lung Disease.
Growing concern by the overall public to health issues related to workplace environment has moved to the fore front in America. MTT has discovered that, at many large corporate print centers and smaller print rooms, airborne particulates and their subsequent inhalation are causing health problems that contribute to lost time on the job for workers.
The idea that the HVAC or air systems originally placed in these buildings will handle these particulates is a mistake. As anyone in this field will note, Carbon Black and the Paper Dust mix to form a gray dust that is continuously falling out of the air in data centers and can be readily seen on all surfaces. The result of this phenomenon mixed with gases formed during printing can, in many cases based upon an individual’s genetic makeup, cause what is known to scientists and physicians as “lung overloading”. As you will see, in the next pages, the proof of these problems have been studied by major health organizations and you should have this knowledge to base your solution for these issues. Toner and Chemical Composition Known to contain the following: (In various amounts from different vendors.)
Ingredients vary, check manufacturer’s MSDS Also various metals in small amounts impossible to remove during Carbon Black manufacturing. Carbon Black http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_225300.html OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) NAME: Carbon Black SYNONYM: Channel black, Lamp black, Furnace black, Thermal black, Acetylene black IARC: Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans HEALTH EFFECTS: Cumulative lung damage (HE10), Cumulative heart damage (HE3) Carbon Black http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/carbonbl/health_cb.html CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety) What are the long term health effects of exposure to carbon black? INHALATION: Carbon black dust is extremely fine and light and can be breathed deeply into the lungs, where it can accumulate. Normally the dust is cleared gradually from the lungs and has no harmful effects. However, high concentrations of dust can overwhelm the clearance capacity of the lungs, obstruct the lungs, and interfere with lung function. Symptoms may include coughing, increased phlegm production, and shortness of breath. A number of studies have shown x-ray changes, reduced lung function, emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis in some carbon black workers. In other studies, no respiratory effects were seen. A few studies have shown evidence of fibrosis (scarring of the lungs) in the area surrounding carbon black deposits in the lungs. Konica http://www.konicabt.com/Products/Desktop/1312/Support/msdtoner_1312.PDF Prolonged inhalation of excessive dusts may cause lung damage. The effect is attributed to “lung overloading”, a generic response to excessive amounts of any dust retained in the lungs for a prolonged period. (See supporting documentation.) Yale University http://info.med.yale.edu/intmed/occmed/indoorair.html Among the symptoms commonly identified as related to indoor air quality are:
These symptoms are no different than those of many common illnesses like colds and flu. What might be different are the following: Place: Almost everybody in a particular area seems to have similar problems. Time: People are only sick at work and feel better in the evenings and weekends. Changes: The onset of symptoms may be associated with some change in the working conditions, i.e. new, different or renovated building; different equipment.
The Lancet Cardiopulmonary mortality and air pollution Stagnant air conditions resulted in greatly elevated ambient concentrations of carbonaceous soot, sulphur oxides, and other pollutants was associated with dramatic increases in respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
The Business Review http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2002/05/06/focus2.html “Dust-collection units Joanne McFadden MTT – Maximum Throughout Technologies of Akron, OH has produced a line a products designed to extract airborne particulates under 5 micron.
MTT CAPTURES AND TRAPS:
By using the Max System, your print room will become free of airborne particulate matter, guaranteed. Please see MTT catalog of equipment. Print Room Safety After installing the Max2100 system, Denny M. Stanko of Wachovia National Bank said, “Almost immediately, we began to notice that the air quality was improving and continued to get better on a daily basis. After a two-week period, we could not detect an odor in the shop. This unit requires very little maintenance or effort on our part to continue to do the job for us. I always ask the people that I take on tours if they happened to notice a unique “print” smell, and the answer is always no. I would recommend this unit to anyone who has a Print Shop and needs to consider the staff’s health as well as removing the odor from their department.”
Print Room Environment Safety Questionnaire Company Name:______________________________________ Date:_______________________ Applicant Name:______________________________________ Title:_______________________ Phone Number:______________________________ Email:____________________________ Is there any black discoloration around the vents of your printer(s)? YES NO (A clear indication of toner dust being expelled into the air.) Are there any black discolorations around ceiling vents? YES NO (Toner dust is at a high enough level to be pulled in by HVAC.) Are there any black discolorations around ceiling vents in other parts of the building? YES NO (HVAC is distributing toner dust throughout building, endangering others.) Is there a fine dusting of black or white powder anywhere within the room? YES NO (i.e. visible on a flat surface. Particulates in the air are so concentrated, “fallout” has begun too ccur. ) Do you or anyone else have the following symptoms? Headaches YES NO Fatigue YES NO Frequent colds or sinus infections YES NO Sore throats YES NO Dry skin or rashes YES NO Dry or irritated eyes YES NO Sinus congestion YES NO Irritation of the mucous membranes YES NO Are you or anyone else sick only at work and feel better in the evenings and weekends? YES NO (Airborne particulates have begun effecting the health of employees) Is there any noticeable odor in the room? YES NO (Toner dust has a distinct “sweat” smell.) Is the temperature in the room at comfort level? YES NO (Printers and copiers use heat to fuse toner to paper, having multiple systems in the same area will increase the room temperature and the demands on the room cooling system.) Additional data: Approximate size of the room:_________________ Number of copiers in room:___________________ Number of printers in room:___________________ How many hours/shifts a day do the copiers run:______________________ How many hours/shifts a day do the printers run:______________________ Additional info: Please provide any additional relevant information or concerns:___________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Questions:_____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Email Print Room Environment Safety Questionnaire to MTT 4000 Embassy Parkway, Suite 208 Akron, Ohio 44333 Phone: 888-629-0021 Fax: 330-666-2707 Website: www.Max2100.com Email: mtt@lek.net Reference websites: National Conservation Guild http://www.nationalguild.com/fridayreports/21497.html OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_225300.html CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety) http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/carbonbl/health_cb.html Konica http://www.konicabt.com/Products/Desktop/1312/Support/msdtoner_1312.PDF Yale University School of Medicine http://info.med.yale.edu/intmed/occmed/indoorair.html The Lancet http://www.thelancet.com/home The Business Review http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2002/05/06/focus2.html |
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