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Workplace Hazards
Many jobs expose workers to environmental toxins.
The
U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Administration (OSHA)
website
contains links to numerous safety and health issues, including information about
exposure to lead, methylene chloride, asbestos, styrene, 1,3-butadiene, asphalt
fumes, pesticides, inks, dry cleaning chemicals, molds and other substances in
the workplace.
In the Houston region, some of the workplaces of particular environmental
health concern
include the:
- petrochemical industries, including refining, synthetic rubber, pesticide and chemical feedstock
producers;
- road construction;
- building construction;
- pesticide companies;
-
trucking;
- lawn care companies; and
- small businesses such as dry cleaners,
nail salons,
janitorial services, gasoline stations, body shops, and auto and truck repair
facilities.
Several classes of exposures
of special concern include solvents, lead, asbestos, pesticides and diesel
exhaust.
Solvents
Petrochemical workers,
professional painters, printers, furniture refinishers, and gasoline station
operators are often exposed to relatively high levels of solvents. The brain and
kidneys are especially vulnerable to the effects of solvents. Exposure to
benzene can cause damage to the bone marrow and leukemia.
Lead
Until the 1970s, household and commercial paint often had relatively high levels
of lead. Sanding or sandblasting lead-based paint can lead to high levels of
exposure.The OSHA website contains an excellent overview of workplace exposure to
lead and its health
effects.
Asbestos
Now banned as a construction material, asbestos is a known carcinogen that was used widely for insulation and fireproofing. Tiny airborne fibers of asbestos scar the lungs and may cause mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer almost entirely associated with asbestos
exposure. The OSHA website contains an excellent overview of workplace exposure to
asbestos and its health
effects.
Pesticides
In the Houston region, largely
uneducated workers often apply pesticides or work with pesticide-treated wood
and other materials with little knowledge of the potential long-term effects of
exposure.
Diesel Exhaust
Truck drivers, construction
workers, barge and crane workers along the Ship Channel, traffic policemen, and
bus and truck mechanics are often chronically exposed to elevated levels of
diesel exhaust, a known carcinogen. Diesel exhaust has also been linked to
increased hospital admissions and deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory
causes, and to an increased sensitivity to allergens (Brunekreef
B, 2002).
Other
Asphalt fumes, dry cleaning chemicals, electromagnetic radiation, and
infectious waste are among some of the other exposures of particular concern among
Houston-area workers.
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