Risks of Working with Hazardous Chemicals

Exposure to harmful substances can happen to all of us.

It was 2009 and I had been newly married for about a month. My wife tasked me with cleaning the downstairs shower, a glass enclosed stall measuring 3 feet by 3 feet. I wanted to keep things simple and get it done as quickly as possible so I could get back to watching the game. I turned on the hot water, grabbed the bathroom cleaner and a sponge.

What happened next changed my view on working with chemicals for the rest of my life.

I am not sure if it was the steam, heat, vapors, lack of ventilation, or a combination of them, but I became lightheaded. My wife must have heard me stumble out of the bathroom as she came in to check on me. I was still standing, but leaning against the bathroom counter. She asked me if I was ok and I explained what happened.

She smiled, cocked her head to the side a little bit and said, “What exactly do you do for a living again?” 

I am a safety professional. I teach people to do exactly the opposite of what I did. Yes, it was early into my career, but that’s no excuse. I didn’t educate myself about the chemical that I was using and I didn’t think the project through. Fortunately for me, I was working with a chemical that is fairly innocuous. Heck, the cleaner isn’t even classified as a hazardous substance. Imagine if I had been using ammonia, or bleach, or heaven forbid, a combination of those two? The answer is simple: I might not be here to tell you the story.

Chemicals are part of everyday life. In fact, in June of 2015, the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) registered its 100 millionth chemical. Many of us use these chemicals each day in the workplace. Unfortunately, OSHA only publishes exposure limits for 665 of these.

Even though regulation regarding safe chemical use has greatly increased in the U.S., chemical related injuries/illnesses remains one of the greatest killers in the workplace with 424 work related deaths  in 2015. That encompasses 8.8% of all work related deaths.

What you can do to be safe: 

• Educate yourself on the hazards associated with the chemicals you use at work by reviewing the Safety Data Sheet and reading the label. Don’t rely on the OSHA exposure limits alone.
• Use engineering controls to manage the hazards and always wear the appropriate protective equipment when required.
• If engineering controls or personal protective equipment isn’t available, use a different less hazardous chemical to accomplish the same result.
• Expose as few workers to the hazards as possible.

Chemicals are everywhere! They’re a necessary part of our lives. Though many are hazardous, working with them safely is possible as long as you educate yourself and take proper precautions.