WorkSafe NZ has issued a safety alert after two people died from suspected organic solvent exposure in separate incidents.
Safeguard published a story 23 years ago, in our Jan/Feb 1996 edition, on solvent neurotoxicity. Written by Rebecca Macfie, in the five years following it became the most requested story we have ever published.
Most Forum members will never have read it, so I have attached it as a photocopied-and-scanned PDF file of 9MB.
Bear in mind that this is a vintage story. Guidelines and codes of practice will have changed. Also, it is focused more on the effects of long-term exposure to solvents rather than a catastrophic single exposure.
But it is a compelling read on a hazard which is clearly still around.
Thank you, it's so easy to forget the lessons of history.
I just ran a search in my database and found about 15 HSE research reports that mention neurotoxins, and a recent IOSH magazine article about ototoxins that damage the otoliths in the ear, exacerbating noise-induced hearing loss.
So, Peter, here's a challenge: how many Safeguard readers are studying for academic qualifications and could be persuaded to write well-researched, 2000-word articles that cite free-to-access reliable literature? Safeguard could offer an annual cash prize for the best article (by readers' vote).
Maybe WorkSafe could be persuaded to support the initiative?
Why academic? Because they have access to tertiary libraries. But maybe make it open to anyone.
The authors would score CPD points and have something good to add to their CVs, something that might contribute to their study, and we the readers would gain knowledge.
There is so much information "out there" that we don't find or remember.
Just a thought.
A quick check of my personal library reveals 10 publications (Guidelines) produced by OSH - DoL in the 1990's relating to chemicals including 5 relating to solvents that are still accurate and relevant today. Topics include Management of Lead-based Paint, Safe Use of Glutaraldehyde in the Health Industry, Safe Use of Organic Solvents, Chronic Organic Solvent Neurotoxicity Diagnostic Criteria. There are others relating to substances hazardous to health. These are not discoverable on the Worksafe website.
It seems to me, Chris, that history is pretty much ignored, perhaps in favour of the "new wave". I've always been a believer in the notion that "if we're trying to move forward without any idea or recognition of where we've been, we're highly likely to just keep going round in circles" !
Thank you Peter!
Yet again unfortunate incidents resulting in deaths that were avoidable if people just did a basic risk assessment or used a control banding system (freely available) that takes a few minutes. These systems are devices created by specialists for SME's as a simple tool to help them out with basic risk assessment for working with solvents and other hazardous chemicals just basic information from an SDS. It also provides guidance on controls needed from simple (opening a window) to complex depending on the risk evaluation. So the tools are out there that may have helped prevent these happening. The questions is how do we get people to use them.