How Exposure to Disinfectants and Cleaning Products Could Trigger Work-Related Asthma

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) describes work-related asthma as a lung disease caused or made worse by exposures to substances in the workplace. Common workplace exposures that can cause the condition include contact with dust, mold, animals, plants and various chemicals.
 
These include some of the chemical compounds used in cleaning products and disinfectants. In fact, the Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has published information on this important topic for employers and employees. They suggest avoiding certain ingredients, like bleach (sodium hypochlorite), quaternary ammonium compounds (benzalkonium chlorides) and glutaraldehyde that can cause asthma.
 
The CDPH’s Work-Related Asthma Prevention Program reports that it found that nearly 10% of all work-related asthma cases were caused by exposure to cleaning products. Most of these cases had new asthma that started only after they began work. About one in five people used cleaning products directly, such as janitors. The other 80% of workers attributed their asthma symptoms to cleaning products used nearby.
 
“Work-related asthma can have many negative implications,” said Franco Seif, President at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Increased sick days, excessive medical costs, decreased productivity, higher turnover rates and the impact on quality of life are all issues associated with work-related asthma.”
 
Working to identify asthma triggers and respiratory irritants of all types are the industrial hygiene and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) professionals at Clark Seif Clark. Through building assessments, inspections, testing, monitoring and training services, CSC’s experts can help prevent needless exposures to cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, other chemical compounds and microbial asthma triggers such as mold. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about work-related asthma and exposure to cleaning products and disinfectants that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/ZamXf_bGwqY
 
To learn more about this or other occupational, indoor air quality, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail