I’m 5 weeks pregnant and work in a warehouse that sells cleaning chemicals, is this dangerous for me?
we sell all kinds of cleaning chemicals including bleach, washing powder, pool chemicals and other industrial strength cleaners to the hotel industry. The containers are generally closed but we do have leakages of powders etc.
Chemicals can be particularly hazardous for pregnant workers. The Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations l999 place special duties on an employer
to carry out risk assessments in relation to women workers of childbearing age.
You should be wearing some sort of mask to avoid inhaling the fumes and wearing. gloves. Remember, that biohazard chemicals can cause miscarriages and or
birth defects.
Most of these chemicals contain the following: organic solvents used in dry cleaning can pass through the placenta. Perchloroethylene (perc), a commonly used dry cleaning fluid, has also been associated with fertility problems in men. Tetrachloroethylene is another solvent sometimes used in commercial dry-cleaning operations; several studies have found an association between inhalation of tetrachloroethylene and an increased risk of miscarriage and infertility.
Other pregnant women who are exposed to organic solvents while at work may also place their developing baby at a greater risk of birth defects, especially during the FIRST trimester( which you are in a developing fetus) . Women studied in connection with organic solvent exposure included laboratory technicians, factory workers, professional artists, chemists and veterinary technicians. The organic solvents they were most commonly exposed to included aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, xylene and vinyl chloride.
If pregnant, you would be wise to minimize your exposure to organic solvents at work, and ask your employer to change your job for the duration or carry out a risk assessment at your workplace.
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