the company says it is not harmful to us but i dont know what do u think, i have approached the company health and safety offficer but the subject gets ignoredI am breathing in unscented talcum powder all day at work?
Are you in a union? if so get them on the case. If not join one, dodgy unsafe activities usually occur in non union workplaces.
The idea that breathing in dust in not harmful is ridiculous. I would not rely on a mask unless it filters ALL the dust out.
The fact that the subject is ignored by the company safety officer makes me very suspicious.
Its not so long ago that workers in UK asbestos factories were told '; you will be ok as long as you drink a pint of milk every day'; Many of them went 6ft under well before their time.I am breathing in unscented talcum powder all day at work?
Try the transport and general workers union as a starting point.
Report Abuse Ask them to supply dust masks. They should comply with this request. It will filter out the powder. Tell them the powder makes you cough a lot and you would like some dust masks so the coughing will not interfere with your work.
Report your company immediately for Health and Safety Violations. You should be wearing proper masks (not just cheap ones from the store). Talcum powder is very fine and I don't know how many parts per million there would be in the air but it would be a lot.
This is very damaging to your lungs and the damage is permanent. If you are unionized, get the union to demand masks. If not, call your local authorities and find out where you stand. You may be able to legally refuse to work without the proper breathing aparatus and the company could not fire you. Any future retribution you could point out to this and say they are just trying to punish you. That is assuming you've had good work appraisals to date.
Get a mask for now from a Safety Supply company and get the authorities in to inspect your company unannounced.
Breathing in talcum powder can cause:
Breathing problems are the most common problem.
Bladder and kidneys
Urine output, decreased significantly (or none)
Lungs
Cough
Difficulty breathing
Acute respirator distress
Respiratory failure
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
Jaundice (yellowed eyes)
Eye irritation
Cough
Throat irritation
Skin
Blisters
Rash
Blue skin, lips, and fingernails
Sloughing of skin
Yellow skin
Gastrointestinal
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Heart and blood
Low blood pressure
Convulsions
Collapse
Nervous system
Drowsiness
Lack of desire to do anything
Coma
Twitching of the facial muscles
Twitching of arms, hands, legs, or feet
Whole body
Fever
Most symptoms are caused by accidental or repeated breathing in (inhaling) of talc dust.
So yes it is dangerous!! Demand that they give you some type of mask or show this to the health and safety officer and tell them you'll take it further! Good luck
NOT GOOD...
talcum powder is an abrasive... honestly, jewellers use it to polish gemstones... breathing it in is going to be coating your lungs... wear a mask, or report them to the H%26amp;S executive... and then sue them. (your company not the H%26amp;S)
Hi I would Suggest that you ask your Employer for a full health and Saftey Report stating that this talc is not harmfull to you,as an employee your boss has a legal requirment to provide you with the answers to any health and safety problem if your boss dose not comply you could go to your Hr Department.I would also suggest you seek advise from your GP as they maybe able to reffer you for a chest Ex-ray and explain rour issue with the Gp.Hope This Helps..
It may depend on the type of talcum powder. If it is the purified sort, sold to consumers, it won't cause cancer. If it is industrial, it may have some asbestos, and may be a bit more dangerous.
Also, talcum powder may pose an increased risk of other lung diseases. Check the site below for more info.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/conten鈥?/a>
No, I would be very unhappy about that. I would leave and get another job honestly.
Yes it is harmful to the lungs, sorry i cant rem why i just rem reading an article ref not to use on babies because of this. Cant you do your own research on internet about it? I would listen to the above and buy a breathing mask - they cant stop you!
I would worry about this very much.
My best friend's mother died from taking in too much talcum powder. That sounds like a wierd urban myth, but I actually knew the woman well. Too much ended up inside the body and body reacted by enclosing it in cysts, this was blamed for her devloping cancer which eventually killed her. Her daughter mourns her every day.
If I were you, I would just buy yourself a cheap mask, from a DIY store (the type you wear when you are sanding paint etc).
Stuff what the company says - it's your health and I wouldn't take any risks with it.
I would look into this further from an unbiased source. Start with a query to your doctor and get him to listen to your lungs. I would think any type of powder being breathed in all day would be harmful, if only in the long run. They used to say coal dust and asbestos was ok, look what happened to those workers.
I imagine this is terrble for your health.
Talc is esentially crushed rock. This will harden in your lungs.
Wear a mask??
you should be supplied with face masks if not why not approach the health and safety team again and again until something is done its there job at the end of the day to make sure the work force is safe from chemicals and hazards
talcum powder? lol yea right...they mean crack
I was once told that breathing any powder onto your lungs can be carcinogenic. If I were you I wouldn't let this go till you know for certain!!!
Call OSHA
I certainly would'nt think it would be very good for you. You should be provided with masks. What do your co-workers think?
Sounds suspect to me! All 'powders' must have some sort of adverse effect.
