Dust-inhalation

[arthunter888]

Just started a full-time job in a warehouse. Duties are moving boxes full of paper documents onto shelves. Some of the boxes are really old/dusty, and visible dust enters the air when the boxes land with force. Also, the entire warehouse atmosphere smells dusty, and dust is easily seen on clothing at times.

My head/face feels puffy after a day of work there, like allergic symptoms. I'm almost certain there aren't any industrial chemicals involved, just dust that is typical for a warehouse filled with boxes. How safe is this dust to be inhaling? Will regular exposure lead to lung/sinus problems, or is it just a harmless annoyance? Any insight appreciated.

 

[crunchymilk]

Yes, dust is very harmful if inhaled on a constant basis. Wear some kind of filter, the natural filters you have in your nose and throat can only keep out so much.

 

[Dave]

It sounds like 'normal' dust, meaning mostly small mineral and cellulose fibers. Probably not too harmful in and of themselves, but could very easily act as a vector for infection. N95 masks aren't that expensive, especially compared to a liability lawsuit if someone winds up getting sick-- perhaps suggest that to your supervisor? Anything less than an N95 will not stop fine dust particles, and most masks above that require fit testing, but a hardware store dust mask is a dirt cheap alternative as an immediate stop-gap.

Or, alternatively, suggest improving the methods/frequency of cleaning? Warehouses are often dirty places, but they don't need to be anywhere near as dirty as they usually are. Case in point: I work for a company that makes medical devices, and our raw materials storage (chemicals, substrates, cardboard, packaging, etc...) are stored in a manner that allows for easy, regular cleaning. I don't know how practical it is, but usually there are laws protecting workers, in that you have the right to either refuse unsafe work or conversely the right to the proper protective equipment/protocols needed to do your job safely and comfortably.

Did I mention that I'm also the safety officer at work? If you're seriously concerned, you could find ways of doing particle count testing and even compositional testing if you have some resources available (i.e. union), but keep in mind that you may have signed away a lot of rights when you were hired.

 

[MynameisnotDeja]

I'm having the same problem at my job.