Operators of copying machines warned of health hazards from chemicals in the machines

[webfact]

Operators of copying machines warned of health hazards from chemicals in the machines



BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has warned against health hazards posed by toxic chemicals and fluorescent light used in copying machines.

Public Health Minister Ratchata Ratchatanavin said Tuesday that regular users of copying machines should exercise caution and take preventive measures against the toxic chemicals used in the machine which, if over exposed, could pose a danger to their health.

Concentrated ozone of more than 0.25 ppm can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and neck resulting to irregular breathing and loss of sensation toward tastes, said the minister adding that, particularly, those with respiratory problem should avoid getting close to the fluorescent light in the copying machines.

He identified the black carbon ink dusts and liquid ink used in copying machines as dangerous substances that must be handled with great care.

Other chemicals such as cadmium sulphide, zinc oxide and some polymer found in the rollers of copying machines can evaporate and when inhaled can pose a heath hazard, he said suggesting that the operators should wear masks to protect themselves.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/operators-of-copying-machines-warned-of-health-hazards-from-chemicals-in-the-machines


-- Thai PBS 2015-05-26

[fred Kubasa]

Absolute nonsense !

[JOC]

Then the people at immigration are in deep sh*t!!

Ten copies of everything, despite they have them already..........................

[attrayant]

If the fuser is working properly, these things shouldn't be a problem for the casual user. It's when the fuser doesn't work, or the operator opens the copier to pull out a mangled sheet of paper that hasn't passed the fuser yet, and gets toner on their hands or raises toner dust into the air. Even then, infrequent exposure is probably not a big deal. Just was your hands! (But when was the last time you saw soap in a restroom sink in Thailand?) Get toner on your hands and it will most likely stay there for the remainder of the day.

Occupational exposure comes with greater risk, such as pneumoconiosis (aka black lung disease). I'd be concerned if my job was refilling toner cartridges; if I'm just using the copy machine? Not so much.

And there's a low level of UVA in the photocopier lamps, but this is also true of overhead fluorescent lighting as well. It's not a huge problem at distances over half a meter or so. That's why you're supposed to close the cover when making photocopies.

With stories like this, it's no wonder my inlaws are afraid to use their microwave to make hot water.

[impulse]

We'll have to ask this guy in a few years whether sniffing the toner stunted his development.

[Shiver]

I used to service laser printers in a previous life, and some of the earlier toner cartridges were designed in a way that you had an open trough of toner. I never even considered it an issue back then, though I probably should have.

The next job which involved some office time there was a very small room with a rather large photocopier in there. If you stayed in there when it was running a large batch the ozone smell became apparent and you'd get nauseatingly sick. Kind of like the opposite of that fresh feeling after a thunderstorm.

[Norcan]

In other news - pencil users were warned that if they sharpened them, turned them around the wrong way and introduced them to their eyeballs that they risked blindness.

[Jenny Adara]

duh! we have known for years about this - and laser printers are just as bad...

[petedk]

duh! we have known for years about this - and laser printers are just as bad...

When I worked in Europe , more than 20 years ago, all the copymachines and laser printers in our company were placed in special rooms away from the office. The reason being ozone and other chemicals were dangerous for health.

[Godders]

Dear old Thailand, welcome to the 20th Century.

[MESmith]

Of more concern is the application of pesticides & herbicides by uneducated farmers.

[MaiChai]

Is this a case of the uneducated misleading the uneducated?

If health concerns are such an issue how about cleaning up Bangkok? Walking around in flip flops for a couple of hours give you black feet. Think of all that pollution in the air (taxi drivers with lingering coughs come to mind)! Not to mention noise, overcrowding, traffic levels, food on the streets, motorbike taxis, etc. Never mind all that, just worry about photo copiers!

[maidee]

they only found out this in 2015 ??????

this info has been going around for decades, but hey... information goes around slowly here and thais don't take advice from non-thais

[Shiver]

In other news - pencil users were warned that if they sharpened them, turned them around the wrong way and introduced them to their eyeballs that they risked blindness.

The pen is mightier than the sword (for eyeballs at least).