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Posted By Booney
Good Morning,
does anyone have information on any possible health risks that may arise from inhaling the odours emitted from a (nearby) tobacco production plant please?
Been on to the LA who have stated that there is 'no statutory nuisance' however, some of our employees are complaining of headaches, sore throats etc.
Regards
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Posted By Adrian Watson Where are you? The common law defines a nuisance as something that interferes with the use or enjoyment with land; a statutory nuisance has the definition generally modified to include something that is also injurious to health. Without knowing your jurisdiction it is difficult to go any further. There are many reports of health effects from tobacco pickers handling tobacco leaves and from volatiles coming off tobacco leaves. This site has some information: http://hazmap.nlm.nih.go...ric?tbl=TblAgents&id=880Follow the trail to TOXNET. Regards Adrian Watson
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Posted By Booney
Adrian,
without saying too much we are located in central England in fairly close proximity to a factory that processes tobacco leaves and stem into the various end products.
This process obviously generates a lot of odours which appear to be affecting the health of a few of our employees. The odours are not consistent, but when we do get them, it's usually all day and that's when our employees start complaining of sore throats, headaches and even nausea and I am trying to establish if there are any potential risks to their health.
The LA have not exactly been forthcoming with information as you can see from my earlier posting...
Many thanks for your reply
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Posted By GSP
Health Risks? = No none at all.
Employee who don't particularly like the smell then and are looking for an excuse to be lazy and moan about something = Yes
Our offices are near a tobacco factory in the midlands, i wonder if your close by?
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Booney,
Please contact me off-line on 07944 789632.
Regards Adrian
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Posted By Booney
GSP,
How can you be sure there are no health risks at all?
Any info you can provide would be of great benefit!
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Posted By Rob T
Just because someone breaks wind doesn't mean to say that you are at risk of Methane poisoning.
Be real, you are more at risk doing your gardening than of being in the vicinity of a tobacco factory. If your staff are suffering from headaches and sore throats, take a look at your lighting, ventilation and office humidity first.
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Posted By GSP
I feel for the people actually working in the Tobacco factory they must be near collapse if the people in your office are suffering so badly.
Seriously there is no health risk unless the place is on fire.
Make it clear to your staff they are hypochondriacs and sort them selves out.
I am sure if it was the smell of the bakery next door rather than tobacco factory they wouldn't be getting headaches.
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Posted By Booney
GSP and Rob T,
So, I can now go back to our employees with 'Be real, you are more at risk doing your gardening than of being in the vicinity of a tobacco factory' and 'Make it clear to your staff they are hypochondriacs and sort them selves out'? Or, 'Seriously there is no health risk unless the place is on fire'?
Based on what evidence? Your opinions?
Are you saying that there has been research that conclusively states there is no risk to health from these odours? If so, TELL ME WHERE I CAN FIND IT!
Please?
My feelings aside, I need evidence because verbal assurance is totally inadequate.
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Posted By GSP
Point out people work in the factory with the fumes all day everyday and surprisingly enough they are fine?
Verbal is more than adequate. People have worked and lived in/around the tabacco industry since time began.
Tell them the EH officer has even said so, if they were worried they would have done something about it 100 years ago.
Where has common sense gone in this day and age :(
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
Booney,
I think what folk are trying to say is that if you are attempting to prove a negative, then you may be on a hiding to nothing.
The point they make about other potential causes is also relevant and may need to be considered.
However, there is an alternative route you can investigate.
If you're sure it's the process fumes you can contact your local Environmental Health Office or the Environment Agency (it depends who issues the factory 'consent to discharge' but the local EHO should be able to help in that respect).
Often an emission does not need to be considered harmful to be deemed a nuisance.
Hope this helps.
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
Ignore my last post - you've already done that!
Sorry I can't help you.
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Posted By Rob T
Well if you've got the money get a hygienist in to do air sampling (although I'm not sure even he/she would know what their looking for but can of course do an "any contaminant" test!).
But you've got to remember, if your staff are suffering from the tobacco factory then most of their staff are likely to be on their deathbeds!
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Posted By Adrian Watson
Rob,
You are looking at chalk and cheese! Inside the factory you are likely to be looking at tobacco process dust; outside you are probably dealing with water based alkaloids from breakthrough from pollution control equipment. It it was dust I would assume everybody would be complaining of reddish brown tobacco smelling smuts.
Tobacco products can give rise to green leaf fever! This is where alkaloids are absorbed through the skin. It is possible if a plume is grounding early that contaminant levels are sufficient to cause health affects. Conversely, people may be associating the smells with exposure and experiencing a psycho-somatic condition.
Samples may be collected for analysis using an evacuated container and analysed by GCMS to profile the pollution plume. A reference sample should also be taken on a non-pollution day to eliminate 'normal' pollutants.
Regards Adrian Watson
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Posted By rjhills
If the LA says there is no
statutory nuisance, then
you can be assured there is
not!
Just because ASH have been
pumping out propaganda
for years it doesn`t mean
there is a risk really now
does it???
If you think there is a
risk, quantify what it is!!
Don`t just rush off
assuming there MUST be a
deadly problem because it
is a tobacco factory!
Try working next to an oil
refinery if you thing a
tobacco factory is a
problem!!
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Posted By Booney
RJHills,
with respect, I'm not the one making any assumptions, I am trying to determine if there are any known health risks associated with these odours.
It is not a dig at smokers
It is not a dig at tobacco manufacturing
and this thread was certainly not intended to evoke emotional responses
Many thanks to all who have looked and responded, I now have a few options to look at and decide on a course of action.
Kind Regards
Booney
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