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Posted By Sean Warburton
Hi, Does anyone know if there is, or no of any long term health risk from working in a steamy environment? Particularly at this time of year this process creates a lot of condensation (which is clean & pure wholesome water), so I'm not considering Exposure limits or Legionella here.
Thanks all
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Posted By GSP
I suppose there is a risk of trench foot and other similar fungal infections that thrive in damp moist environments. But other than that no.
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Posted By GSP
and can i have some free hotdogs mmmmmmmm
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Posted By James365
I assume by "steam" (which by definition is vapourised water at around 100 degrees C) you mean water mist?
As has been said, there is no occupational health exposure derived from exposure to water mist - its actually used as a therapy to treat some ailments. However, prolonged exposure in a work environment does give rise to some specific issues that need to be considered:
- Electrical safety
- Biological and organic growth and contamination
- Slips, trips and falls
- Impaired visibility (depending on the volume and concentration of the mist)
- The effectiveness of PPE being compromised due to what can effectively be a wet work environment.
There can also be a concern with oil contamination of water mist, depending on how the steam is generated in the first place and discharged to the working environment. Oil mist inhalation (even in relatively small concentrations) can give rise to respiratory conditions, to the point where our French colleagues across the water have banned the use of minute quantities of oils in those spray breath freshener thingies (not that i would imagine there is a huge demand for them in France... ;)
Lastly, be aware of the third party perceived risk from large clouds of water mist being discharged from any commercial premises. Daily Mail readers across the country have been known to report these when they see them to the environmental agencies. It's generally found to be innocuous, but the time required in dealing with the agency enquiry is a pain.
Hope this helps...
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Posted By Sean Warburton
Ah yes, i do mean water mist and indeed not Steam, just before anyone informs me of the sever respiratory system scalding risk.
Thanks all for your comments, some good points, although the hot dog thing went over my head somewhat.
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Posted By garyh
Lots of people, myself included, pay to use steam rooms.........
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Posted By Chris Packham
Working in a highly humid environment can lead to certain skin problems. In fact, at the conference of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis in Berlin last September papers were presented showing how wet work is one of the most common causes of irritant contact dermatitis. In Germany if working in the type of environment you describe was for more than one quarter of a normal working shift then this would be considered a hazardous situation and special measures would be required.
Excessive exposure to water, whether as a liquid or a mist, can eventually degrade the skin cells in the outer layers of the skin. This can, itself, lead to contact dermatitis. It will also render the skin more susceptible to damage from other chemicals, particularly if these are hydrophilic.
This is a common problem with those who have to wear occlusive gloves for extended periods. The hyperhydrosis that occurs can result in an irritant contact dermatitis.
So, in my opinion, you will need to do a risk assessment and introduce a system for skin health surveillance to ensure that you detect any potential damage to employees skin resulting in occupational skin problems.
If you need more on this give me a call.
Chris Packham (01386 832 311)
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Posted By Sean Warburton
Thanks Chris, really good info that and i will certainly look in to this some more. The room in question in very wet, and continually misty & i just don't like the look of it, and i certainly wouldn't want to work in there myself all day. I now have another angel to come from when considering the risks. And can hopefully now get some action taken to remedy this.
Thanks again
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Posted By Chris Packham
Sean
You certainly should be considering some form of skin health surveillance. My recommendation would be to carry out some skin hydration measurements. These should be done immediately after the person has finished working in that environment to establish the uptake of moisture from the working environment, then about half and hour later, when the skin will have "normalised" (i.e. returned to its underlying, normal condition) to see if there is any cumulative effect on the skin. If the latter measurement shows a reduction of bound water content of the stratum corneum (which is what you will then be measuring) you have an indication that there is cumulative damage to the skin which could eventually result in irritant contact dermatitis. Furthermore, such invisible damage increases the skin's susceptibility to sensitisation and consequent allergy.
You will then need to consider what action to take to limit this sub-clinical (invisible) damage.
Regards
Chris
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Posted By Crim
I have experienced working in hot and humid atmospheres when in Fire Brigade attending the Fire Service College. When exposed to that kind of atmosphere the body becomes fatigued and overheated. This can lead to heat exhaustion!
Not sure if this applies but if it does assistance can be gained by contacting the Fire Service College at Morton in Marsh?
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
Is anyone having to wear any type of glasses or safety lenses that could mist up in this environment?
Lack of normal sight in this type of area could lead to all types of problems.
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Posted By Sean Warburton
Thanks for your comment, but it's purely occupational health i am concerned with, i have already considered other factors.
Thanks
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