I have just started working for a company that uses platinum in their process and i am looking for anybody that works for similar company that uses platinum so that i can find out what processes they have in place to prevent platinum sensitivity.

I'm not aware of platinum sensitivity in the same context of nickel sensitisation, however there are scholarly articles about sensitivity to platinum salts?

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-123/pdfs/0520.pdf

I spent the a lot of time in the first three years of my career in H&S air sampling in a business with a platinum refinery and various precious metal processing departments (may even be the same business... there're not many in this field!)

Platinum salts (not platinum metal so far as I recall) have one of the lowest of any exposure limit values (used to be TLVs) for a reason. Ensure you look carefully at the number - the microgram symbol is not a milligram symbol, and the number of noughts after the decimal point is critical. Only extremely sensitive and careful sampling and analysis will detect at the levels needed to get any realistic figures for workplace exposure. And even then - if any of your samples show anything measurable detected - then you are probably looking at someone being over-exposed.

The most difficult thing to get your head round is just how small an amount it would take to contaminate a large process laboratory or production area. A single small droplet of liquor drying on the outside of a pfaudler will easily dust sufficient to exceed the limits by an order of magnitude or more. And (it was thought when I was doing this work) a single exposure could provoke sensitivity... We used to 'lay off' two dozen a year with confirmed sensitivity despite all efforts to control exposure to as near zero as possible. Even worse - once sensitivity had been caused - the affected individuals found they couldn't even travel at the weekend on the buses used to transport worker to and from the factory during the week because the transferred salts could trigger a reaction...

The hexavalent platinum complexes are amongst the most potent asthmagens - if there is no-one currently in the business who can lead you though this, then I strongly suggest you need very specialist consultancy assistance. And I am not touting for business - I long ago lost touch with the analysis techniques and current state of technology to be able to advise.... I do wish you all the very best of luck though.

Thanks Chris. Every day's a school day! I'm not sure if it's my faulty memory or if simply no-one knew it thirty years ago... I did say it was a while back... I genuinely might have guessed the pure metal would have been biologically inert. My ignorance grows less. Thank you.

A few points re sensitisation and allergy.

Sensitisation and allergy are different. Sensitisation is the precursor for allergy. It is asymptomatic and takes around 10-14 days. Once sensitised a person may respond on the next exposure or maybe not for several months/years or exposure, or even never.

Exposure limits do not apply to skin. Also it is possible for a sensitised person to react with facial dermatitis to airborne exposure at well below the WEL, which as we all know is only relevant for inhalation exposure. So being below the WEL does not necessarily constitute adequate control.

The 6th edition of the ACoP sets new conditions for health surveillance including should other organisations in the same branch have experienced health issues. If anyone is interested I produced an assessment of the changes in the latest ACoP as far as skin is concerned that I will happily e-mail to anyone free of any obligation if they PM me their e-mail address.

Chris