Cinnaminson, NJ, September 17th, 2015
Tens of millions of people in North America suffer from allergies and many may be exposed to known allergens every day they show up for work. Occupational allergies occur when workers are exposed to a substance or substances that cause them to have an allergic reaction. Reactions often occur when the allergen comes into contact with the worker through common exposure routes that include skin contact, inhalation or ingestion.
Allergic reactions could be due to environmental allergens already in the workplace, such as mold in a water damaged office building, or due to activities that expose workers to allergens from materials they come into contact with because of their profession. These allergic responses can be mild or severe, and in some extreme circumstances could be life threatening.
Workers exposed to an allergen they are sensitive to will often have a reaction within a short time period, but this is not always the case and the reaction may be delayed. Repeated exposures to the allergen may also increase sensitivity. In addition, workers who have not previously show symptoms of an allergic reaction to a substance may develop an allergy from exposure to it over time. Long-term exposure to some allergens can even result in asthma in some people.
Some of the more common environmental allergens that workers may be exposed to include everything from mold, pollen and latex to allergens associated with pets, dust mites, cockroaches and rodents. While many people are aware of these allergens, there are also many others that people may not readily recognize. They include substances such as formaldehyde, isocyanates, chromium, nickel and cobalt, and even wood and floor dusts to name just a few.
“There are numerous known occupational allergens that people can be exposed to in the work environment,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “In fact, occupational allergens may be present in everything from a high rise office building or hospital to a nail salon, school, factory, construction site or even a bakery. Fortunately, there are ways to test for most known allergens in the workplace and EMSL offers testing services, sampling supplies and easy-to-use test kits for many of them.”
To learn more about allergen, indoor air quality or other occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit
www.EMSL.com, call (800)220-3675 or email
info@EMSL.com.
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality, consumer product and materials testing services and products for professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.