ANNEX 1

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS - AN

EXPLANATION

The energy and life force of this book comes from the belief that information gives
power, and that one of the ways in which we can reduce inequities between workers
and capital is to provide informatio n about labour issues.
Of the methods used to communicate work hazards to employees, Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS) have proved to be one of the most successful and
comprehensive. However, just knowing they are important is no substitute for
knowing a little more about them.
This annex defines MSDS and gives you a few practical examples.
Definition
MSDS is a structured, technical document that provides information about a specific
substance including its chemical structure, safe handling procedures, storage, and
disposal.
The level of language in an MSDS is meant to bridge the gap between specialist
technical sources such as toxicological texts and the immediate needs of the
workplace.
Purpose
Importers or producers have a regulatory obligation to produce specific information
about individual substances. The information is to prevent both environmental and
occupational mishaps.
Western nations, such as Australia, demand that MSDS be updated every five years to
ensure that the information presented in them reflect the latest research results.
In the West, MSDS have to be made accessible to all concerned. They should be
obtainable on request by workers’ representatives, prospective buyers of the product,
medical practitioners who are treating a worker or emergency service personnels such
as fire fighters.
They are to be kept by the store person or whoever is responsible for the ordering and
storage of hazardous substances.
Structure of the MSDS
All ingredients of a substance including any of its impurities should be listed using
their chemical and common names. This naming should include commonly used
abbreviations (such as DDT) and trade names such as Baygon. The concentration of
each substance should be listed. A hypothetical example might be: 10 percent solution
aqueous ammonia, 80 percent water, 5 percent aromatic isocyanate, and 5 percent
colouring and odouring agents—which also need to be listed.
If for reason of trade secrecy the exact amount of the component ingredients cannot
be given in detail, each ingredient can be expressed as a percentage of the total, as can
be seen above. Usually, producers of these substances will appeal to regulatory
authorities to protect commercial secret but the authorities should still require that the
ingredients be disclosed if there is risk of toxicity or other hazard. It is not up to the
employer or producer to dictate what constitutes private information that cannot be
revealed to the public.
Below is a list of the ingredients of the MSDS. Those marked with an * are
compulsory, those marked # should be included if relevant to the hazard level, while
those marked *** are additional requirements.
While the list may look scary, the language used is usually plain if not technical. By
now, you should know what terms like “hazardous” and “respiratory hazard” means.

General Infomation
1. Company (producers name) *
2. Address *
3. Telephone number *
4. Emergency telephone number/s *
5. Fax number/s and email address/es ***
6. Contact person #
7. Designation or position of contact person #
8. Level of hazard according to local or international code/standard *
Identification
1. Product name *
2. Other names, including abbreviation *
3. Formula *
4. Manufacturer’s product code *
5. United Nations Product Number or code Identification *
6. Chemicals Abstract Service (CAS) number *
7. HAZCHEM Code (if applicable in the country of use) *
8. Dangerous Goods Classification (if Dangerous Goods Act is in place in *
country of use)group
9. Packaging #
10. Poisons Schedule Number (if in place in the country of use) *
11. Emergency Procedures Guide *
12. Package Size and Container Type ***
Use
1. Major use *
2. Improper use and warnings *
3. Method of application *
Physical Description/Properties
1. Appearance (colour, texture, etc.) *
2. Odour #
3. Odour threshold #
4. Boiling point *
5. Melting/freezing point *
6. Vapour pressure *
7. Specific gravity *
8. Flashpoint *
9. Flammability limits *
10. Solubility in water *
Ingredients
1. Identity *
2. CAS number (see above) *
3. Proportion *
4. Other names *
Health Effects Data
1. Acute *
2. Swallowed *
3. Eyes *
4. Skin *
5. Inhaled *
6. Chronic (including cancer risk) *
Symptoms
1. Swallowed *
2. Eye *
3. Skin *
4. Inhaled *
First Aid
1. Facilities needed *
2. Swallowed *
3. Eye *
3. Skin *
4. Inhaled *
Advice to Doctor
Advice to Doctor (pre-employment medical examination, recommendation for *
check- up, baseline and regular testing protocols)
Precautions for Use
Exposure standards (TLV or other) *
Engineering Controls
1. Engineering controls required *
2. Process modification #
3. Segregation of process from personnel #
4. Vessel containment (e.g., stainless steel tank required) #
5. Enclosures (bunding) #
6. Mechanical handling *
7. Recommended type of ventilation *
Personal Protection
1. Respirators *
2. Gloves *
3. Eye *
4. Clothing *
5. Other *
Flammability
1. Ventilation *
2. Fire hazard *
3. Earthing #
4. Ignition sources #
5. Special equipment *
6. Flameproofing #
7. HAZCHEM (see above) *
8. Extinguisher type *
Safe Handling Information
Storage and Transport
1. Location *
2. Construction *
3. Bunding #
4. Conditions (heat, humidity, etc.) *
5. Labelling *
6. Time limits for safe storage *
7. Changes in storage #
8. Containers/Packing #
9. Ventilation during storage *
10. Sunlight temperature and weather *
11. Dangerous goods class *
12. Incompatibilities *
13. State or territory regulations as they apply to this substance #
14. Special transport facilities #
Emergencies: Spills
1. Minimisation *
2. Precautions *
3. Clean-Up *
4. Disposal Methods/environmental considerations
5. Neutralisers *
6. Absorbents (materials that will absorb the spilled substance) #
7. Decontamination procedures #
8. Precautions *
9. Protective clothing #
Disposal
1. General *
2. Precautions #
3. Specific procedures #
4. Method #
5. Incineration or landfill #
6. Effects on environment *
Explosion Hazard
1. Hazards of use/storage #
2. Hazards of use storage *
3. Dangerous breakdown/combustion products *
4. Fire fighting recommendations
5. Personal protection *
6. Reactivity *
7. Fire extinguishing agents *
Other Information
1. Methods of monitoring *
2. References and other sources of information *
3. Toxicity or ecotoxicity (poisonous to the environment) #
4. Biodegradability *
5. Persistence in soil or water *
6. Safer substitutes *
 Annex 2
List of Hazardous Chemicals or Substances
Cancer-Causing Agents in Industries Where Women are Employed
Industry or Name of Cancer-Causing
Use
Process Agent
Aircraft beryllium Aircraft brakes, fuel
cadmium Electroplating
dimethylhydrazine Fuel additive
toluene diisocynate Coatings

Beverages cadmium Solder to join edges of tins

dichloromethane Decaffeinating coffee
For extracting hops from beer

Cleaning 2-cholorophenol Disinfectant, germicide

Clinical bis (chloromethyl ether) Accelerator in pathology tests

Cosmetic, Soap acetaldehyde Perfumes

benzo chlorophenol Germicide
carbon tetrachloride For fragrance
dimethyl sulphate Perfumes, solvent
1,4 dioxane For deodorant bath products and
shampoo
epichlorhydrin Solvent nail enamel
ethyl acrylate For fragrance
ethyl carbamate Helping other substances dissolve
and as a co-solvent
1,2 propylene oxide For fragrance

Dry Cleaning and benzene Cleaning agent

Laundries
carbon tetrachloride Cleaning agent
1,2 dichlorethane Cleaning agent, aerosol
tetrachlorethylene Solvent and heating agent

Electronics cadmium oxide Semiconductors

dichloromethane Cleaning agents
hexachlorobenzene Electrodes, porosity controller
lead Antimonial batteries
nickel carbonyl Vapour plating

Food Processing acetaldehyde Flavouring in butter and fruits

dicholoromethane Extracting agent for cocoa, fats, and
spices
ethylene acrylate Flavouring agent
ethylene oxide Flavouring
 Industry or Name of Cancer-Causing
Use
Process Agent
Glass chromium Colouring
Manufacture
formaldehyde Glass mirrors
nickel Colouring
cadmium oxide Glazes
acetaldehyde For silvering mirrors

Hairdressing epichlohydrin Solvent nail enamels

Health Care beta propriolactone Vaccine, sterilant, plasma

dichloromethane Anaesthetic
ethyl acrylate Prosthetics, surgical tools
ethylene oxide Sterilant

Leather Tanning benzene Solvent and tanning

Footwear chromium Mildew and mould control

1, 4 dichlorobenzene Cleaning agent
1, 2 dichlorethane Cleaning agent
resorcinol Cleaning agent

Pharmaceuticals many chemicals

Photography and chromium For fixing baths

Photographic 1, 2 dichlorethane Fixing agent
supplies
dimethylhydrazine Mediating chemical
formaldehyde Hardening
resorcinol
toluene 2,4 diamine Developer

Printing and benzene For inking lithography

Duplicating
1,4 dioxane Wetting and dispersal

Sports Shoes toluene, benzene Glues and hardeners in shoe

manufacturing
formaldehyde Chrome printing

Toy Manufacture cadmium Electroplating

Yarn Thread and toluene diisocynate Finishes, sealants

Fabrics
methyl chloride Dyes
napthyl amines Dyes
anilines Colouring agents

2
Substances Thought or Known to Cause Reproductive Hazards for Women
Acrylonitrile** Disulfiram Nickel**
Aluminium chloride Dyes Nitrogen Oxide
Aniline Epidan 5 (epoxy) Nitropropane
Arsenic Ethoxyethanol Nitrosamines
Azo Dyes Ethyl Benzene Organophosphates and
Benzene Ethylene chlorohydrin organochlorines pesticides*
Benz (o) pyrene Ethylene dichloride Ozone
Beryllium Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether Pentachlorobenzene
Biphenol A Ethylene oxide Perchlorethylene
Bromide Ethylene thiourea Phenol
Butyl Acetate Fluorocarbons Photographic chemicals
Cadmium Formaldehyde Phthalate esters
Caprolactam Formamides Polybrominated biphenyls*
Carbon disulphide Gallium Polychlorobiphenyls
Carbon monoxide Hexachlorobiphenyl Propylene oxide
Carbon tetrachloride Hexachlorophene Selenium**
Cellosolve Lead Solvents
Chlorodifluoromethane Lithium Styrene
Chloroform** Mercury Styrene Oxides
Chlorprene Methylacrylate esters Tellurium**
Chromium Methoxylethanol Tetrachlorethane
Copper Methylazoxymethanol Tetrachloroethylene
Dibutyl Phthalate Methylazoxymethanol Thiram
Dichlorethylene Methyl cellosolve Titanium
Dichloromethane Methylene chloride* Toluene*
Diethylhexyl phthalate Methyl chloroform Toluidine
Dimethylacertamide Methyl ethyl ketone* Trichlorethane*
Dimethylbenzanthracene Methyl styrene Urethane
Dimthylformamide Molybdenum Vinyl Chloride
Diphenylhydrazine Monomethyl formamide* Xylene*

Substances Thought or Known to Cause Reproductive Problems in Men

Acrylamide Chlorprene Epoxy Resin
Allyl glycidyl ether Chromium compounds Ethers
Arsenic* Copper Ethylene Dibromide and
Benzene* and Di (2,3 exopropyl) ether Dichloride*
Chlorobenzene** Diethylhexyl phthalate Ethylene glycol ethers
Benz (o) pyrene Dimethylaminopeopionitrile Ethylene Oxide
Bis (2 methoxyl) ether Dinitrotoluene Formamide
Bis (2 methoxylethyl) ether Direct Blue Fluorocarbons
Boric Acid Dibromethane Freon 31
Cadmium* Dibromopropyl phosphate (chlorofluoromethane)**
Carbon Dioxide Dibutyl phthalate Glycidil Ether
Carbon Disulphide Diglycidil ether** Hexachlorocyclohexane
Carbon Monoxide* Dichlorethane Lead*
Carbon Tetrachloride** Dyes Lithium**
Cellosolve Epichlorhydrin Manganese*
3
 Mercury Phthalate ethers Toluenediamine
Methanil Yellow Polybrominated biphenyls Trichlorethylene*
Methoxythenol Polychlorinated biphenyls Triethylene glycoldiglycil
Molybdenum Solvents Tris
Nickel Styrene oxide Vinyl Chloride*
Paratertiary butyl benzoic Titanium Zinc Chloride**
* There is enough evidence to indicate this substance is hazardous to humans.
** Evidence in animals of reproductive disturbance, which means that humans should handle this product with great care and
monitor outcomes in workers using this chemical.

Note that smoking has been found to be a reproductive hazard to both men and women. In men, it has been associated with
infertility. Women smoking during pregnancy are known to have babies with low birth weights, subtle learning disabilities,
and respiratory distress. Smoking may also enhance the effects of other reproductive hazards. Smoking parents are also a
major cause of asthma to their children.

Effects of Selected Substances on Human Reproduction

Substances Effects on Human Reproduction

Gases Increase in early rupture of the bag of water, increase in miscarriages
Carbon Monoxide and stillbirths, low birth weight, brain damage, retardation, fits, tight rigid
muscles, premature detachment of the placenta (afterbirth) leading to
reduced nutrition and oxygen to baby
Ozone Increase in miscarriages and birth defects
Anaesthetic gases (nitrous oxide) Increase in miscarriages, birth defects, low birth weight, infertility

Solvents
Tetrachlorethylene Jaundice in newborn babies (solvent from breast milk)
Toluene Premature births, heart, facial, and nail defects
Gasoline Facial defects, brain damage (very small brain) and retardation
Others (e.g., acetone) Lack of a sacrum (the large, flat bone at the base of the spine which
includes the tail bone)

Food Additives and Contaminants

Calcium cyclamate Cleft palate, split lips, hand deformities
Diethylstilbestrol In female children, fatal cancer of the vagina, enlarged cervix and
uterine defects; in male children, abnormal sperm, the testicles do not
drop, cysts in the testicles
Zoapatenol Miscarriages
Ergot alkaloids (fungus found in grains) Miscarriages
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) Stillbirths, babies of affected parent/s are small for their age, stained skin,
gum disease, jaundice, liver damage, nerve and developmental damage

4
 Substances Effects on Human Reproduction
Pesticides
Organophosphorus Miscarriages, increase in various defects, foot deformities
(Carbaryl) Testicular dysfunction
Organomercurials Miscarriages, brain damage, lack of coordination
Phenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5,T) Foot deformities, open spinal cord (Spina Bifida), miscarriages
Organochlorines (DDT, DDE) Prematurity
Hexachlorobenzene Red urine in new born babies (from breast milk)
Chlordecone Male infertility
Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) Male infertility

Metals
Alkyl Mercury Spastic muscles and severe brain damage (Minimata Disease), blindness,
tremors, fits, lack of coordination, increased early infant death, bleeding
disorders, babies of affected parent/s are small for their age
Lead Miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weight, brain damage, blindness, eyes
that continually shift from side to side, tumours made up of blood vessels,
anaemia, bleeding disorders, prematurity, early infant deaths, decreased
male and female fertility
Lithium Heart problems in children born of affected parent/s
Selenium Miscarriages, club feet
Arsenic Premature delivery and early infant death
Nickel Birth defects and early infant death

Others
Vinyl Chloride Stillbirth, miscarriages
Chloroprene Miscarriages, sperm abnormalities
Toluenediamine Male infertility
Dinitrotoluene Male infertility

5
 Annex 3

Sources Of Illness at Work From Bacterial, Fungal, Or Viral

Infections

The term “biological hazards” conjures up visions created by science fiction movies with strange and horrible
creatures emerging from laboratories and the fiendish minds of national enemies. In fact, biological hazards are
all around us. When we catch a “flu,” which is short for influenza, or diarrhoea, we have fallen prey to a
biological agent that had entered our body. “Biological agent” means something that is living or that comes from
something living. The reaction-causing agent often lives inside or alongside another living thing, such as a dog, or
is part of a plant or the hard shell or skin of something that died. What is sometimes known as hay fever—
sneezing, runny noses, and eyes—is triggered by parts of living plants known as pollen, one of the reproductive
parts of plants. During the dry season, pollens are caught up by wind currents and become airborne. Other
minute fungal and animal organisms cause allergic reactions that make us reach for handkerchiefs. In some
cases, severe asthma can be started by contact with something that triggers a very severe allergic reaction.
Working with kapok, cotton, and grains that have been stored for periods of time, such as wheat and barley,
can cause this type of allergic reaction. These materials contain creatures so tiny, which are not only invisible to
the human eye but some are also really hard to classify as either animals or plants.
The tropical and semitropical zones of the world are like holiday playgrounds for bacteria, fungi, and other
minute creatures. The moist climate makes abundant places to breed. In addition, poor nutrition, diarrhoea, and
other chronic diseases of poverty, which can affect working women, mean that such infections can quickly
overwhelm the woman’s body defences.
Listed below are some of the living agents that may influence women’s occupational health. The Department of
Labour personnel often forget that women’s workplaces may involve bites from spiders, animals, and exposure
to stuff in plants or animals (such as fur) that cause allergic reactions. This list may not be complete as it is based
on research done in the West. The list of bugs that live in tropical zones that affect workers may be much longer
than this one.
Bites from animals or insects are unavoidable in some occupations. Rats are also a danger, carrying disease in
their urine as well as inflicting nasty bites. Spiders have been known to bite the necks or hands of palm oil
cutters and handlers, and of those who cut and handle bananas. Little can be done to avoid this in the
plantation. But at the processing or handling plant, workers could be given leather gloves to handle the products
without risk of being bitten. A well-marked first aid kit with anti-venom (antidote for the poison) for the known
local and nasty creatures is vital to all workplaces, such as plantations, where bites are a risk.
Rabies
Those at Risk: Anyone who routinely handles animals such as zoo attendants, laboratory workers, cleaners in
laboratories, women farmers, tourism and national park guides who show tourists wild animals, veterinarians
and veterinarian nurses. The good news is that rabies is becoming rarer now that vaccines are available.
How It is Transmitted: By bite from an infected animal.
Effects: This disease normally kills bitten workers, unless they can have immediate access to a vaccination after
 2
the bite.
First signs of illness: Headache, nausea, and loss of appetite. These signs then progress to drooling (loss of
ability to control saliva) and fear of water. Convulsions and death signal the end of this awful disease.
Prevention: Vaccination of animals if they are kept (as in a tourist park) and vaccination of workers. The
vaccine should be made available at the workplace in case of a bite to an unvaccinated worker (or member of
the public).
Milkers’ Nodules
Those at Risk: Women who routinely come in contact with the infected teats of milking cows. This disease is
most commonly found in small-scale dairies.
How It is Transmitted: The organism enters through cuts in the skin.
Effects: Small lumps on hands, sometimes on the face and neck. The lumps are caused when the lymph nodes,
which are part of a parallel system to the blood system, become large and swollen. This is because the task of
the lymph system is to filter infection. There also may be mild headaches, fevers, and feelings of being unwell.
Prevention: Treatment of infection of the udder (mastitis) in cows along with the use of soap, disinfectant, and
clean towels for personal hygiene after milking.
Newcastle Disease
Those at Risk: Women working with chickens or birds in small-scale intensive chicken farming or in
slaughterhouses.
How It is Transmitted: Breathing in dust from chickens or birds that carry the virus.
Effects: Watery, red, and itchy eyes, swollen eyelids (these effects may be confused with conjunctivitis), mild
headache, and fever. The infected person may have a slight cough. The effects will eventually go away on its
own.
Prevention: Well-ventilated workplaces and care in handling birds known to be infected.
Q Fever
Those at Risk: Women working in dairy farms, meat works, and slaughterhouses; wool and skin handlers and
those who work with animal organs in plants that boil fat and organs to make other products such as animal
feeds or soap.
How It is Transmitted: Workers inhale infected droplets from infected animal tissues. Direct contact with the
flesh of infected animals may also cause infection. The small infectious organism is very tough and may survive
for long periods.
Effects: Flu-like symptoms with rapidly developing severe chest disease, fever and headaches with loss of
appetite. Later, the chest disease tends to become worse. Q fever is rarely fatal in healthy women. In cases
where the disease continues untreated, heart complications may arise.
Prevention: Q fever is prevented by vaccination of workers.
Tetanus
Those at Risk: Anyone who works or lives around animals who suffer a penetrating or crush wound.
 3
How It is Transmitted: Penetrating or crush wound allowing the bacteria to enter.
Effects: This is an acute disease, which affects the body quickly. The muscles of the jaw, neck and back
become very tight and painful. The jaw really just lock up so the other name for Tetanus is lockjaw. Eating is
impossible and the disease, if left untreated, may kill.
Prevention: Mass immunisation of the population with regular booster shots for those at risk. If a penetrating or
crush wound occurs in areas where animals drop their dung, then vaccination is required immediately.
Anthrax
Those at Risk: Agricultural workers and those handling goat hair, lamb’s wool, and hides of infected animals.
How It is Transmitted: Most cases are caused by the bacteria entering through small cuts in the skin.
Sometimes it can enter the body through airborne particles that carry the bacteria.
Effects: A small, open sore begins to develop around the entry wound. Painless, the wound often becomes
black, scabby, and swollen. Sometimes if the bacteria have been inhaled, respiratory flu-like symptoms develop.
Fever and shock follow in untreated cases. Swollen lymph nodes appear in the groin, armpit, and neck. Death
is common in those left untreated.
Prevention: All workers in risky industries have to be immunised. Washing facilities are important to
prevention, as is ventilation of the workplace.
Brucellosis
Those at Risk: Meat packers and processors, and veterinary nurses.
How It is Transmitted: Through small cuts or scratches. In some rare cases, through inhalation of infected
dusts or droplets from infected animals.
Effects: Flu-like symptoms with fever, headache, and muscle pain. The fever gets worse, normally striking at
night, and is accompanied by weight loss and weakness. Complications include feeling suicidal, which can go on
for 10 to 20 years if the disease is poorly treated or untreated. In addition, complications also include liver and
kidney problems, point disease, abscesses in the spleen, and bladder problems.
Prevention: Women with cuts and scratches on their hands who handle meat need to be given gloves to work
with. The workplace should be well ventilated. Any woman feeling ill with a night fever should be tested for
brucellosis.
Candidiasis
Those at Risk: Dishwashers, cooks, bakers, chicken processors, meat packers, and food cannery workers.
How It is Transmitted: Candida albicans, the organism that causes candida, is normally found in the human
body and in nature. Sometimes, other exposures allow the candida to reproduce out of control and cause
illness.
Effects: The fungus candida albicans can cause sores to break out in the mouth, skin, and vagina and can
spread or remain quite localised. Sometimes it will spread to warm, dark areas like under the breasts, into the
armpits, lower abdomen, elbows, and between the fingers. If the worker had been ill or is diabetic, candidiasis
can encompass more severe respiratory and heart complications that, if left untreated, can be fatal in a minority
of cases.
Prevention: Gloves and ventilation of the workplace are the most appropriate preventive measures.
 4
Chromoblastomycoses
Those at Risk: Women working in tropical areas that suffer lots of scratches on their legs and feet such as
plantation or tea workers.
How It is Transmitted: Through the scratches.
Effects: A strange cauliflower-like outgrowth at the site of the wounds appears. These growths are full of fungi
and if they grow out of control, they may obstruct the lymph drainage to the legs. These growths can be very
disfiguring and are hard to get rid of unless treated early. The disease resembles elephantiasis.
Prevention: Wearing shoes and covering the legs with thick trousers.
Ringworm
Those at Risk: Women working in hot, damp environment such as food processing plants and animal hide
factories.
How It is Transmitted: This is a superficial fungal disease of the skin, nails, and scalp transferred from other
people or from animals.
Effects: The skin sores are circular and ring-like with a clear, dry area in the middle. Sometimes the ring is
scaly and reddish. If it affects the nails, ringworm can cause the nails to disintegrate. If the infestation is on the
scalp, the hair can disintegrate as well.
Prevention: Workers should be given soap and clean towels to wash after work. They should be given anti-
fungal powder to dust the damp parts of their bodies such as armpits, groin, and between the toes. Towels
should be sterilised by the contract laundry and not washed by the women workers!
Other Fungal Diseases
Those at Risk: There is a collection of diseases due to allergic reaction to the inhalation of fungal spores.
Fungi reproduce by making and distributing spores. They are like seeds in some ways. Women who work in
textile mills for instance may get byssinosis from inhaling spores from cotton or hemp fibre. Other workers at
risk are those handling hay, farming mushrooms, sugarcane workers, cork and softwoods workers, and those
making and packing seeds.
How Fungal Diseases are Transmitted: Inhalation of spores.
Effects: Usually the response is marked by respiratory problems such as cough, fever, and production of
phlegm. Sometimes the attack resembles asthma in that the woman begins to wheeze and struggle for breath.
Symptoms are often worse after a holiday or weekend rest, then reduce in severity over the week.
Prevention: Adequate ventilation to reduce dust levels in the air. Damp cleaning to suppress dusts and
provision of respirators in cases where dust is thick.
Mites, Chiggers, and Ticks
Those at Risk: These tiny animals usually live on other larger animals. The illness comes from the eggs or even
smaller parasites carried by these minuscule creatures. Sometimes the eggs hatch releasing the primitive creature
known as larvae that feed on blood. These crawl up the legs of women working in fields, plantations, or farms,
and attach themselves to the skin. Chickens for instance may carry these types of tiny creatures.
Those making brooms or those handling wheat, barley, straw or other grains and cereals may be infested.
Workers handling copra, vanilla pods, and cheese are also at risk.
 5
Route of Entry or Transmission: Through the skin.
Effects: There is a wide range of effects usually marked by the appearance of a bite mark on the legs that
begins to itch and swell. The wound may become dusty red in colour and when pushed in, may take some time
to return to its previous shape. Itching may cause loss of sleep and fever may occur. Secondary infection
introduced by scratching the wound is common.
Some bites cause local dermatitis: a reddened, scaly, and itchy skin. The tick bite is dangerous only in some
regions where ticks can cause severe fevers, weakness, and lack of body co-ordination. It is best to remove the
tick using salt or a flame under the body so the tick does not leave its head in the wound.
Prevention: Fumigation of grains and cereals, and the use of repellents and protective clothing that covers all
exposed areas of the skin.
 Annex 4
Sample Checklists for Workplace Reform

These checklists may help you work out a methodical approach to analysing the existence of
and solutions for workplace reform.

1. Sexual Harassment and Violence at Work

As this is an issue that arouses a number of difficult emotions such as fear and shame in women, and fear and
denial in the men, it needs to be approached systematically like any other occupational hazard. Harassment is
better dealt with in the context of a national or provincial legal system. If that does not exist yet, it is important to
work with managers to develop company-based guidelines and procedures for complaint.
Note: These lists are far from complete. You may find things in the text of this book that can assist you to add to
these lists.

Question Yes No Comments

1. Is there a national legislation which bans sexual harassment
and/or workplace violence?
2. Does the company have a policy which bans sexual
harassment or similar gender discrimination practices?
3. Does the company have an appeal system in place if sexual
harassment/ workplace violence occurs?
4. Has there ever been any action taken against men who
harass women?
5. Do women feel free to report harassment?
6. When women complain about sexual harassment, what do
they mean by this? (i.e. could they mean rape?) What form
does the harassment take?
7. Have the women taken any measures to try to prevent
recurrence of this behaviour?
8. Describe what the women did and the response to that
action.
9. Have women taken time off work because of sexual
harassment? If so, how many women and how many days?
 2

Question Yes No Comments

10. Have any of the women fallen ill because of sexual
harassment?
11. What form does the illness take?
12. Have any of the women resigned because of harassment?
13. At any time has violence been associated with
harassment?
14. Is violence and sexual harassment widespread or
confined to one or two identified persons?
15. Is violence in the workplace a common occurrence?
16. What form does this violence take? (Describe)
 3
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 4
2. Pregnancy and Work

Pregnancy can be a time of great joy and exhilaration. It can also be a time of fatigue, sickness, and aching
bones. It is fundamental to women’s human rights that their health be protected during their pregnancy.
The following checklist raises some of the important issues, many of which should be covered by national
occupational health legislation.
Is yours a woman-friendly workplace?

Question Yes No Comments

1. Does the company have a policy on employment and
pregnancy?
2. Does the company allow women to take maternity leave?
3. Are women penalised for getting pregnant/taking maternity
leave? (i.e. are they denied employment when they come
back, denied promotions, wage increases, holidays, etc.?)
4. Are pregnant women expected to work in areas that
contain known reproductive hazards? (see list in this section)
5. Are women allowed to transfer to other less hazardous
work if they are pregnant? Is this done automatically or only
if the women request transfer?
Are they able to transfer without losing benefits or pay?
6. Are all women, pregnant women in particular, expected to
stand up all day?
7. Are all women, pregnant women in particular, expected to
sit all day?
8. Are pregnant workers regularly expected to carry heavy
loads—especially late into pregnancy?
9. Are all women, pregnant women in particular, given free
access to toilets?
10. Are pregnant women given the right to rest if they feel
weak or tired?
 5

Question Yes No Comments

11. Does the company allow women to breastfeed babies at
work?
12. If no, would this be desirable?
13. If yes, is there a suitable place for women to breastfeed
free of noise, distraction, and hazardous fallout?
14. Are women able to leave work to attend clinics for ante-
natal care, for instance, to obtain iron tablets?
11. Is there a polyclinic available on site at which women can
obtain ante-natal care, including iron supplements?
 6
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 7
3. Checklist to Survey Workplace Housekeeping

Women all over the world take pride in keeping their homes clean, neat, and safe. Women have in their minds
the health and safety of themselves and their families as they dust, wash, and sweep. It is a task that has typically
fallen to women and thus, has been trivialised by men as being non-status activity. But as women, we know that
housework is one of the very foundations of family health.
But some employers do not share that pride and women, whose homes are spick and span, sometimes have to
work in messy, dirty, and chaotic factories. Piles of rubbish lying next to doorways, cables and grease on the
floor, spilt chemicals and other mess make working life unpleasant and unsafe.
The checklist below will help you identify some of the housekeeping problems commonly found in workplaces.
It’s not up to you to take up mops and brooms. Instead management should ensure that they employ cleaners
and that all the hazards mentioned below are kept under control through provision of adequate storage and
improved workplace practices and education.
Could your workplace win a good housekeeping award?

Question Yes No Comments

1. Are entrance ways clearly marked and kept clear of
rubbish and materials?
2. Are workrooms kept clean and tidy with bins provided at
regular intervals for rubbish?
3. Are women’s bags and personal belongings stored safely
in lockers?
4. Are all materials safely stored on racks, pallets or in
labelled cupboards?
5. Are floors regularly cleaned to remove grease or other
hazards?
6. Is the floor littered with cables and other things that can
cause falls?
 8

Question Yes No Comments

7. If the workplace has a kitchen or eating area, is it clean
and well-ventilated? Is there a refrigerator to keep food and
drinks cool and fresh?
8. Are all tools stored in appropriate racks when not in use,
and are they regularly maintained and sharpened?
9. Are all shards and sharp-edged waste quickly removed
from the workplace?
10. Are the floors well- maintained to reduce holes and
unevenness?
11. Are there rodents or other unwelcome animals in the
workplace?
 9
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 10

4. Fire Prevention and Fire Safety

Is your workplace hot on fire safety?

First line responsibility for fire safety belongs to the management who should work with the local fire authority to
put in place fire prevention mechanisms and evacuation training.
But management may need some prompting from women workers, so work your way through this checklist to
see if you need to get hot under the collar about fire safety.

Questions Yes No Comments

1. Does the company have a fire prevention and safety
policy?
2. Does the company hold annual fire and evacuation drills?
3. Do the premises have regularly-placed fire extinguishers?
4. Can women handle the fire extinguishers easily?
5. Are the women workers trained in the use of fire
extinguishers?
6. Are the extinguishers suitable for the types of fire you are
likely to have (check on the side of the extinguisher)?
7. Are the extinguishers regularly checked by fire service
officers?
8. If extinguishers are not in place, what other facility does the
company have for fighting fires? Can the women use these
systems?
9. Does the place have clearly-marked fire exits?
10. Are the fire exits routinely locked? (Who has the key?)
11. Check the fire exit. Is it free of obstruction on the
outside? Where does it end up? Is there room for all the
workers if they have to escape the building?
12. If the building is multilevel, are the fire exits well-lit?
13. Is the workspace fitted with smoke detectors?
14. Are areas where flammable chemicals are used clearly
labelled with no smoking signs? Is this enforced?
 11

Questions Yes No Comments

15. Have you ever had a fire at work? What happened? Has
anything changed since then?
16. Are flammable chemicals stored in small quantities in
metal cupboards?
17. Are all flammable chemicals clearly labelled as such?
18. Are all exits clear of rubbish and stored materials?

Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 12
5. General Safety at Work

Maintaining workplace safety has traditionally been the work of men since the practice of occupational health
and safety began with an understanding of machines and basic design skills. However, in essence, safety is a
matter of common sense, a major attribute of women!
Does your workplace have safety sense?

Questions Yes No Comments

1. Does the company offer safety and health training to all
new workers?
2. Are women given specific training in safe work methods
for their particular task?
3. Does the company have a policy on safety at work?
4. Are women told about emergency procedures in case of
personal accident or damage to machinery?
5. Are all accidents routinely investigated?
6. Are all accidents reported to the national or provincial
labour offices?
7. Are all machines fitted with guards to prevent fingers,
hands, hair, or toes from entering?
8. Are all machines and hand tools used by the women
regularly checked?
9. Are cables and electrical fittings all kept out of the way and
regularly inspected to reduce risk of electrocution?
10. Are all raised platforms and stairways fitted with rails to
prevent falls?
11. Are the areas in which forklifts operate clearly marked?
Can you hear the approach of a forklift?
12. Are all areas requiring protective clothing marked as
such? Is the use of protective clothing enforced?
13. If the work involves dangerous chemicals, are there eye
wash stations or emergency showers provided?
 13

Questions Yes No Comments

14. Do workers have regular medical check-up at company’s
expense?
15. If power presses are used to stamp out components, are
two hands required for the operation to minimise the chance
of getting fingers caught?
15. Are all vats, bins, and other areas large enough for
women to fall into protected with guardrails?

Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 14
6. General Environment

In the late 1960s, the Swedish government launched a concept called Quality of Work Life, recognising that
many people spend over half of their daily lives at work. They believed that this experience should be life-giving
and enjoyable, not just a tough time to endure. They assumed that if work were enjoyable and satisfying in all
respects, then the worker would be productive and healthy. In later years, their ideas were found to be true for
all levels of the workforce: from the boss to the gardener.
In the past 10 years, much of the Swedish government’s work has been forgotten or ignored in search for higher
profits.
However, the focus on working life issues lingers in occupational health and safety practice. Below are a few
more questions in a checklist which considers the wider work environment.

Question Yes No Comments

1. Is the work area well-lit?
2. Is the temperature inside always comfortable?
3. Are the premises painted with a pleasing colour?
4. Is adequate cool drinking water available?
5. Are the toilets kept clean and tidy?
6. Is there a place to wash or dispose of menstrual products?
7. Are soap and towels provided?
8. Are general washing facilities available?
9. Are workers provided with uniforms?
10. Are workers expected to wash their own uniforms?
11. Is a fully stocked first aid kit available in the workplace?
12. Is there anyone trained in first aid?
13. Does the company provide nutritious meals?
14. Is music allowed in the workplace?
15. Does the enterprise stage social events such as sports or
concerts which allow women to meet informally?
16. Is there a pleasant and hygienic place to eat?
 15
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 16
7. Ergonomics: Standing Work

Workplace design is one of the most overlooked and underestimated preventive strategies in occupational
health. The checklist below is designed to analyse work performed while standing. The active participation of
women in workplace redesign is vital: they know if they are uncomfortable while they are working and may have
some very good suggestions as to how the workplace can be changed to make work easier to accomplish.

Question Yes No Comments

1. Can the work be done while sitting or by a combination of
sitting and standing?
2. Does the work require the woman to stand in a fixed
position?
3. Do they have to bend and twist into uncomfortable
positions?
4. Does the work require the women to stand for long
periods of time? How long?
5. Do the women have to stand to reach machine controls? If
the machine was redesigned, could the job be done sitting
down?
6. Do the women have to lean forward for long periods of
time?
7. Do workers complain of back pain?
8. Do workers complain of aching legs?
9. Is the floor made of cement?
10. Has the company provided softer floor mats such as
those made from ribbed rubber or carpet to prevent leg
fatigue?
11. Is there adequate space between workers to allow free
movement?
12. Are footrests provided?
13. Does the work demand that women work with their arms
reaching high overhead or above their shoulders?
14. Would it be possible to make the worker “taller” by
providing high chairs or raised duckboards?
 17
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 18
8. Ergonomics: Sitting Work

Question Yes No Comments

1. Does the work chair/ stool have a back rest?
2. Is the work chair/stool adjustable?
3. Do the women know how to adjust the chair/stool and why
it is important to work at the right height?
4. Is the working chair/stool stable and not easily tipped over?
5. Are women expected to provide their own cushions?
6. How long are women expected to sit at one time?
7. Can the women put their feet flat on the ground while they
are sitting?
8. Can they vary their working positions?
9. Is the height of the working surface at level with women’s
waist when they are sitting?
10. Do they have to frequently twist and bend to reach
components or store completed goods?
11. Do women complain about arm, shoulder, neck or hand
pain?
12. Are women doing assembly work provided with gravity
feeder boxes so that they don’t have to reach?
13. Are the machine’s stop buttons within easy reach?
 19
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 20
9. Ergonomics: Lifting and Carrying

Question Yes No Comments

1. Are women required to repeatedly lift heavy loads (more
than 15 kg) on their own, without help?
2. Do the loads have to be lifted from the floor?
3. Are the loads unstable or bulky (for instance, bales of
rubber or cotton)?
4. Is it hard to see when handling the load?
5. Is the floor area where loads are handled greasy or
uneven?
6. Are carts or trolleys with wheels available to assist with
load carrying or handling?
7. Do loads have to be lifted to height (head level or higher)?

Recommendations:

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 21
10. Handling and Storage of Chemicals

Exposure to some chemicals can cause illness. Some people think that the stronger the smell the more
dangerous the chemical. This is not always the case and some chemicals that have virtually no smell can be very
dangerous.
While our nose is a good detector of chemical presence, we also get used to chemical smells. When working
with chemicals, we have to pay attention to all sorts of handling and work design principles. This checklist will
help you assess if your workplace is a chemically safe zone.

Question Yes No Comments

1. Do you know if the national or provincial regulations
regarding chemical storage and handling are adhered to by
the company?
2. Does the company keep a register of all the hazardous
materials being used or produced in the factory?
3. Is this register accessible to the women workers?
4. Does the register define all those chemicals being used that
may cause reproductive problems to men and women
working in the factory?
5. Is specific handling data (Material Safety Data Sheets)
available to all workers?
6. Is the workplace well- ventilated?
7. Have any women complained of illness (feeling dizzy,
nauseous, headaches, etc.)?
8. Are all hazardous chemicals labelled with the correct
international hazard symbol?
9. Do they have handling and poisons information on the
label?
10. Are all women trained in the safe use of chemicals?
11. When handling chemicals, are all women given aprons,
gloves, face shield, or goggles to wear?
12. Are antidotes to poisons available in the workplace?
Who is trained to administer them?
13. Are all women handling chemicals given annual check-ups
with specific tests given for specific chemicals?
 22

Question Yes No Comments

14. Is each area where chemicals are handled equipped with
eye wash stations and emergency showers?
15. Are the workplaces regularly monitored for fume build
up? Are the ventilation systems regularly maintained to make
sure they effectively ventilate fumes?
16. Are all chemicals stored in suitably marked metal
cupboards?
17. Are large amounts of flammables stored outside?
18. Are there suitable extinguishers present in case of
chemical fires?
19. Are you aware of women having reproductive difficulties,
for instance, difficulty in getting pregnant, miscarriage or birth
defects?
20. Are you aware of women from one factory being affected
by the same type of cancer?
21. Are acids stored safely (below eye height and with tops
securely put on) and at a distance from any alkalis?
22. Under normal circumstances, are all chemical spills
immediately cleaned up?
23. Are all containers routinely kept closed to prevent escape
of vapour?
24. Are all episodes of chemical poisonings and illness
reported to the national or provincial authority?
 23
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 24
11. Noise

Many women think that noise is just a fact of life. This is, after all, a noisy world we live in, with loud music,
traffic, and aircraft noises flooding our lives. But being around loud noise can cause deafness.
Things can be done to reduce noise at work. Women have to show that the place is too noisy and have few
suggestions to management. Measurement of just how loud the noise really is requires specialised equipment.
But the following questions will assist you to know if the noise at work is excessive.
Let’s bring peace to this noisy world.

Question Yes No Comments

1. Is the noise so loud that workers cannot hear each other
without shouting while standing at an arm’s length?
2. Do the women suffer ringing or buzzing in their ears when
they go home at night?
3. Does the ringing or buzzing disturb their sleep?
4. Is machinery regularly maintained to prevent machines
from “running rough?”
5. Does the noise come from one or two distinct sources or is
it more general?
6. Do the women have regular (annual) hearing test?
7. Are the women given hearing protection?
8. Are they given training and education about hearing
conservation?
9. Have engineers been asked to measure the noise in the
factory? What are the results?
10. Has there been any attempt to reduce the noise?
 25
Recommendations

1. For immediate action:

2. For long-term action:

 Annex 5
When the Heat Is On - Work and Body Comfort in High
Temperatures

Tourists come to the tropics to laze like lizards in the heat. Along with souvenirs and lots of
photographs, they hope to take tanned brown skin back home as a mark of a successful holiday
in the warmer parts of the world.
While being on holiday in hot climates may be fun, working in a hot climate is not. The body’s
mechanisms that maintain constant body temperature find it harder to maintain the body’s
temperature in tropical, humid conditions. Dress codes in some countries, particularly in Islamic
countries, do not allow women to wear clothing that bares large areas of skin, thereby inhibiting
the body’s most effective temperature control mechanism - evaporation by sweating.
Many places where women work are intolerably hot. Little attention is given to this feature of
the work environment because hot is assumed as “normal.” But let’s look at some of the
features of heat at work and how it affects the human body.
The Hot Body
The human body can be compared to a medium efficiency machine. It consumes fuel and
produces heat, but can only control the internal heating process for short periods—and
inefficiently at that. When asleep, the body still produces heat enough to keep the healthy body
temperature at 38oC.
Our evolutionary history shows that our ancestors wore few clothes (skins and grasses, in fact)
and any fast, heat-producing activity was limited to hunting and war-related activities. Thus, we
have not as a species had to deal with hard work in hot conditions until recently. Farmers,
though working hard, usually begin work before sunrise and take it up later in the afternoon,
resting in the heat of the day. Factories do not choose their working hours as prudently. Hard
work sends the body’s temperature up to the point where it has to begin to seriously control its
internal environment. The body has a critical range of less than 2oC only before it begins to
experience symptoms of physical stress. The rate at which blood is pumped to the skin surface
to lose heat increases as the body’s internal heat increases.
The body reduces its heat load in a number of ways:
1. Conduction: The heat moves from one source to another—like a saucepan carrying
heat from a flame to the water inside. Heat from the body can be passed to the water if
the woman takes a bath for instance. But this is the least important control mechanism
as it is highly unlikely that workers can regularly swim or shower at work!
2. Radiation: The body radiates heat. You can feel the heat coming from a hot person’s
body. This is only successful as a means of reducing body heat if the outside
temperature is cooler than that of the body. In many workplaces, this isn’t the case.
3. Convection: Fans blowing cool air over the surface of the exposed skin will also cool
the body, as those living in tropical zones know. But you probably didn’t know that it
was called something as fancy as convection.
4. Evaporation: This is the most important form of body cooling and is made possible by
the body’s sweat being exposed to air and becoming cooler.
Evaporation is the most important method of body cooling, as it is the most efficient. The
evaporation of 100 ml of sweat by exposing the skin to air is as efficient as eating ice or drinking
1.6 litres of cold water.

On the Other Hand - Playing It Cool

In cold conditions, such as those found in cold storage areas or food packing plants, the
challenge is to hang on to the body’s heat without it being lost into the environment. If the body
becomes too cold it begins to shiver—a muscular reaction that produces heat and gives warmth
to the body. Shivering is a warning sign and should prompt the worker to wear warmer clothes,
move to a warmer place or work faster to increase body heat. At work, it is important to
demand more suitable clothing if you continually shiver at work.
Some Like it Hot
When the working environment heats up, more blood is pumped to the skin surface and more
blood vessels open up, which makes the skin feel hotter, look redder, and maybe sweatier.
Efficient cooling requires that the sweat on the skin be evaporated—not drip off the skin or
soak into clothing. If humidity is high, then increased air movement is required to effectively
evaporate the sweat.
Too Hot to Handle
Under extreme conditions, the surroundings may be hotter than the body so heat loss by
radiation is negligible. When the air temperature in the workplace is higher than the body, the
body gains heat from the air rather than being able to lose it to the environment.
When the body’s abilities and mechanism to keep cool become ineffective, then the body’s
coping balance is under threat. Sweating becomes profuse. But in hot places, this is useless as
the sweat cannot cool the body down. The body’s temperature rises and will continue to rise
unless the person is taken outside, or her clothes are partly removed to allow sweat to
evaporate. The major threat occurs when the body temperature rises to 39oC. At this
temperature, people begin to show symptoms of distress that vary between individuals. Some
feel that they are very hot and burning up, while others may feel dizzy and weak. Others suffer
visual distortion, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, breathlessness, and rapid heart beat. Some
become irrational and violent. If the body temperature continues to rise, death will ensue.
How Hot is Hot - The Ideal Temperatures for Working
Western regulations state that the inside temperature of a factory should not exceed 25oC for
work done sitting down, but is limited to a maximum of 22oC for work requiring hard physical
effort. Some experts believe this should be reduced to 180C because hard work drives up the
body temperature.
Added to this are the effects of humidity—the higher the humidity, the lower the internal factory
temperature should be. The optimum is 18oC for high humidity workplaces; for instance,
laundries, tanneries, and dye works.
Acclimatisation
This is a term used to indicate that someone has become used to a situation. Many women in
the Majority World are acclimatised to heat but the addition of a new heat-producing machine
to the work environment, the wearing of hot synthetic clothing in conditions of high temperature
and humidity, pregnancy, or illness with fever may tip the balance from acclimatisation to illness
known as heat stress.
Water! Water!
Water is one of the most important forms of insurance against the ill effects of heat. Sweating
causes the body to lose large amounts of water and salts that need to be replaced. Salt tablets
are not necessary and can make people ill. Instead, the provision of cool, not cold, water is
vital. Water dispensers should be placed strategically around the factory so workers can drink
small amounts regularly.
Keep a Cool Head
How can factories maintain a comfortable temperature level?
First of all, it is impossible to please all people all the time. The best we can hope to achieve is a
happiness rate of 80 percent.
1. Insulate roofs. Fibreglass bats are cheap and plentiful and they reduce heat by about
80C.
2. Lag (cover with insulating materials) all hot pipes and machinery.
3. Ventilate all heat-producing machines.
4. Plant trees around the factory to reduce radiant heat.
5. Cover windows with reflecting film and with canvas blinds.
6. Remember that hot air rises and all extraction fans should be placed at height to be most
effective.
7. Air condition very hot areas.
8. Use overhead ceiling fans for maximum effectiveness.
9. Provide water coolers at regular and reasonable distances.
10. Ensure that workers have only limited exposure to very hot areas. Hard physical work,
which elevates body temperature, should only be permitted in short bursts if the climate
 is particularly hot and humid.
11. Ensure that workers dress appropriately for every type of condition and work.
Overdressing in synthetics leaves women workers open to heat stress. Muslim workers
should be encouraged to wear loose cotton clothing that can be easily pushed back to
expose skin for evaporative cooling in case of collapse.
12. Ensure that overweight workers or those with high blood pressure do not perform hard
arduous, work for periods in excess of 10 minutes, as they are more susceptible to heat
stress.
Summary
While women in the Majority World may be used to living and working in hot conditions, they
have been more in control of the pace of traditional forms of work. Modern factory work brings
with it a change in work practice or in the physical conditions of work, which may disturb the
balance of women’s ability to cope with heat. Controlling heat sources at work is comparatively
cheap and is vital for women’s health and comfort.
 Annex 6
Some Common Industrial Chemicals and their Effects on the Body

This list contains only a small number of the dangerous chemicals that have been produced and studied. There are lots of others which we know very
little. Their effects on the body are varied: some can be quite subtle, with the changes taking place over a long time, or suddenly and dramatically. A
complete list of dangerous chemicals would be a book in itself—in fact, there are huge books just about these chemicals that take a lot of strength to lift!
The most important thing for women workers to remember is to keep systematic information about the chemicals they work with: take note of all the
names of the chemicals, when and how you use them (regularly, all the time, rarely, etc.) and any reactions that may be shared by women working with
these substances. Some of the chemicals listed below have really serious and long lasting effects on the human body. Some, for instance, cause cancer.
So, therefore, prevention is much more effective and certain than cure.

Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Acetonitrile Extraction of animal and Inhalation; skin Lungs and Tightening in the chest, flushing in the face, Measure cyanide and
(methyl vegetable oils; absorption; nervous systems; irritation of nose and throat; signs of serious thiocyanate levels in the
cyanide) pharmaceuticals, also ingestion eyes through poisoning include nausea, vomiting, shallow blood
used as an industrial irritation breathing, weakness, and headache
Those with a history of
solvent
fainting or convulsions
(fits) may be at extra risk
Acrylamide Used in sizing for fabrics Inhalation; skin Nervous system; Cancer risk: fatigue, dizziness, confusion, Currently, there is no
and paper industries; absorption skin damage to peripheral nerves (pins and needles), routine system for
dyes; glues wobbly gait, slurred speech, excessive sweating monitoring the effects
Acrylonitrile Plastics, synthetic fibre Inhalation and Affects the way Cancer of the brain, tumours, lungs, and bowel; Levels of cyanides and
production glues, skin absorption the cells work; eye irritations; prolonged skin irritation due to thiocyanates found in the
fumigation, nitrile rubber skin and eye prolonged use; nausea; vomiting; sneezing; blood
production irritation weakness; light headedness
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Ammonia Paper and pulp factories; Inhalation of Upper respiratory Contact with liquid ammonia is intensely People with pre-existing
chemical industries; gas, skin contact tract; eyes; wet irritating to the eyes, the inside of the mouth, eye diseases may be at
those using refrigeration; skin nose, and skin. Eye symptoms can be very greatest risk. Periodic
fertilisers; dyes; glue severe and long lasting including ulceration and examination should
makers; synthetic fibre blindness evaluate eyes, skin, and
making; rayon making; respiratory system. This
Mild exposure results in headache, producing
pesticide industry; should be done each year.
lots of saliva, burning of the throat, coughing,
plastics; electroplating; Medical checks should be
vomiting, and pain in the middle of the chest.
metal powder processors; performed at time of hiring
Longer exposure to ammonia gas is accompanied
detergents and cleaning for later comparison.
by bronchial spasm, and rapid swelling and
agents
watery lungs
Arsine Semiconductor Inhalation of gas Blood As a gas, it can kill in high doses. It destroys the Test for arsenic in the urine
manufacturing; paper blood cells so the worker feels dizzy, afraid,
makers; fertiliser plants; experiences headache, shivers and has stomach
dye works pain with vomiting, blood in urine, yellowing of
skin, either lots of urine or lack of it
Benzene Chemical industry; Inhalation of Blood formation; Cancer of the blood-forming bone marrow Levels in urine of
detergents; pesticides; vapour; some nervous system; (leukaemia); slowness in reaction; irritability; breakdown product; blood
solvents; paint remover; absorption skin anaemia; dermatitis tests
dyes; rubber through the skin
1,3 Butadiene Synthetic rubber; Inhalation of gas Eyes, nose, throat Great risk of fire and explosion; irritation of the Blood tests
plastics; resins or vapour and nervous nose, throat and eyes; dermatitis and frostbite
Otherwise
system may result from skin contact. In higher
known as
concentrations, this chemical is a narcotic
vinyl ethylene
causing drowsiness; cough, fatigue, loss of
or
consciousness. Blood changes have also been
methylallene
noted and disease of the liver
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Carbon Rubber; textile industries; Inhalation, skin Nervous system; Carbon disulphide has been associated with Analyse blood, urine and
Disulphide match factories; absorption of reproductive occupational cancer. Rigidity of walk and face; exhaled air for presence of
manufacture of liquid system; skin; craziness; suicidal feelings; loss or disturbance carbon disulphide
chemicals, paints, fuels, heart; circulation; of sensation in legs and arms. Kidney failure
varnishes, electroplating, kidneys with disturbance of urine flow; high blood
rayon making; dye pressure and hardening of arteries; loss of
making; oil extraction menstrual periods; stomach ulcers; other
plants; and dry cleaning profound changes to the body’s chemistry
plants
Carbon By-product of ammonia Inhalation of gas Lungs; skin; eyes; Feelings of suffocation; restlessnes s;
Dioxide production; used to make or skin contact and nervous fits/convulsions Frostbite, if dry ice in contact
fizzy drinks; used in system with skin, raised blood pressure and heart rate.
refrigeration as “dry ice” May damage the retina
Carbon Dry cleaning and Inhalation Liver; kidneys; Dermatitis; kidney damage that shows as Analysis of exhaled air and
Tetrachloride laundries; fumigation nervous system; reduced urine output or profuse urination; blood
work; pesticide and skin fleeting eye irritation; liver disease; nausea;
manufacture; metal vomiting; abdominal pain; blood in urine in
cleaners; varnishing and extreme cases
furniture finishing
Chlorine Paper and textile Inhalation of gas Middle respiratory Chlorine reacts with the wet surfaces of the Chest X-ray and tests of
bleaching; water tract. Some body (such as eyes and mouth to form acid) so, breathing capacity;
disinfection; chemical evidence that it is very irritating to the skin, eyes, and mouth. examination of teeth, heart
(bleach) manufacturing; chlorine It may also corrode the teeth. High and skin
metal fluxes; chlorinated derivatives, such concentrations may cause the breathing system
solvent making; dye as the to close down and the worker is unable to
making; flour bleachers; organochlorines breathe.
laundry; rayon and manufactured
plastics manufacturing; from chlorine gas
disinfectants and and liquids, can
detergent making trigger breast and
other cancer.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Chlorinated Pesticides Ingestion; skin Nervous system Stimulation or depression of nervous system: These chemicals can
Hydrocarbons absorption; fine shakes, slurred speech, inability to sleep, accumulate in the fat and
including DDT inhalation of restlessness can be measured in the
heptachlor, vapours blood or urine.
Mild poisoning also causes nausea, vomiting
chlordecone
and stomach pain; weight and appetite loss;
(Kepone)
severe poisoning can lead to convulsions (fits),
aldrin, dieldrin,
stiffening of muscles (a flat unemotional face),
uridine, endrin,
coma, and death
lindane,
toxaphene
Dioxane (not Detergent and deodorant Inhalation; Skin; nervous Drowsiness; dizziness; loss of appetite; nausea; Regular medical checks to
dioxin) factories; paint and through skin system; kidneys; vomiting; coma unless removed; dermatitis; detect any damage to
varnish industry; food absorption liver kidney and liver damage; thought to cause kidneys and liver and to
industry (processing cancer after long-term exposure inspect skin. Any sign of
oils); dye making and dizziness or nausea
using; textile processing; indicates that airborne
printing industry; wax levels are much too high.
production for floors and
furniture
Dimethyl Drug and perfume Inhalation; skin Skin; eyes; upper In liquid, this can be very irritating and can Chest X-ray; periodic
Sulphate manufacturing; dyes and absorption respiratory tract; cause a rash and lack of sensation on the examination of skin, eyes,
chemical production nervous system at affected skin areas. The scar can take a long time nervous system, and lungs
high doses to heal. Runny nose and eyes; swelling in the
mouth; sore throat and hoarseness
Contact with eyes can produce damage and
sensitivity to light.
Higher and long-term doses can result to
difficulty in breathing, drowsiness, temporary
blindness, and slow heart rate. Those who have
had long-term exposure to Dimethyl Sulphate
tend to be more sensitive to lung infections.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagno sed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
p-Dichloro- Deodorant, disinfectant Inhalation of Eyes; nose; Badly running and irritated nose; cough and Urine tests
benzene and insecticide industries vapours and lungs; liver; lung irritation; liver damage with yellowing of
particles kidneys skin; loss of appetite; nausea; damage to
kidneys; Suspected of causing cancer of the
liver and kidneys
Dibromochloro Factories making snail Inhalation; skin Nervous system; Nausea and drowsiness; extreme irritation of
propa (DCP) killers absorption eyes; nose; eyes, nose, and throat; kills sperm; can cause
throat; water in the lungs. Cancer causing
This chemical
reproductive
is banned in
system; lungs
much of the
western world
because of its
toxicity and
cancer-
causing
properties.
Ethylbenzene Plastic industry Inhalation; Eyes, nose, skin; Low-level exposure can cause dermatitis. High
(styrene); rubber and through skin nervous system; exposure may produce irritation of the upper
glue making absorption liver; respiratory tract, nose, and mouth. If the worker
is not removed, she may die after cramps,
convulsions, and paralysis of the respiratory
centre in the brain. Long-term exposure tends to
reduce the ability to perform fine manipulative
tasks and cause slowness of reactions.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Ethylene Oxide Sterilisation of medical Inhalation Skin; eyes; Dermatitis, but if contact is made with moist skin Medical tests should be
equipment; fumigation respiratory tract; the chemical can cause burns and blisters. done regularly to assess
processes; making of nervous system Ethylene oxide is also absorbed by leather and any ill effects to respiratory
such chemicals as rubber and can cause severe irritation and burns tract, nervous system,
household detergent and if the clothing is left on. Large concentrations in liver, kidneys, and blood.
disinfectants; factories, the air can lead to eye irritation. Breathing large
used as a textile fumigant concentrations can lead to nausea, vomiting,
irritation of the nose, throat and lungs. Cancer
and birth defects, infertility and possible
miscarriage are suspected to be the effects of
this chemical.
Ethylene Used to make paints, Inhalation; skin Reproductive Fatigue; nausea; headaches; loss of appetite;
Glycols lacquers and varnishes, absorption system; kidneys; eye irritation; respiratory tract irritation;
(including perfumes, dyes, and inks; liver; nervous Sometimes vision can become blurred for some
cellosolve, also used in making systems; blood; time. High- level exposure can result to water in
cellosolve glues, as dry cleaning lymphatic systems the lungs, and severe kidney and liver damage.
acetate, and fluids; used by plastics Shaky hands and anaemia are also common
methyl and tobacco workers, nail symptoms. Long-term exposure can result in
cellosolve) polish makers, used in brain damage and loss of consciousness.
cellophane sealers, and
film processing
Formaldehyde Used as disinfectant, and Inhalation Skin; eyes; lungs Causes irritation and contact dermatitis; eye Patch testing of skin for
preserving bodies in irritation; asthma; coughing and difficulty in allergic response
funeral halls; used by breathing when inhaled in high concentrations
textiles, rubber, resins,
deodorant and cosmetic
workers; used by tannery
workers, in latex factories,
by dyes and inks makers;
paper industry
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Hydrochloric Chemical manufacturing; Inhalation of gas Upper respiratory High concentrations may cause ulcers in skin or Chest X-rays need to be
acid electroplating; tanning; or mist tract (nose, other wet skin surfaces such as inside the mouth taken in cases of over
pickling food; rubber; throat); eyes and or nose. Damage to the eyes may occur on exposure and acute illness.
photographic industries; skin contact. Long-term exposure can lead to severe Regular medical checks for
textiles irritation and water entering the lungs and teeth, skin, and breathing
bronchitis. May discolour teeth. function
Bleaching; food
processing; dyes;
plastics; soaps; battery
making; edible oils;
artificial silks; plant
fertilisers
Isocynates, Plastics manufacture Inhalation of Eyes; skin; Asthmatic reaction; chronic bronchitis and water Regular medical checks
including: TDI particularly polyurethane vapour respiratory tract in the lungs; Nausea, vomiting and stomach pain focusing on lung function
(toluene for shoe inserts, may occur. If liquid TDI comes in contact with are vital. Chest X-rays and
diisocynate), upholstery cushions, the skin, it may cause redness, blistering and lung function tests
MDI etc.); pesticides; coatings swelling. TDI in the eyes can cause permanent
(methylene for wire; rubbers; paints damage if left untreated.
diidsocynate), and textile finishes
Low-level exposures over long periods result in
Hexamethyl
cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
diisocynate
Decreased lung function is commonly
and others
associated with isocyanate workers.
This was the
gas that leaked
and caused
the deaths and
damage at
Bhopal.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Ketones Textiles; pharmaceuticals. Inhalation; skin Skin; nervous Dry scaly dermatitis, irritation of throat and eyes, Ketone levels in blood,
Chemical industry; used absorption system; nose; loss of consciousness, light headedness, urine and in exhaled air
by resin and lacquer throat; eyes dizziness, drowsiness, lack of co-ordination
workers, glue makers, dye
workers and dye makers,
shoe workers, furniture
finishers, cosmetics
workers (nail polish),
synthetic rubber workers
Methanol Used in paint varnishes, Inhalation; skin Eyes Causes blindness through damage to the optic Pre-employment medical
cements, inks and dyes absorption nerve. Symptoms are blurring of vision, pain in checks for vision and
(for straw hats) and in the the eyes, loss of central vision, and blindness. regular comparative checks
production of There are some nervous system symptoms such
formaldehyde; used to as dizziness, nausea, and headache.
remove wax (batik
industry), in the
manufacture of
photographic film,
plastics celluloid; textile
soaps; coated fabric s;
artificial leather; used in
the manufacture of
shatterproof glass and to
treat feathers prior to
stuffing pillows, etc.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Nickel Used as a catalyst Inhalation; skin Lungs; skin Nickel dermatitis may develop. Symptoms of Urinary nickel levels if
Carbonyl (intermediate chemical) in absorption exposure to toxic vapours are of two parts: first, poisoning is suspected
plastics and rubber the worker complains of headache at the front of
industries the head, giddiness, tightness in the chest,
nausea, and weakness. She has a cough, may be
sweating heavily, be short of breath and need to
be moved outside to prevent death. After
several days, the next set of symptoms may
arrive: pain in the chest, dry cough, shortness of
breath, blueness of the extremities, fast
breathing rate, and weakness. The worker may
need artificial respiration and may need to be
hospitalised urgently.
Nitrogen Production of fertilisers, Inhalation of gas Lungs; eyes; skin; Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. Long- Skin and eye examinations;
Oxide(s) dyes, pharmaceuticals, teeth term exposure can cause yellowing/brown checks for lung and heart
rayon; jewellery making; staining of the teeth and skin. Nitric acid is very disease; tests of breathing
food production; corrosive to skin, mouth, nose, and eyes and will ability should be regularly
bleaching; electroplating kill the tissues, causing severe damage. High performed
doses will cause severe lung irritation while
long-term exposure is related to difficulties in
breathing.
Nitrosamines Rubber industry; leather Inhalation; skin Liver; lungs; Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, No specific medical tests
tanning; used as meat absorption kidneys jaundice, liver damage, kidney disorders; is a available, but levels must
preservative; present in powerful cancer causing agent be kept as low as possible.
cigarette smoke Quit smoking.
 Name Exposure (Used in What Route of Entry Body Parts Symptoms How Diagnosed: What the
Industries and Affected Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Organophos- Pesticide factories; Inhalation; skin Nervous and Shaking hands; vomiting; salivation; diarrhoea; Treatment of
phates, agriculture absorption muscular systems headache; sweating; twitching muscles, organophosphate
malathion, sometimes convulsions; if the dosage is poisoning has to be
parathion, sufficiently high, death urgently given. Treatment
is based on assumption of
poisoning.
Atropine is the antidote
and should be present in
any first aid kit. The other
treatment is called 2-PAM
2-pyridine aldoxine
methiodide
Ozone Used as water and food Inhalation of gas Lungs; eyes an d Irritates the eyes, nose, and throat. Higher Chest X-ray and breathing
purification agent; also other wet surfaces concentrations cause coughing, choking and function tests; Check eyes.
used to bleach textiles of the body such severe fatigue. Middle chest pain and lower lung Those with chest disease
and foods such as flour; as nose and irritation are also common. If the dose is high such as asthma should not
waxes; oils; paper pulp; mouth. Some enough, water in the lungs may result but be employed around
starch; sugar. It is used evidence of birth usually about eight hours after exposure (i.e., ozone.
to process perfumes, defects in animal when the worker is at home!) Headache,
Workers are encouraged
vanilla, and camphor. experiments weakness, shortness of breath with inability to
not to smoke.
Used in deodorising of concentrate. Heart and breathing rates slow
feathers. Also produced down and the ability of the blood to carry Inhalation of high levels of
by photocopiers oxygen is impaired. ozone should be followed
by medical surveillance
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Phenols and These chemicals are Inhalation of Skin; mucous Many of the phenols are corrosive to skin and Workers should wear
Phenolic widely used in industry vapour; skin membranes; eyes are known to cause cancer. Cresol can cause correct protective clothing.
Compounds as (Cresol) cleaning contact. extensive damage with gangrene if not treated Medical examinations
agents, disinfectants, immediately. Splashes into the eyes result in should be done regularly
Cresol, phenol,
dyes, plastics, chemical damage and possible blindness. Inhalation of to detect phenol in urine.
hydroquinone,
formulation; cresol can result in dizziness, headache, These shows protective
quinone
(hydroquinone) weakness of muscles, dimness of vision, ringing measures are ineffective
photographic processing, in the ears, mental confusion, and loss of
drug making, fur consciousness.
processing, plastics;
Hydroquinone as a dust irritates the nose and
(phenol) synthetic resins,
throat. Skin contact with the liquid produces
paper and rubber
staining of the skin and loss of clearness of
manufacturing, soap
vision. Phenol if splashed at high concentrations
making, (quinone)
can damage eyes and cause blindness. If left on
cosmetic and dye
the skin, it bleaches the skin and leads to
production, photographic
systemic poisoning. Symptoms of this are pallor,
film developing, textile
weakness, ringing in the ears, shock, turning
blue, frothing at the mouth and nose, red-
coloured urine and, if not treated, death.
Exposure to high concentrations of quinone
produce staining of the skin, swelling, irritation,
and the rise of pimple-type lumps. Quinone
vapour is highly irritating to the eyes.
Trichloroethyl Metal cleaning; dry Inhalation, skin Nervous system; Dermatitis; mouth and nose irritation; split skin; Analysis of exhaled air
ene cleaning; laundries; absorption skin; circulatory Over longer periods: liver damage, heart
paints; glues; inks; system; liver problems, dizziness, feeling very unwell,
rubber, and soap making; headache, sweating, slowing of mental abilities,
fumigation; drug staggering walk
industry; printers
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Phosgene Manufacture of other Inhalation of gas Lungs, eyes; Watery eyes or red irritated eyes; throat Chest X-ray and breathing
chemicals such as dyes, exposed to liquid, irritation; liquid may cause severe skin burns tests. Workers are
drugs, insecticides; used skin is at risk of encouraged not to smoke.
In high doses, phosgene can cause water in the
in the manufacture of burns If a worker is known to
lungs which takes about five to eight hours to
isocyanates have inhaled phosgene,
develop (when the worker is at home!) This is
she should be kept under
signalled by chills, dizziness, thirst, discomfort,
medical surveillance for 24
increasingly nasty cough, and sputum. It
hours
becomes increasingly hard to breathe and the
worker turns blue. She may die if urgent
attention is not given. Phosgene is dangerous
because it gives no other warning signs.
Over long periods, the worker will have
permanent lung damage, with fibrosis and
emphysema.
Stoddard Paint industry; metal Inhalation; skin Skin; nervous Skin dryness and flakiness (dermatitis);
Solvent cleaning; dry cleaning absorption. system dizziness, nausea and collapse at high exposure
levels
Sulphur Production of sulphur- Inhalation of Middle respiratory Cough, runny nose, dryness of the throat; high Chest X-ray, breathing
dioxide containing chemicals gas; direct tract dosages can result to death as the throat closes (lung) function tests
such as fertilisers; food contact of gas or down, so that the worker cannot breathe. If the
and textiles bleach; liquid with skin worker survives, she may often suffer
tanning; pulp and paper or the lining of pneumonia. Long-term exposure leads to fatigue,
making the mouth, nose runny nose, breathlessness when working or
and throat walking hard and altered sense of smell.
Toluene Perfume making; textile Inhalation; skin Nervous system; Irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract; May be a cancer-causing
dyes; rubber and cement absorption skin dermatitis, damage to nervous system signs agent as it is often
workers, used as a include headache, drowsiness, fatigue, muscular contaminated with
solvent in making other weakness, incoordination, staggering walk, lack benzene.
chemicals. It is used as a of sensation in the skin. If dose is very high and
Urine tests to detect signs
cleaning agent and the condition is untreated, death happens.
of toluene intoxication
increasingly used instead
of benzene.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Trichlorethyle Dry cleaning industry; Inhalation; skin Central and Exposure to vapour can irritate eyes, nose, and Breath and urine analysis
ne food extraction; paints; absorption peripheral throat. Liquid may damage the eyes if splashed. to detect trichloroethylene
glues; varnishes; inks. nervous system; Long-term exposure can lead to dermatitis. High-
Extracting caffeine from skin; heart; level exposure can lead to headache, dizziness,
coffee; pesticides; circulatory loss of balance, trembling hands, nausea and
printing; systems vomiting, irregular heart beat, sleepiness, blurred
pharmaceuticals; textile; vision and “drunkenness.”
perfume manufacturing
There are reports of addiction to this chemical–
workers sniffing it to get high.
Trimetillic Photography; polyester Inhalation of Lungs; immune Water in the lungs; allergy and sensitisation; Immunological tests
anhydride making; epoxy resin dust or fumes; system; skin asthma; and runny nose; irritation of the mucous
formulation; paints and Skin absorption; membranes. There can be delayed respiratory
plastics ingestion symptoms and distress
Vinyl Chloride Plastic piping, floor Inhalation of Lungs; skin; liver; Vinyl chloride is a skin irritant and skin contact Breath analysis and urine
coverings; upholstery; gas. nervous system may cause frostbite upon evaporation and skin tests
used by appliances and thickening. Eye irritation is also a problem.
rubber workers Nervous system symptoms include light
headedness, fatigue, nausea and dulling of
hearing and vision. Vinyl chloride is a known
cancer-causing agent causing liver cancer. Liver
enlargement is one symptom of this. Cancer of
the lung, lymphatic and nervous system have
also been reported. Vinyl chloride has also been
thought to be associated with reproductive
problems.
 Exposure (Used in
Route of Body Parts How Diagnosed: What
Name What Industries and Symptoms
Entry Affected the Doctor Can Do
Processes)
Xylene Glue factories; paint Inhalation; some Nervous system; High concentrations may cause dizziness, water Analysis of exhaled air and
factories; used by skin absorption liver and kidneys; in the lungs, and bleeding of the lungs. At very blood tests
synthetic textile makers skin. Some eye high concentrations, drowsiness, vomiting,
(rayon polyesters) and respiratory nausea, and stomach pains. Dermatitis is also a
varnish makers and involvement problem.
lacquer makers
Zinc Chloride Used by deodorant Inhalation of Skin; mucous Solid zinc chloride is corrosive to the skin and Urine testing. The
makers; dental cement dusts or fumes membranes; eyes; mucous membranes, while liquids at low symptoms disappear with
laboratories, disinfectant which are lungs concentration may cause burns and dermatitis. removal from source with
makers, paper makers, freshly Solutions of zinc oxide are also damaging to no long-term
rubber workers, textile generated eyes, and the long -term use of zinc chloride can consequences
finishers, dry cell battery lead to sensitisation. Few high-concentration
makers exposures have been reported. Metal fume fever
with chills.
Sources: Mc Cunney R. A Practical Approach to Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 1994.
U.S. Department Health Education and Welfare NIOSH. Occupational Diseases: A Guide to their Recognition. 1977.
 Annex 7
Selected Agents that are Toxic for Female Reproduction

Chemical Industry Menstrual Comments Miscarriage Birth Effects on Comments

Exposure Disorder Defects Pregnancy
Metals
Chromium
* * Infertility
Compounds
Copper * *
Lead Nerve damage
in babies,
slowed
growth while
in womb,
* * * * *
premature
rupture of
waters and
premature
delivery
Manganese 60 percent
of women
* *
ceased
ovulating
Mercury Premature
Vapour * * * * labour, still
births
Radium Reduced
* * Fertility
(radiation)
Gases
Anaesthetics Reduced Low birth
fertility weight,
increased
* * * * *
nerve, muscle,
and bone
defects
Other
Chemicals
Acetone * *
Acrylonitrile Damages
* * *
placenta
Methylacry- 12 percent
late Alcohols * * * abnormal
pregnancies
 Chemical Industry Menstrual Comments Miscarriage Birth Effects on Comments
Exposure Disorder Defects Pregnancy
Benzene reduced Some
female evidence of
* * *
hormone damage to
output placenta
Carbon Poisons in
* * * *
Disulphide blood stream
Chlorine 35 percent Poisons in
suffered blood stream
* * * *
frequent
periods
Chloro- Various
benzene defects,
* * * *
poisons in
blood
Chloroethane Reduced
* * *
fertility
Chloroprene Evidence of
* * placental
damage
DNT, TDA Evidence of
* * * placental
damage
Ethyl Acetate * *
Ethyl Various
* * *
cellosolve defects
Ethylene,ethyl Poisons in the
* * * *
ene oxide blood
Formaldehyde Poisons in
blood,
* * * *
anemia, low
birth weight
Gasoline Hormonal
disturbanc
* * e resulting
in reduced
fertility
Hexachloro- Reduced
*
cyclohexane fertility
Hydrocarbons Ovulation Delayed
(tile industry) ceases reaction of
* * and * poison in the
reduces blood
fertility
 Chemical Industry Menstrual Comments Miscarriage Birth Effects on Comments
Exposure Disorder Defects Pregnancy
Phenylene- Premature
* * * *
diamine labour
Pthlates Premature
* * * *
labour
Polyamides * *
Polymers Ovulation
* *
ceases
Styrene Poisons in
* * *
blood
Tetramethyl- Infertility
thiuram- *
disulphide
Toluene Poisons in
* * *
blood
TNT * *
Tacresol Various
* * *
defects
 Selected Agents that are Toxic for Female and Male Reproduction
(from recent research reports)

Agent Effects
Lead Direct injury to the testicles, male hormonal disturbance, reduced
output, few sperm, toxic changes to the processes that create
sperm, decreased sex drive.
Alkyl mercury Reduced sex drive, reduced sperm output, unable to gain erection.
No improvement over time .
Antimonite Decreased sperm.
Chloroprene Decreased sperm, increased miscarriages in women.
Vinyl Chloride Decreased sperm, increased miscarriages in women, increased
stillbirths.
Chlordecone (kepone) Reduced sperm.
Dibromochloropropane DBCP Decreased testicular size, reduced sperm, hormonal imbalance.
Dinitrotouene Decreased sperm count and sperm’s ability to swim.
Toluenediamine Increased miscarriages in women.
Nitrous Oxide Increased miscarriages and stillborn births .
Carbon disulphide Testicular damage, hormonal imbalance.
Carbolactam and Dinit Decrease in sperm count and sperm’s ability to swim; the two
agents together produce increased rates of miscarriages and
stillbirths in women.
 Annex 8
Some Known Reproductive Hazards
Viral Infections of Concern to Pregnant Workers

Type of Virus Method of Transmission Effects Prevention

HIV (AIDS) Sexual contact; exposure to infected blood by entry into Pregnancy may make the disease more The types o f care as advised by the
open wounds, bites or by needle stick in jury 1 in nurses, acute in already-infected women. The Department of Health. Wear gloves,
midwives, traditional birth attendants, ambulance or disease will prove fatal to the child avoid needle stick injuries 1, dispose of
emergency service and prison staff born from an infected woman. blood-stained dressings or rags,
placentas, etc. by burning. Dispose of
needles in special containers. Wear
condoms with sexual partners.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Close contact with body fluids of infected person. Those at Baby born with a tiny head, slow and Take care against infection by wearing
risk include teachers, nurses, nursing assistants, stunted growth, deafness, and gloves, washing hands, and disposing
ambulance, and emergency service personnel. Children in nervous system problems of urine and blood carefully.
day cares and schools shed CMV in urine. Fifty percent of Most of the problems have been
women are immune, particularly those in nursing. found in mothers who are exposed to
CMV in the first four months of
pregnancy.
Hepatitis B Contaminated needles; blood exposures; sexual contact Babies are born infected with Hepatitis Hepatitis B vaccines are often available
Twenty percent of women become contaminated after a B and become carriers even if they through the Department of Health. The
needle wound don’t show open signs of the illness. baby can be vaccinated at birth to
Those at risk: sex workers, nurses, dental assistants and About 25 percent go on to develop prevent their carrier status but may still
dentists fatal hardening of the liver or liver get ill later in life. Take the same
cancer. precautions as above to avoid
infection.
Rubella (German Transmitted by an infected person by sneezing or coughing Baby born with film over the eyes, Vaccine is effective but needs to be
Measles) nearby. The virus is also found in urine, faeces, open sores, heart problems, and deafness. The given while the woman is still young
and in mucous. Those at risk include teachers, nurses, earlier in the pregnancy the woman is and not when already pregnant.
teacher aids, vaccination staff, domestic helpers who care exposed, the greater number of Rubella- infected workers should keep
for children disabilities to the baby. away from those who are pregnant and
should be encouraged to stay home
with pay.

1
Needle stick is the name given to a wound made when a used hypodermic needle punctures the skin and enters the tissues.
 Type of Virus Method of Transmission Effects Prevention
Human Parvovirus B19 Transmission through close contact with infected person The illness is usually mild in children Prevent infection by washing hands
and inhaling sneezed or coughed particles; Also through and adults. But a baby born to an after handling the child or adult and not
blood or blood products; Mothers may get the disease from exposed mother may be born dead or sharing eating utensils with infected
their children, teachers, nurses, and domestic helpers at with an accumulation of fluid in the children. Infected people should be
risk. baby’s body. Ten percent of babies given a handkerchief to sneeze or
born are dead. cough into and this should be boiled
Children get a mild fever with red patterns on the face later.
which make them look like they have been slapped. Red
rashes on the body, sometimes getting worse under the
sun. Some pain in the joints appears and the disease may
linger for three or four weeks.
Chicken Pox Most adults are immune as they have been exposed when If pregnant women get chicken pox or Mothers who are worried about
they were children. Transmission occurs through very are exposed in the first to three immunity should ask for vaccination
infectious droplets expelled by sneezing or coughing. months, around four percent of their while pregnant or just before delivery.
Teachers, mothers, nurses, health centre staff, and dental babies will be born with the illness. If Avoid infected children and adults.
staff are at risk. the baby is exposed to the illness early
in life and the mother is non-immune,
the baby may get a really bad infection
and may die.
 Various Organic Solvents Known to Affect Reproduction

Chemical Classification Examples Reproductive Effects

Aromatic Hydrocarbons benzene, toluene, xylene Long-term inhalation of toluene leads to facial and limb
malformations, nervous system problems, and the baby is
slow to grow inside the womb. All chemicals in this group
can cause menstrual disorders.
Halogenated Hydrocarbons chlorodilfluoromethane No data
monochloromononfluoromethane carbon No data
tetrachloride No data
methylene chloride Can reduce the baby’s access to oxygen.
Associated with infant jaundice from contaminated breast
perchlorethylene milk
Aldehydes formaldehyde Menstrual disorders
Glycol Ethers ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) Decreased sperm count and affects female fertility
ethylene glycol monethyl ether (EGEE)
Propylene Glycol Ether PGE can be used a safe substitute for EGME and EEGE
Ketones Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Acetone No clear data on either chemical except when combined
with others
 Pesticides Known to Cause Reproductive Effects

Chemical Classification Examples Reproductive Effects

Fumigants: usually used to kill more than one pest and Dibromochloropropane(DBCP) Reduced sperm count and infertility, poor chance of
are often used in the form of vapour or mist. Banned in the USA and Australia recovery.
Carbon Disulphide Menstrual irregularities, lowered sex drive, sperm
abnormalities.
Ehylene Dibromide Decreased sperm count and reduced sperm motility
(sperm’s ability to swim), increased number of strange-
looking sperms, reduced fertility in ma les.
Herbicides: chemicals used to kill plants (weeds). TCDD (Dioxin) found in Agent Orange Spontaneous abortions, increased s pina bifida2 and
growths full of blood vessels .
2,4,5 trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (245T); used in Increased miscarriage rates and cleft palates in babies.
Agent Orange No clear data.
2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (24D); also used in
Agent Orange
Fungicides: used to kill fungus on plants and tree crops Beromyl No data
Organochlorines DDT Examination of miscarried and premature babies indicates
high levels in body tissues. Concentrates in breast milk
Childhood tumors and blood disorders.
Chlordane and Heptachlor Decreased sperm count and reduced motility in sperm.
Chlordecone (Kepone) Affects the nervous system of the baby in the womb and
should not be used by pregnant women.
Lindane - used as body shampoo for lice and
scabies
Organophosphates: these inhibit the nervous activity of Dichlorvos No Data
pests Chlorpyrifos No Data
Miscellaneous Deet: used to treat mosquito nets and used in No Data
insect repellents.
Pyrethrum: from the chrysanthemum flower and No Data
used in mosquito coils

2
Spina bifida is a birth defect in which the bony covering and layers of fibrous tissue which protect the spinal nerves and spinal cord are missing in varying degrees. In severe cases,
children are unable to walk.
 Annex 9

Fire Safety Checklist

There is nothing as frightening as a factory fire. We all dread the thought that one day
we could be trapped in a fire and not be able to escape. In the past few years, the press
has reported appalling stories about young women locked inside toy factories in
Thailand and China whose lives were cut short by the wild flames that consumed
them while they fought to find a way out.
Many risk factors contribute to fire. Careless smokers tossing away their butts are one
of the major culprits, as are poorly wired factories where electrical circuits overload.
The heat generated by the overloaded circuits sets fire to materials nearby. Use of
flammable paints, explosive gases, solvents and other chemicals is also a major
contributor to factory fire.
Fire safety is fundamental to workplace health and safety. To assist you in your
analysis of workplace factors and risks, you will find below a detailed checklist for
fire safety. Some of the terms may be unfamiliar to you, particularly those related to
electrical circuitry. If possible, liaise with the trade union that represents electrical
workers so they can assist you.
But first, some background on fires and how to avoid them.
Each year, fires cost industry vast amounts of money. Careless or untrained personnel
misuse materials, contractors misunderstand the risk of fire in the premises they visit,
or intruders set fires to cover their tracks. Some fires are started for insurance or
revenge purposes. They all cause damage, loss of work and damage, if not, loss of
human life.
The fire itself may not kill or injure but the fumes that arise from burning plastics,
paints and other substances can cause illness in the community, and death. Thus, it is
important for all of us to know how to preve nt and combat fires at work.

How Materials Contribute to Fires

Materials used at work usually fall into several categories when it comes to fire:
1. Those that are easily set alight
Examples: wood shavings, paper fibres, foam rubber or plastics, some liquids,
aerosol oils, some gases
2. Those capable of spreading fire
Examples: Substances which burn fiercely may spread fire by radiated heat,
such as rubber or many melt and flow—wax and asphalt. Explosive objects
such as partially filled drums or gas cylinders may also shatter, sending
burning fragments in all directions.
There are substances which produce intense smoke such as cork,
polyurethane, or polystyrene foam which also spread fire indirectly by
hindering fire fighting efforts.
3. Dangerous reactive substances
Some chemicals like sodium react violently when mixed with water. Acids
and alkalis also react together.
4. Oxidising agents
Substances which break down and produce oxygen are dangerous as fire needs
oxygen to continue burning. When these products break down or react to heat,
they produce lots of oxygen making the fire burn more intensely—it’s like
tossing petrol on a fire.
Examples of chemicals that might react like that are: nitric acid, inorganic
nitrates, permanganates (potassium or sodium) chlorates, chromates,
dichromates, inorganic peroxides, and organic peroxides.
5. Spontaneous combustion
Sometimes the action of germs or fungus living inside heaps of dusts or fibres
can raise the temperature inside the pile sufficiently high to start a fire.
Storage Hazards
The investigation of many factory fires indicates that many start inside the storage
areas. They are usually due to:
• careless disposal of cigarettes
• putting materials too close to heating elements or machinery associated
with exha usts or other
• machines being used in the storage bay
• processes involving naked flames, e.g., shrink wrapping and sealing
Other causes are:
• cutting and welding without the necessary precautions
• excessive amounts of inflammable liquids being stored or kept inside
• poor maintenance
• accumulation of industrial waste in and around the plant

Reducing the Hazard

1. Large quantities of high value combustible products should be
protected by fire protection systems such as automatic sprinkler
systems or be confined to fire retardant (slowing or resistant)
compartments.
2. Bulk quantities of flammable liquids should be kept in proper
flammable storage and separated from the main building. Only small
amounts for use should be issued each day. If they are used
continuously, an underground piped in system should be considered.
3. Products that burn fiercely or melt and flow should be stored at a
distance from the major buildings.
4. If some of the substances used flow into drains or rivers, they might
also catch fire. This is a particular problem in the Majority World
where environmental restrictions are often lax. Oil floating on the
water can cause enormous damage to housing areas if it catches fire.
 5. Dangerously reactive materials should be kept in a special cupboard
free from moisture (note this in hot humid countries—you may have to
add silica to attract moisture from the air).

Oxidising Agents
Substances which fall in this category should be stored in clean, dry areas separate
from anything that contains carbon. Oil coming into contact with oxidising agents can
cause violent reactions and when decanting oxidising agents, clean, dry spoons and
ladles should be used.

Spontaneous Combustion:
Materials such as rice husks, wood dusts, or piles of fertilizer which are likely to
spontaneously burst into flame should be kept away from the major premises and
from sources of additional heat such as steam carrying pipes.

Prevention of Storage Hazards

• Storage areas should be separated from the production floor to contain any
fire that breaks out.
• Automatic fire protection should be provided.
• Smoking should not be allowed in storage areas (or on the production
floor) if flammable chemicals and other materials are used. Disallow any
naked flames in storage areas.

Miscellaneous Prevention
Waste should be removed from the building at least daily and should not be allowed
to build up near exits. If waste is burned on site, the incinerator should be covered or
have spark arresters to prevent them from blowing back the wind to the factory.
Regular maintenance checks of electrical circuitry and machinery are important to
prevent fires.
 Fire Safety Checklist

Fire Services
1 Do you know the location and contact number of the nearest fire YES NO
station in the premises?
2 Are the telephone numbers prominently displayed?
3 Do you know how long it would take for a fire truck or wagon to
arrive at your workplace?
4 Can you identify the hazardous areas in the premises?
5 Could you describe the risk to the fire services?
6 Has the fire service ever visited your factory?
7 Is the car park right in front of the major fire fighting apparatus such
as a hydrant?
8 Do you know if management regularly meets with the fire service to
plan fire evacuation and prevention strategies?

Fire Defence
1 Do you have a shop floor fire committee or fire warden? YES NO
2 Do you know the responsible person(s)?
3 Does the enterprise have a fire safety policy?
4 Are everyone’s responsibilities and duties in case of fire adequately
and clearly stated on a program?
5 Are employees instructed on safe working practice?
6 Is there a preventive maintenance program in place to ensure
machine and electrical safety?
7 Is there a fire alarm with a distinctive signal?
8 Does the enterprise organise regular safety inspections?
9 Do you have an evacuation procedure?
10 Do you receive regular fire safety and evacuation training or
training on the use of fire extinguishers?
11 Do security personnel know what to do in case of fire?
12 Are all fire exits marked and left unlocked while workers are in the
premises?

Fire Hazard Materials

1 Do you use materials that readily burst into flame? YES NO
2 Does the enterprise use a lot of materials like rubber that burns
ferociously and gives off lots of heat?
3 Does the enterprise use materials that melt and flow?
4 Does the enterprise store or use explosive materials?
5 Does it use substances that would give off dense/toxic smoke in the
event of fire?
6 Do you use or store any material which might absorb water and
destroy buildings through expansion?
7 Does the factory use or store materials that are highly reactive like
sodium?
8 Does the enterprise use oxidising materials?
9 Can any action be immediately taken to improve fire safety and risk
of combustion or spread?
Other Fire Hazards
1 Are the premises kept clear of waste? YES NO
2 Is waste swept up daily and removed?
3 Are metal bins with lids used for flammable waste?
4 Are waste collection areas at a distance from the main buildings?
5 Is smoking prohibited inside the production area or wherever
flammable products are used?

Other Fire Hazards

1 Are the premises kept clear of waste? YES NO
2 Is waste swept up daily and removed?
3 Are metal bins with lids used for flammable waste?
4 Are waste collection areas at a distance from the main building?
5 Is smoking prohibited inside the production area or wherever
flammable products are used?
6 Are non-smoking areas clearly defined?
7 Are there specified areas in which to put cigarette butts?
8 Are there any naked flames in areas where flammable materials are
used?

Sprinklers and Other Installations

1 Are the premises fitted with sprinkler systems? YES NO
2 Are they regularly checked to see if the valves are all correctly
fitted and the sensors are still responsive?
3 Are there any other fire safety precautions in place, such as smoke
detectors or alarms?
4 Is there a hose reel with hose? YES NO
5 Is the hose in good cond ition? How often is it unraveled and
checked?
6 Is there enough water in the hose reel system to combat a fire?

Portable Fire Extinguishers

1 Are the Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFE) all of the approved type? YES NO
2 Are they suitable for the types of fire you might have in your
workplace? (see below)
3 At a minimum, if there are no extinguishers, are there buckets of
sand distributed throughout the premises?
4 Can the PFE be clearly seen from all over the premises?
5 Would a person ha ve to go more than 23 meters to grab the nearest
PFE or hose reel?
6 Are there PFE located on the escape routes of the factory?
7 Are they checked each year by a competent person?
8 Have employees been taught to use them?
9 Can they be handled by the women?
Electrical Fire Hazards
1 Are the electrical circuits and plugs checked regularly by a YES NO
qualified electrician?
2 Do you have any temporary extension wiring which has been in
place for over six months?
3 Are electrical cables and fittings located near water or behind
stacked materials which may build up heat?
4 Are all electrical fittings earthed?
5 Is the earthing regularly checked?
6 Are precautions taken to prevent the build up of static electricity?
(particularly important in factories making plastic)
7 Are people in areas with static electricity given rubber-soled foot
wear and gloves?

Structural Fire Hazards

1 Does the structure of the enterprise provide potential fuel for fires YES NO
(e.g., lots of dry wood, exposed straw insulation, etc.)?
2 Is the ceiling constructed of plywood paneling which could easily
spread the fire?
3 Are all fire doors in working order?
4 When you go out of the fire door, do you encounter any
obstructions, drops, locked gates, enclosed rooms, crowded car
parks or the like?

Flammable Liquids and Gases

1 Do you have a list of all the flammable liquids and gases used in the YES NO
plant?
2 Are they all kept in appropriate storage areas separate from the
production area?
3 Are large amounts stored well away from the major buildings?
4 Are these storage areas surrounded by raised bunds?
5 In the case of highly flammable or explosive solvents, has some
thought been given to the substitution of less hazardous chemicals?
6 Are all those working with dangerous materials trained in safe
handling?
7 Are there adequate means of escape for workers handling
chemicals?
8 Is there a risk of fume build up in the chemical handling and/or
storage areas?
9 Are the PFE suitable for the types of fire you may encounter in this
area?

Dust Hazards
1 Do the processes and tasks of work create significant dust hazards? YES NO
2 Are you satisfied with the precautions taken to limit dust?
3 Are cleaning operations frequent and thorough enough to remove
dust from overhead beams, sills, etc.?
4 Have sufficient precautions been taken to eliminate all possible
sources of dust ignition such as electrical sparks, static electricity,
and smoking?
5 Has the company taken any action to lessen the risk of dust
explosion?

Being Ready To Fight Fires

Women need to learn how to prevent and fight fires as they are most frequently the
victims of lack of knowledge and poor commitment to fire safety.

• Companies should have regular fire safety training (at least six trainings every
month if the workforce is larger than 1,000 and if labour turnover is high).
• Women should know the fire practices and responsibilities associated with fire
safety. If you are a warden, make sure the other women know.
• Make sure you know how to use the equipment and know where all fire exits
are.
• Know all the escape routes and communicate these to the other women.
• Keep all exits, stairs, ladders, and other means of escape clear.
• Learn the location of all fire alarms.
• Keep extinguishers away from extremes of hot and cold.
• If an extinguisher is used (say, for practice or even for a real fire), make sure it
is refilled and not merely put back into its bracket.
• Make sure they are all maintained and checked regularly. The metal tag on the
side should tell you when it was last checked. Every three months is the
minimum period between checks.

Types of Fires
Women need to know about the way in which fires are classified so that they know
which extinguisher to use.
Class A Fires
These are when things like wood, paper, fabric and packing materials catch fire. They
are the fires you have at home to dispose of rubbish and to cook food. In essence, a
barbecue is a Class A fire! Class A fires are best put out by using water as water cools
and penetrates down to the layers below, thus, preventing more fire.

Water-type extinguishers are also good for Class A fires. Foam extinguishers can also
be used but they are not as effective as water and are more expensive!
Class B Fires
These happen when flammable liquids, such as oil, petrol, wax, lacquers, paints,
grease, thinners and solvents catch fire. Kitchen fires when the pan of oil left heating
in the kitchen catches fire and blazes away. This is a Class B fire!

The best way to fight these fires is by smothering the fire with a blanket to cut off the
oxygen supply. A wool blanket is best as wool is slow to burn; but thick cotton will
work. Do not throw water on the fire as the result is usually a burst of flaming blobs
that may set fire to other things including you. If you are wearing synthetic clothes
made of fibres like nylon, then the fabric might melt onto your skin.
Dry powder and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) extinguishers can be used in an industrial
setting.
Foam extinguishers can be used where the liquids are on fire in a tank or other
container and there is a risk that the substance is so hot that it might catch fire again
when exposed to air.

Class C Fires
Involve electricity such as switchboards, machinery, cable s and other electronic
equipment. Again, these types of fire happen at home when wires are old, poorly-
maintained or are overloaded.
Blanketing or smothering is best to kill this type of fire. Vapourising liquid (BCF)
extinguishers can also be used if available as can CO2 or dry powder chemical
extinguishers.

NEVER USE WATER ON A CLASS C ELECTRICAL FIRE AS THE

ELECTRICAL CURRENT CAN FLOW BACK ALONG THE WATER
STREAM, AND DEPENDING ON HOW STRONG IT IS, IT CAN
SHOCK OR KILL THE PERSON SPRAYING THE FIRE.
Get Friendly With Your Extinguishers: Learn to Tell them Apart
Wander around your place of work and look at the extinguishers hanging on the wall.
Note what they look like, the colour of the canister, the types of fitting and their
locations.
There are five basic types with several varieties in each type.
Above or beside each extinguisher should be a metal plate, which tells you how to
operate it and what types of fire it is suitable for.
If the plate is not obvious, you need to remind the supervisor that the system is better
if the plates are in place.

Water-Filled Extinguishers
The three types of water-filled extinguishers are only used for Class A fires.
They are normally painted RED and have a range of about 10 meters. That is,
if you open one, the stream will project about ten meters.
Open according to directions.
The Soda Acid type is simple to operate if held in the right way. Direct the
stream at the seat of the fire from the closest comfortable and safest position.
 This type usually keeps operating until it is empty.
Gas Pressure operates like the Soda Acid type and also empties on operation.
The Stored Air Pressure variety is usually trigger-operated and can be
stopped at any time.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) Extinguishers

These beauties are filled with CO2 turned into liquid by being put under
pressure (and we all know what that feels like).
They are great for fighting Class A and C fires.
They have to have a plastic horn or extended thick nozzle (like a hair dryer)
for safe operation as the liquid CO2 turns back into a gas when it escapes,
making the air and nozzle very cold indeed.
The small ones have a limited range while the larger ones can fight fires up to
three meters away.
Make sure you read the operating instructions.
CO2 extinguishers are particularly good in situations where you do not want to
damage delicate equipment such as in a laboratory, or if you don’t want to
cause additional damage. They are also good for fighting fires in accessible
places as they surround the fire with gas so you don’t need to direct a stream
to the fire.
They are also ideal for flowing flammable liquids that are on fire, such as
paints or oils.
Use as close to the fire as possible aiming as close as possible to the rear of
the fire, then moving the nozzle left and right, move gradually forward until
the fire is dead.
WELL-VENTILATED (AND TINY PLACES ARE NOT USUALLY LIKE
THAT).

Foam Extinguishers
The chemical and mechanical varieties of extinguishers are suitable for use on
Class B fires and limited Class A fires (see above).
They are painted BLUE and have a range of about six meters, coating the
scene with a blanket of foam that smothers the fire. The foam is surprisingly
like shaving froth.
These are less effective on flowing liquid fires or on other liquid fires such as
alcohol.
To stop fire that is consuming liquid in a tank, aim the jet at the side of the
tank above the liquid. This causes the foam to flow down and float on the
surface of the burning liquid.
 Different
Kinds of Fire
Extinguishers

Instructio n Plate Vapourising Liquid

Extinguishers -
Class B and C Fires

Stored Air Pressure – Gas Pressure – Foam Extinguishers -

Class A Fires Only Class A Fires Only Class B (and some Class A
Fires)

Soda Acid – water variety CO2 Extinguisher - Aim Foam Jet at Back
- Class A Fires Only Class B and C Fires Side of Tank

Vapourising Liquid Dry Powder Extinguisher - Dry Powder Extinguisher -

Extinguisher for Fires in Portable and Mobile Spilled burning liquid
Motor Vehicles
Dry Powder Extinguishers
These “fire bombs” are filled with dry powder chemicals which are thrown
out by gas or stored air pressure in the tank. Like being shot out of a cannon!
They are suitable for Class B and C fires.
They are usually painted RED with a WHITE BAND and have fan shaped
nozzles.
The small ones have a range of about three meters, and the large ones up to six
meters. Read the instructions to find out how to operate them.
Dry powder extinguishers tend to smother the fire and the chemical fog
protects the operator from heat.
This type is the best to use for liquid fires where the liquid has been spilled in
large amounts (rubber, oils, plastics, etc).
You can buy small “pistol” type extinguishers which are good against any
type of fire, in hard to get at places. These should not be wasted on big or
smoldering fires but can be kept close at hand in cars, home or workplaces.
 Annex 10
Sample of A Hazard Reporting Form

To be Submitted to the Chief Executive Officer

Name: Asmin S Section: Packing Contact: Mss Hanh (supervisor) ext 345
Date and Time of Day Hazard Noted: Thursday, 21 May at lunchtime
Nature of Hazard and Location: I was on my way to the lunchroom and tripped on
a loose floor tile just outside the women’s toilets. There is broken glass in the window
of the toilet and if someone fell into that window it could cause a bad injury. The
loose tile is in the walkway between the packing section and the lunch room and right
next to the women’s toilet.
Recommended Action: I think the tile and the glass both need to be replaced.
Because the window is in an area where there is a lot of activity (many workers and
forklifts go past), it should be replaced with glass that has wire in it because that
might be stronger.
The tiled floors in the other parts of the factory have metal edge strips holding the
tiles down which could prevent the tiles lifting again in the future. I think it would be
good to have edge strips in this part too.
Signed: Date: 24 May
Supervisor’s Comments :
I have looked at the problem raised by Asmin and agree with her assessment. Several
women have tripped on the same tile. One girl sprained her ankle. The area is also a
bit dark. I suggest we increase the lighting in the area by using a 1000 watt light bulb
instead of the 45 watt ones currently used.
Signed: Date: 19 June
Safety Officer’s Report :
I have visited the site and have contacted the works maintenance supervisor. He has
agree to get the work done next week. The accountant has approved the expenditure
necessary for the repairs.
When I discussed this with the women workers in the area, it appears that at least
four women have had minor accidents from the tile. One sprained her ankle badly
and had three days off work. The costs of repair would be offset by the costs of time
off work.
Signed: Date: 12 July
CEO’s Comments:
I have noted the time taken between the report was made and the time taken for the
safety officer to take action and I am not satisfied that the situation was acted on as
efficiently as it could be. I have referred it back to the safety officer to report to me
and the causes of the delay. I approve the action taken so far.
Signed: Date: 20 July
 Annex 11
Standard Questionnaire on Respiratory (Breathing)
Symptoms
This type of form may be used by a doctor to examine women exposed to substances that may
damage their lungs. If a woman has symptoms of lung disease, the following questions will help a
doctor discover how seriously she is affected. The doctor should ask all of these questions to
gain adequate diagnostic information. If the doctor does not ask these questions, you can
volunteer your own information based on your knowledge of this form.

Workplace.................... Type of Work................................................................................

Name ……………………….…………. Age ........ Height…........ Weight…........
Answer the following questions with a yes or no, if possible.
Cough
1. Do you usually cough when you wake first thing in the morning?
2. Do you cough during the day?
3. Do you usually cough at night?
4. Do you cough like this for at least three months of the year?
5. Is the cough worse on any particular day of the week?
If yes, which days? ............... (This is particularly important in cases of byssinosis which
comes from exposure to cotton and other fabric dusts.)
Phlegm
1. Do you bring up phlegm first thing in the morning?
2. Do you bring up phlegm during the day or at night?
3. Do you bring up phlegm like this for more than three months of the year?
4. How long have you had this phlegm?
5. In the past three years, have you noticed an increase in the number of periods when the cough
and phlegm lasts for three weeks or more?
6. Have you experienced more than one period like this?
Tightness in the Chest
1. Does your chest ever feels tight?
2. Do you have difficulty breathing?
3. Do you suffer this even when you don’t have a cold or flu?
4. Does you chest feel tight on any specific days?
a. Most of the first days back at work only
b. Other days also
c. Only on other days
 2

Breathlessness
1. Are you troubled by breathlessness when walking fast or walking up a slight hill?
2. Do you feel breathle ss when walking with other friends your own age on level ground?
3. Do you have to stop for breath when you are walking at your own pace on level ground?
4. Is your breathlessness worse on any particular day? (Specify)
Chest Illness
1. Over the past three years, have you suffered any chest illness that has kept you away from
work for more than one week?
2. Did you bring up more phlegm than usual when you had this illness?
3. Have you had more than one such illness in the past three years?
Past Illness
Have you ever had:
1. An operation on your chest? 5. Pleurisy? 9. Hay fever?
2. Heart trouble? 6. Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB)?
3. Bronchitis? 7. Asthma?
4. Pneumonia? 8. Other Chest Trouble
Tobacco Smoking
1. Do you smoke?
If yes, how many per day? What type of smoking do you prefer (cigarettes, hand-rolled cigarettes,
pipe, cigars)?
2. Have you ever smoked? When did you give up?
Occupation
Do you or did you work in any of the following industries and for how long?
1. Dusty job (describe)
2. Coal mine
3. Other type of mine
4. Quarry
5. Foundry
6. Pottery (ceramics)
7. Textile: cotton, flax or hemp mill?
8. Asbestos
9. In any other dusty jobs?
10. Have you ever been regularly exposed to irritating gas or chemical fumes? Do you know what
the name of the gas or chemical is?
11. For how long were you exposed to this gas or chemical? Explain what you did and how the
exposure occurred.
 Annex 12

First Aid for First Aid Kits

How many times have you gone to the first aid cupboard or box at home or at work and
found it empty of the thing you want? How many times have you found lots of useless
things that you would never use, looking limp and yellow inside?

The items listed below are the recommended items that you keep in a
practical first aid kit. While commercial ones are available, you can
make you own. Plastic boxes (they look like toolboxes) are cheap and
easily available. Mark them with the Red Cross that is the international
symbol for first aid and medical care, and stuff it with what lies below.
You should have one at home as well as at work. First Aid Box
I found this list in a journal called Every Second Counts (Summer 1999). I am grateful to
Ellie Grossman who compiled the list.
1. Tweezers are great to remove splinters, needles of metal or glass, and maybe even
ticks from a wound. The pointed-end ones are best. The object should be grasped as
close as the skin as possible to reduce the possibility of it breaking
off.

2. A Large Safety Pin is one of the most useful first aid tools as it can
be used to dig out things embedded in the skin, to secure a bandage,
or pop a blister as well as keep your trousers from falling down! If
you use it to dig around in the skin or to pop a blister make sure you
sterilise the pointy end by running it though a flame. Scissors with blunt nose
3. Mouth To Barrier Devices which are used to give resuscitation
when someone has stopped breathing. These enable you to give the
“breath of life” that is resuscitation (breathing into their body to
restart the breathing process) without risk to you health. Normally,
one would place ones mouth over the nose and mouth of an injured or
collapsed person. However, with the rise in the number of HIV/AIDS
and hepatitis cases, if the person is bleeding after an accident, a
valved mask like this is very useful.
Bandaged foot
4. Disposable Gloves protects you from blood borne diseases and the collapsed person
from dirt of germs that might be on your hands if you have no time or facilities to
wash.
5. Ice Packs to put on strains, sprains and bruised areas. First apply for 20-30 minutes
after the injury. Wrap the pack in a light towel first. If hard to find froze n peas, other
chopped or small vegetables are a good substitute. Note: Of course ice packs are only
possible if you have a refrigerator at work or at home. Cold also reduces a lot of
bleeding in severe cuts but beware if the person is shocked at which point adding cold
may be dangerous.
6. Gauze Pads measuring 12cms x 12cms (or 4x4 in) are good for placing on open
wounds. Best if they are sterile and have not been opened. To stop heavy bleeding,
put hand pressure on the wound. If possible, buy dressings with a non-stop surface so
that when you take the dressing off the bleeding does not start again. Dressings that
are painfully stuck to wounds can be soaked off by placing the wound in a thick
solution of water and either Lux Flakes or shaved pure soap.
7. Strip Dressings (Band Aids) in a variety of sizes and shapes are useful for instant
wound care. Otherwise, gauze strip cut into a suitable size and adhesive tape can be
used.
8. Lightly Elastic Bandage holds compression dressings or splints in place and can be
used to support a sprained joint.
9. Scissors with a blunt nose so that they don’t pierce the patients skin as you use them.
10. Heavier Strength Elastic Bandage for sprained ankles, knees and open leg wounds
to compress and reduce blood loss. For ankles, use a rolled sock around the
anklebones to stop the bone from being rubbed, then roll the bandage over it around
and under the foot like a figure eight.
11. Adhesive Tape (surgical or elastic tape – like Elastoplast) 4 cms (1.5 inches) wide.
This is good for wrapping emergency splints in the event of a broken bone. It can be
wrapped around the limb (not up and down) and can be pulled off with minimal pain
if you pull it off in the same direction as the hair lies.
12. Duct Tape (also known as Gaffa tape) prevents blisters, good for wrapping splints
and for making emergency slings as it is strong and wide. To prevent blisters, cut
some thick fabric (or foam rubber) to a size larger than the red spot. Make a hole in
the foam or fabric, the same size as the impending blister and stick in with duct tape.
13. Antibiotic Cream Bacteroban is best and will prevent infection of burns and other
wounds.
14. Calamine Lotion is old fashioned but still effective for itchy skin and allergic
reactions, bee stings and soothing for rashes.
15. Hydrocortisone Cream (1 percent solution) to reduce minor inflammations and skin
irritation and itching if calamine doesn’t help.
16. Aspirin reduces swelling, pain, and fever. But it should not be given to children
under two years of age. Always take with lots of water to reduce risk of tummy
trouble.
17. Antihistamine cream such as Phenergan reduces pain and swelling due to allergy or
bites.
18. An emergency blanket to reduce the effects of shock.
 Annex 13

Taming Machines - Machine Safety

Most modern and many old workplaces use machines for their production activities.
Women, being increasingly employed in the industrial sector, have to work with
machines. The new ones tend to have safeguards built in, but many of the old ones
don’t have.
When I first started working on OHS machine-guarding was the domain of male
engineers, guys with grey beards who sat at drawing boards designing the grids that
would keep workers from being injured by a wheel or gear. Then, it was largely men
who worked with machines – fitters, machinists and boilermakers.
Now it is different. Women use all sorts of machines and in some countries with equal
opportunity, are taking over men’s job: they are the machinists and the fitters. Many
of the machines they use are hazardous with rapidly spinning and moving parts.
Others like presses operate with such force that fingers and even hands disappear into
their mouths before women can cry out in agony. Drills and rapidly rotating wheels
can trap a woman’s beautiful flowing hair or clothing, wrenching her in and tearing
the hair from her head.
Machines have speeded up work. To maximise the use of machines and tempt
workers to go faster, bosses have instituted target rates. To achieve those targets,
workers sometimes see machine guards as obstructing their ability to achieve the
target and make money. This is a risky thing to do. Fingers do not grow back unless a
very good micro-surgeon is at hand to sew them back on. Unsightly wounds will scar
and maim for life.
There are a few simple principles that need to be kept in mind. But first, a bit of
background.
The dangerous parts of machines are usually at:
• at the point of operation, that is where the drill or punch comes down
• where the power(electricity usually) is linked to the machine
• around the moving parts
Let’s look first at the working end of the machine, the bit that women are most
familiar with.
Have a walk around the plant and see where the various machines are situated and
what they do. Are some problematic? That is, does the operator have trouble loading
or extracting the finished piece? Is she or he under pressure because of that? These are
the very people who may remove guards or get impatient and may have accidents.
Do any of the operators approach their machines with fear? Have there already been
accidents? Are there already machines which have broken or defective guards? Look
at some of the drawings in this book to see what is meant by the term guards.
If a guard has been removed it, often means that the guard is not well designed.
Remember, bosses want to maximise productivity so you can argue that well designed
guards will increase productivity, safety and welfare. The women workers, knowing
that management cares, might be more motivated to work well.
Obviously, the best thing is to convince management that a machine that has claimed
a lot of casualties is just plain dangerous and should be replaced. This is the first
principle to remember, replace or engineer out a hazard before deciding to isolate it…
But if they don’t agree you will have to look at guarding the machine. Some
examples are to be found elsewhere in this book. At any rate, the manager should be
asked to consider buying safe machines when he or she has to upgrade.
Types Of Machine Guards

Fixed Guards
An example of this is a grill that covers
rotating wheels or gears on the side of a
machine. They are the simplest of the
guards and are usually permanently fixed
to the machine and do not get in the way
of production. They should be made of
strong materials such as metal mesh to
stop metal parts from flying in case of
malfunction. They should only be opened
by special tools of the maintenance
teams.
Fixed Guards
Adjustable Guards
These can be adjusted to fit any change
in the size of the stock (the working
materials) while still providing
protection. Some adjustable guards have
springs so they can fit around the stock

Adjustable Guard
Two Handed Controls
Shoe factories use power presses to punch
out shoe soles. These presses are strong
enough to cut off a person’s hand. It used to
happen when workers would, bored by the
job or slightly out in their timing, operate the
press when their hand was still underneath
creating, horrible results. Since then, presses
have been designed with two-hand controls.
That is, both left and right buttons have to be
pushed to make the press go down. In this
case both hands are therefore well out of the A machine with two- hand controls
way when the press operates, thus, reducing
risk. However sometimes workers tape the
buttons down or operate them with their
knees so they can work faster. It is up to you
and supervisors to educate women that this is
playing with their fate.
Interlock Guards
These are a more complex type of guard,
and rely on mechanical or electrical
means to stop an operation until certain
things happen. For instance, some
interlock guards stop the operation until a
button at a remote location is pushed,
thus, ensuring all people are out of the
way when it occurs.
Pedal activation of an interlock guard
Choosing the Right Guard
The major things to think of are:
• Safety
• Efficiency
• Productivity
• Cost
Bosses are more likely to be sympathetic if you can show that a guard will not reduce
efficiency and productivity, and can be cheaply made. Many guards can be designed
and made by local metal workers using cheap materials such as leftover steel mesh,
and used reinforcing rod or short bits of steel bar. But of course, safety should be the
major consideration. As we have seen, if the workers cannot operate the machine
effectively, they will remove the guard.
So, The best thing is to isolate all the pointy bits of the machine: that is, the so-called
‘nip points’ where one part rolls onto another (gears are a good example) or if a bit
moves back and forth or pushes down, cuts, or bends or rolls. Don’t just think of
normal operations. Think of falls: if the floor is slippery and a woman slides or trips,
where will her hand land when she automatically reaches out to grab for help?
Sometimes her hands would land just on a wheel or a belt-drive that is at knee height.
These are the bits that need to be guarded.
Do You Need to Use Guards? What are the Alternatives?
• The first thing is to make sure that all workers are familiar with the safe use of the
machine. Sometimes that means being trained to certificate level, that is, the
workers can only use a machine if they are authorised and certified. Crane and
forklift operators, for instance need to obtain certificate of competency in most
countries. Machinist and fitters as well. This training instills respect for the power
of the machine and its relationship with the worker. It enables the worker to feel
comfortable and sure about its operations. Never be afraid to admit you are not
sure about how to work with a particular machine. It could cost you dearly to
pretend!
• Sometimes using what are known as jigs or feeder devices removes the workers’
hands or feet from immediate danger. Feeder and ejection systems both speed up
production and remove the workers hands from the operating zone. Using hands to
place and remove stock is time consuming and dangerous. Cheap systems to feed
and remove stock from the machine can be devised by local tradespeople.
The simplest system to use is a plunger feed (see below). The plunger shelf has a
hole cut in it and into which the stock is placed outside the area of operation. As the
plunger is pushed, in it activates the press or other operation. The guard is still in
place.

Power pressw with plunger feed Power press with plunger and Power press with chute feed
magazine feed
A carousel feeder is like a merry-go-round at a circus or fun fair. It spins around
delivering stock into the machine and allows a considerable increase in speed of
production. Finished goods can be removed by hand at the side, out of range of the
dangerous part of the machine or can automatically fall into a collector if designed
right.

Power press with carousel feed

A gravity feed system is another low cost option and is one that can be used in
ergonomics to deliver parts of stock easily. Simple upwardly bent chutes can be fixed
to machines to feed in the stock. This works well with heavier components, mainly
metal parts as they are less likely to be seized by friction, which can slow or stop the
feed. But you can imagine how a well functioning system like this could speed things
up.
 Steel pin grinding machine: (a) hand feed; (b) gravity chute feed

A Fruit Salad Of Other Things to Think About:

• Removing waste (sometimes known as swarf if its metal) from around a machine
needs to be done with a broom or similar tool, NOT WITH YOUR HANDS.
Make sure that the machine is turned off when cleaning it.
• Work to be trimmed or finished can be held in a jig or vice. Do NOT Use Your
Hands!
• Keep you hair covered or tied back when using machines. Do not use flowing
clothing such as sari’s (a shawal kameez is better for work ) or loose flowing
Muslim head coverings as these can get caught in the machine and drag you into
the moving parts..

• Never start a grinding wheel until you have checked that the wheel is in good
condition. Check that the guard and work rests are fixed in place and are properly
adjusted and that no waste is left on the wheel (the waste might fly off at high
speed when the wheel is turned on and is dangerous to you and others).
 Unsafe Working – Hair and eyes unprotected

• Never allow a guard to be removed unless it is for maintenance. Make sure it is

put back on securely before the machine is operated.
• Make sure the machine is well lit. Even a well- guarded machine can be dangerous
if the worker cannot see what is going on.

Machine lighting

• Maintenance is important to machine safety. If a machine is not working well, the

worker may be tempted to remove the guard to make it easier to get work done. In
addition, failing machines demand extra effort and are tiring to use. Women may
feel tense if the machine is slow and they are not able to keep up with the demands
of the work flow system.
• When a machine is being maintained or is out of action, make sure it is labeled as
such. Signs saying Danger Do Not Operate will discourage others from using it
and taking risks.
 Annex 14

IATA/ICAO Hazard and Handling Lables

Primary Hazard Lables