Chemicals in printing
Chemicals used in Printing (inks, lacquers, adhesives, cleaning solvents and others) contain substances that can cause ill health. You can breathe in vapours and mists. Contact with chemicals can cause skin problems and damage elsewhere. This page identifies risks, what you need to do and where you can find out more. Specific guidance is in COSSH essentials for printers pages (revision due 2012).
Printing chemicals and ill-health
- Solvents and inks can irritate the skin leading to dermatitis.
- Some products can cause skin allergy and asthma (e.g. UV inks, laminating adhesives).
- Some solvent vapours can make you dizzy, drowsy and affect your central nervous system.
- Some solvents can damage internal organs (e.g. liver /kidney) over a long exposure.
- Corrosive acids and alkalis can cause skin burns and eye damage (e.g. plate developers).
- Some UV cured inks can cause cancer and harm to the unborn child
What you need to do
Assess the risks: How are employees exposed and what are the effects?. Identify control measures specific to the process, products and tasks.
Prevent first and then reduce exposure. Examples of controls include:
- Avoid contact - automate process, use pump dispensers and minimise leaks and spills.
- Substitute solvents - UK printing solvent substitution scheme (use vegetable derivatives )
- Substitute inks - Acrylate preference scheme
- Enclose process and provide LEV necessary to extract harmful vapours and mists.
- Ventilate work rooms
- Provide Safe systems for cleaning and handling substances with breaks
- Provide suitable personal protective equipment - respirators, gloves and eye protection.
- Practise good hand care – remove contamination promptly, wash hands properly, dry thoroughly and use skin creams regularly.
Find out more
The following links provides specific information on chemicals used in the printing industry and general:
Coshh guidance
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