Asthma & cleaning products: what workers need to know

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  New Jersey. Department of Health
• Description:
  Can cleaning products cause asthma? YES, they can! You might not expect it, but cleaning products used at work can cause asthma or make your existing asthma worse. Workers who use cleaners regularly can get asthma. Cleaning products are used by all sorts of workers, like janitors, office workers, and hospital workers. We need cleaners to clean, disinfect, and control dust and mold on surfaces. Some people who work with these cleaners, or work in areas where cleaners are used, can get breathing problems. What are some warning signs? Watch for these asthma signs: 1. Wheezing. 2. Chest tightness. 3. Shortness of breath. 4. Cough. If you have any of these symptoms when you're exposed to cleaners, call your doctor. You should contact your doctor even if you weren't the person using the cleaning product or doing the cleaning. These breathing problems are not normal! Who can be affected? Here are some jobs where you might be exposed to cleaning products: Types of Jobs: 1. Health care worker 2. Hotel maintenance 3. Housekeeper 4. Janitor 5. Maid 6. Office worker 7. Restaurant worker 8. Teacher Types of Cleaners: 1. Carpet cleaner 2. Disinfectant 3. Floor wax stripper 4. Glass cleaner 5. Tile cleaner 6. Toilet cleaner. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Asthma, Occupational
  • Occupational Health
  • Public Health
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Respiratory system disorders
  • Public health
  • Surveillance programs
  • Occupational asthma
  • Cleaning compounds
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20043686
• Citation:
  Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS), 2010 May; :1-6
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• Performing Organization:
  New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20040930
• End Date:
  20060929
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195520/cdc_195520_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 151.59 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d34fcea42a8a7c6c7b70b4b0dfe1b574f1d77d65054c61c8cff08ae7b17b040788950e731150a8113d8374e089873d1008fa7e6a858aa5d9df530051745cdc53