Danger! Are your printers or photocopiers secretly hurting you!
It was once thought that the biggest danger to Work Health & Safety (WHS) around a photocopier/printer was to the safety of “that person” who chooses to photocopy their whole resource file, 15 minutes before Monday Lesson 1, and was oblivious to the growing and stressed queue of colleagues!
But a recent study has highlighted there are potential risks associated with printers and photocopiers in our workplaces. The study reported that workers were experiencing acute respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, throat discomfort and shortness of breath within a few hours of exposure to photocopier toner emissions.
The risks are further exacerbated by the fact that photocopying is often carried out in small spaces with poor ventilation and inadequate safety controls, leading to high inhalation exposures among workers. Many printers and photocopiers are located next to people’s workstations.
Defective printers and photocopiers also led to higher incidents of injury.
A study conducted on nearly 2,000 German workers has revealed a concerning link between these common office machines and a range of respiratory and other illnesses.
90% of the participants, most of whom were office workers, reported frequent respiratory symptoms. Additionally, 70% suffered from allergies and 15% from asthma.
The presence of visible toner dust on surfaces, a sign of poor ventilation and high dust exposure levels, was associated with significantly increased rates of respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and chronic fatigue.
Half of these workers noted that their symptoms subsided when they left the workplace, such as during weekends, holidays, or sick leave. However, over time, they developed chronic long-term health conditions, which they attributed to their continuous exposures at work.
Action Plan
- Raise the concerns about risks to Health and Safety using photocopiers and printers
- Advocate for proper ventilation and safety controls in our workplaces.
- Put in place simple and cost-effective solutions to reduce or even eliminate exposure to printer-emitted particles.
- Ensure that areas are properly cleaned and that machines are properly maintained.
If you have any concerns or questions about WHS at your workplace contact our office: 8410 0122 or enquiries@ieusa.org.au
Source: Self-reported symptoms associated with the use of printer and photocopier machines: Results from the nano-Control, International Foundation survey. Abimbola Ojo, et al, US, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, published online August 2024, doi: DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003197.
