Occupational Allergens May Exist Everywhere from High-Rise Office Buildings to the Factory Floor

It may be hard for everyone to accept, but some people are actually allergic to their work.  For countless employees in a wide range of professions, occupational allergens can make it difficult, if not impossible, to be a productive employee.
 
Occupational allergies occur when a worker is exposed to a substance or substances that cause them to have an allergic reaction.  The situation may be the result of environmental allergens already in the workplace, such as mold in a water damaged office building, or due to activities that expose workers to allergens from materials they come into contact with because of their profession. These reactions can be mild or severe, and in some extreme circumstances could even be life threatening. Long-term exposure to allergens can even result in asthma in some people.
 
“An allergic reaction may occur when an allergen comes in contact with a worker through common exposure routes such as skin contact, inhalation or ingestion,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark (CSC).  “Quite often they will have a reaction within a short time period, but this is not always the case and the reaction may be delayed.  In addition, repeated exposures to the allergen may increase sensitivity and even workers who did not previously show symptoms of an allergic reaction to a substance may develop an allergy to it over time.” 
 
Some of the more common environmental allergens workers may be exposed to include everything from mold, pollen, latex and dust mites to allergens associated with pets, cockroaches and rodents.  While many people are aware of these allergens, there are also many others that employees may not readily recognize.  These include substances such as formaldehyde; isocyanates; chromium, nickel and cobalt; and wood and floor dusts to name just a few out of hundreds.
 
The indoor environmental quality professionals at CSC are experts at identifying both chemical and microbial allergens in the work environment. Their experts have been called upon across the country to investigate and resolve cases associated with occupational allergens.  CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about occupational allergens that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/SCFqelSMcNU
 
To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail