Irritant office workers

Ocular Effects. A case-control study of office workers was conducted by Baj et al. (1994) to evaluate the risks of chronic exposures to inhaled formaldehyde, phenol and isomers of organic chlorohydrocarbons from Ksylamit which is a widely used liquid wood preservative reported to consist of a mixture of chlorinated benzenes, pentachlorophenol, alpha-chloronaphthalene, chloroparafifin, and kerosene . Twenty-two workers (18 women and 4 men) exposed for at least 6 months were the cases, and 29 non-exposed, non-smoking volunteers matched for age, sex, and place of residence were the controls. The authors indicate that all of the exposed workers developed chronic complaints, among them burning eyes, but that no remarkable increase in morbidity was found during the 6 months of exposure to Ksylamit , nor during the 3-year follow-up study (details of which were not provided). The authors attribute these symptoms to the irritant effect of the inhaled Ksylamit probably (based on the references provided) due to the formaldehyde vapor they assert emanates from the woodpreserving liquid. 

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe office worker discomfort and medical symptoms related to buildings and pollutant exposures, work organization, and personal risk factors. A wide range of definitions exists. Symptoms commonly considered integral parts of the syndrome are listed in Table 1. In recent years, with increased understanding, odors have generally been dropped from the list and chest symptoms have been included under mucous membrane irritation. 

Data suggest that irritation among office workers does not represent a single distribution, but that susceptible subpopulations exist. Experimental studies, in chambers, show that atopic individuals usually have much lower irritation thresholds for agents commonly found indoors, even when their atopy is not active. In addition, the presence of tear-film instability, from Sicca complex, aging, or other underlying causes, poses an increased risk for irritation. 

Controlled exposure studies of volunteers in stainless steel chambers have been performed. Most have involved exposure to one specific mixture of VOCs for example, the work of Molhave and Nielsen in 1992. These studies consistently document relationships between symptoms and increasing exposure levels. Office workers who perceived themselves as susceptible to the effects of usual levels of VOCs indoors demonstrated some impairment on standard tests of neuropsychological performance. Healthy volunteers, on the other hand, demonstrated mucous membrane irritation and headaches at exposures in the range of 10-25mgm but no changes on neuropsychological performance. Recently, office workers demonstrated similar symptoms after simulated work in environments where pollutants were... 

Both allergic and irritant mechanisms have been proposed as explanations for eye symptoms. More rapid tear-film break-up time, a measure of tear film instability, is associated with increased levels of symptoms. Fat-foam thickness measurement and photography for documentation of ocular erythema have also been used. Some authors attribute eye symptoms at least in part to increased individual susceptibility based on those factors. In addition, office workers with ocular symptoms have been demonstrated to blink less frequently when working at video display terminals. Conjunctival staining with fluorescent dyes is a common clinical test for conjunctivitis sicca. 

For example, long hours at the video display terminal (VDT) can cause pains in the neck and back, eyestrain, and a general feeling of tension and irritability. Illness has increased among the office worker population. This may be attributed, in part, to the increased presence of environmental toxins within the office and to stress-producing factors associated with the automated office. Resulting illnesses may include respiratory problems, skin diseases, and stress-related conditions. 

According to the survey, 70% of women clerical workers experienced an inadequate supply of fresh air, two-thirds reported air circulation problems, and 25% reported irritating fumes. Stress was also widely reported, particularly among office workers who used vdts. 

One of the major risk factors is a history of AD. The possibility of hand eczema occurring later in life increases significantly if the AD was severe during childhood and was localised in the hands (60-90% of these patients and 40% of patients with moderate AD develop hand eczema later in working life). The risk of hand dermatitis decreases if the AD was mild. The risk of developing hand dermatitis has been estimated to be threefold in atopic relative to non-atopic workers if there is exposure to skin-irritating factors. Episodes of hand eczema can occur in patients predisposed to AD, even if they are not in working life or are just in clean, dry office work. 

Workers handling lacrimators may acquire an irritant eczematous dermatitis, especially in areas where there is friction, as at the neck and waist. Most areas of the skin may be subject to irritant dermatitis from chloracetophenone and CS (Maibach and Mar-zulli 1971). Localized occupational dermatitis in police officers has been reported on the hip near the belt line from leaking or self-discharging tear gas canisters or holsters (Rietschel and Fowler 1995). 

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