I arrived at work to see all employees outdoors due to a visible amount of airborne dust in the office. It was the apparent result of concrete demolition in an annex to the building.  Some have complained of throat discomfort and one of headache. What are known side effects to this kind of exposure?  Wallboard was not a factor. Doors are open. Industrial fans were on for about two hours. Is there cause for alarm?
135166
Concrete dust contains high concentrations of silica which can irritate the lungs and if exposure is great enough it can cause silicosis.\n Under OSHA regulations whenever dust is generated, air sampling is required.
42343
You may want to check your employee hand book, or talk to a representative in your human resourse department.  But generally if the company has a smoking band in effect for the building and its property, you can be written up for smoking if your cigarette is not put out prior to stepping on company property.  It does not matter if you are on the clock or not, but simpily you are an employee of that company and you are responsible for not only knowing, but also understanding policies and procedures as well as their code of ethics on and off the job.  \nIn your question you mentioned that the employee was reentering the property to talk to a supervisor.  In that employees defence, the supervisor should have mentioned that there is no smoking on company property and asked that person to put out their cigarette.  If this did not happen then the supervisor can not write up an employee with out writting themself up for not giving atleast a warning first.\nAgain this follows company procedures, under the title of disciplinary actions.  Good luck fighting this.  Hope I helped.
602260
It would be terrible for my emotional well-being, and would then affect physical health because of sleep deprivation. I'd answer this question yes ... cover your windows.
63896
this happened to me, for 2 days i could not get up or i'd throw up. I felt fine the first morning jumped out of bed to make coffee and fell on my ass. It really sucked.\n\ni never went to the hospital cuz i was uninsured and rather die then debt. but im fine now. I did research this and it may of been a drop attack from an inner-ear deases called 'meniere's disease'\n\nhttp://oto.wustl.edu/men/  \n\nhope you feel better soon
546780
Allergies r a common prob now a days. Mostly caused by the lack of contact with the allergen producers. Your body had probably grown unused to the dust from the cotton and had a adverse reaction to the dust. Air filters and disinfectent have essentially weakened our systems to the point where they can no longer handle contact with the most common things we come into contact with. Like dust pollen germs and bacteria. Your body would eventually become immune again to the dust and so would your daughters. But u would suffer quite abit before that happened. So now u must resort to antihistamins. The human body is not as fragile as everyone thinks it is nowadays. It has the capability to overcome minor irritations. How have we lasted all this time before airfilters and disenfectents??? Yes we have much more pollutents in the air due to industrialization. And more contact with germs and bacteria due to our ability to move around more freely. And it is good to wash your hands and use handsanitizer and clean up after handling poultry and meat. But the old saying still holds true a little dirt never hurt. And as allways moderation. Over contact with germs and bacteria and allergens is bad but a little wont hurt u.
673228
1. The most common reaction is contact DERMATITIS, or skin inflammation.  Repeated skin contact with resins and hardeners may also cause chronic contact dermatitis, which is usually milder but longer lasting. If left untreated for long periods it can progress to eczema, a form of dermatitis that can include swelling, blisters and itching.\n\n2.   ALLERGIC DERMATITIS is a more serious problem, but less than 2% of epoxy users are likely to get it. Allergic dermatitis is when the body hyperreacts to an allergen.  You are most susceptible if you have been grossly overexposed to epoxy or if you are inherently sensitized or allergic to a component of epoxy.  Once sensitized, additional (and sometimes increasingly severe) reactions become likely upon future exposures, even to tiny amounts of epoxy. It is difficult, but not impossible to prevent recurrences. Resume epoxy use only after symptoms disappear, and strictly follow the recommended handling procedures to prevent exposure.\n\n3.  Inhaling concentrated epoxy vapors, if done frequently or for long periods, can irritate your respiratory tract. Exposing sensitive skin areas, like the eyelids, to highly concentrated epoxy vapors may cause itching and swelling.   Never breathe the sanding dust of partially cured epoxy. Epoxy chemicals remain reactive until they have cured. Serious health problems can result from sanding epoxy before it is fully cured. When you inhale these dust particles, they become trapped in the mucus lining of your respiratory system. The reactive material can cause severe respiratory irritation and/or respiratory allergies.\n...breathing any nuisance dust will worsen existing respiratory problems. Smokers and others whose lungs are under strain are far more likely to develop serious respiratory problems.\n\n***Note--I did not just copy and paste this info.  I took the time to copy over the info that was important, as your question is of a serious nature--and deserves serious attention.  I would also recommend asking to see the MSDS sheets for the epoxy you are wokring with to familiarize yourself with what you need to avoid to prevent further sensitization.  Good luck and take care of yourself.
398066
Any stressor can make fibromyalgia pain worse, so yes - dampness and those terrible floors are going to cause problems for you!\n\nFibromyalgia is a neurological disorder of hypersensitivity. We perceive EVERYTHING more strongly than we should, on every level. So the tiniest things build up to be big deals, and big things can become crushing problems.\n\nI was diagnosed in 1993, and my little girl (now 16) was diagnosed in 1999. What I've found most effective is to take control of absolutely everything I can in our environment, in order to let our bodies build up better reserves to deal with the stressors we can't control.\n\nOf course, "environment" means everything from the air we breathe to the people we interact with. The place to start is at home, and you've already realized that the floors in your home are part of the problem!\n\nIs there any chance of moving? You've been there for a year, so maybe your lease is up or about to renew?\n\nIf not, perhaps you could put down carpets with lots of padding? That's going to increase your allergy load if you have allergy problems, but you have to weigh which gives you more trouble and make a decision based on that. \n\nIf you can't afford to professionally recarpet the place, don't worry - join your local Freecycle list(s) (see http://freecycle.org/ . I see people giving away gently used carpet and rugs all the time! If you're not too picky about making the whole apartment match, you can at least improve the impact of the floors on your body.\n\nI could (and have, elsewhere) go on and on and on about environmental control, but I don't want to bore you :-) I really hope that you're able to get some relief. Let me know how you're doing!
560599
You are not likely to be exposed to large enough amounts of cyanide in the environment to cause adverse health effects. The severity of the harmful effects following cyanide exposure depends in part on the form of cyanide, such as hydrogen cyanide gas or cyanide salts. Exposure to high levels of cyanide for a short time harms the brain and heart and can even cause coma and death. Workers who inhaled low levels of hydrogen cyanide over a period of years had breathing difficulties, chest pain, vomiting, blood changes, headaches, and enlargement of the thyroid gland.\nthe answer to you question depends an the amount, did the person die from cyanide? tobacco smoke is the most common source of cyanide exposure for the general population. So no, your lungs aren't going to anyone, but other parts might. But if it's hydrogen cyanide or cyanide salts these produce spores, and no one is going to want anything from someone with these kinds of spores
666854
Of Course!  I miss the fresh smell of asbestos dust in the air!\n\nChoke, Cough... oh wait, maybe that was a bad idea!\n\nAll joking aside, I am also frustrated with the extra steps and therefore longer time frames when it comes to construction, or in this case destruction.  However, it's all for the better as it relates to human and environmental health, so I am willing to be bored on the sidelines... most of the time.
264978
Lack of oxygen, accumulation of coal dust in lungs and on mucus membranes, scratching of the cornea due to excess dust... theres a long list.
24281
Just curious why a teacher wouldnt ask the school admin about this first, but since you asked - it is very possible to get it done. Most likely the duct work in the school could use a good cleaning (dust buildup, mouse poop, whatever).  BUT it would also be a good idea for actual air quality testing to be done by the environmental health agency near you, because if you are having these reactions, I bet the students are too.
284285
Depending upon where your office is, would be a clue as to what it could be. If you're in a tropical place, insecticides could be used and the residue could be noticed, this wouldn't be toxic to humans (current drug standards prevail), unless someone is allergic, but they would have to have a huge dose to be affected. If you're in a cold climate, then what is used for heating could smell noxious, but carbon monoxide, which causes death is odorless. The most common cause of noxious smells in offices comes from whatever people spray on themselves, such as perfumes or hairsprays, and some of these can offend any ones sense of smell, and cause allergic reactions.
478653
Hello -- I was affected my second hand smoke and I almost died as a result. I suffered two heart attacks and I take medication\nthe rest of my life; I just lost my best friend to cancer. She was only 66. She smoked all of her life.
165966
1. office equipements like laser copiers and printers generates ozone in the process\n2. repetitive tasks like typing may cause tunnel syndromes\n3. poor posture when moving heavy things may hurt your back\n4. find out more about ergonomics.
175648
Did the dr do a blood test to rule out infection, like a white blood count?  You might have a virus, severe cold, or infection.  You normally don't run a fever with allergies but they can turn into sinus infections and upper respiratory, even bronchitis.  Rest, drink lots of fluids, take a fever reducer of some kind, maybe something for the congestion, maybe a vaporizer for the chest discomfort, try some chicken soup, and see how you feel Monday, if not better please go back to the dr as you may need an antibiotic.
402020
In normal breathing, air is drawn in through the bronchial passages and down into the increasingly fine network of tubing in the lungs called the alveoli, which are many thousands of tiny sacs surrounded by capillaries. These absorb the oxygen and transfer it into the blood. When toxins such as smoke are breathed into the lungs, the particles are trapped by the hairs and cannot be exhaled, leading to a localised inflammatory response. Chemicals released during the inflammatory response (trypsin, elastase, etc.) begin to break down the walls of alveoli (alveolar septum). This leads to fewer but larger alveoli, with a decreased surface area and a decreased ability to take up oxygen and lose carbon dioxide. The activity of another molecule called alpha 1-antitrypsin normally neutralizes the destructive action of one of these damaging molecules.\n\nAfter a prolonged period, hyperventilation becomes inadequate to maintain high enough oxygen levels in the blood, and the body compensates by vasoconstricting appropriate vessels. This leads to pulmonary hypertension. This leads to enlargement and increased strain on the right side of the heart, which in turn leads to peripheral edema (swelling of the peripherals) as blood gets backed up in the systemic circulation, causing fluid to leave the circulatory system and accumulate in the tissues.\n\nEmphysema occurs in a higher proportion in patient with decreased alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT) levels (alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, A1AD). In A1AD, inflammatory enzymes (such as elastase) are able to destroy the alveolar tissue (the elastin fibre, for example). Most A1AD patients do not develop clinically significant emphysema, but smoking and severely decreased A1AT levels (10-15%) can cause emphysema at a young age. In all, A1AD causes about 2% of all emphysema. However, smokers with A1AD are in the highest risk category for emphysema.
437884
There's woman on my job who sounds like a man with a bad cold.  Yet she continues to take smoke breaks all day long and she is always coughing but she's not sick.\n\nI can only imagine what it's doing to the lungs.