Are these bad working conditions?

Reds-on-Sea

I recently posted a thread relating to how I think salaried & hourly staff are treated differently within my company. I work in a medium sized company, don't want to go into too much detail, but we print (large scale) and make things using the prints etc, there are several different workshops inc metal, plastic etc.

What I really want to know about is whether there are any working condition standards with regards to heat AND fumes. We recently acquired another very large scale printer and it's in a large room (no windows) with 5 other large printers & machines etc. There is extraction for each machine, but the fumes in there are often unbearable - I used to sit in there and would often get headaches/lightheadedness/sore, red eyes. I've moved into another office now (thank goodness it has a real window!!:j ) although they've plonked a large printer in here too. This printer has no extraction and stinks! When it prints it smells like cheesy puffs and bleach - everyone who walks through comments about it. I'm mainly in here on my own.

I've compained that it gives me headaches and makes me feel sick when it's running, can it be moved, some extraction installed etc, and the reply I've got is "the spec says the inks aren't toxic, so it's not actually damaging your health - therefore we won't spend any money/move it"

Another department have had a couple of people collapse & taken to hospital from heat & fumes, and again, nothing's ever been done about it....

Basically, there are 3 rooms with unbearable fumes which are making people sick/lightheaded etc.....we're meant to be working towards some ISO2001 accreditation (or something??) which to my understanding is meant to include working conditions.... What a joke!

Is there someone I (or other members of staff) can get in independently to somehow measure air quality/fumes to see if they're acceptable? We're all (literally!) sick of putting up with this all and it's only getting worse.

Thanks

jad

Doesn't sound like a particularly pleasant place to be...must as I hate the culture of 'grassing' on people/companies this government is trying to push us towards, I'd suggest you read http://www.hse.gov.uk/workers/contact.htm.

It sounds to me like your workplace might not be acceptable and your employers don't really give a damn, so it might be worth seeking the advice of the health and safety people. You can contact them anonymously if you wish.

All this is assuming you're not in a union - if you are, contact them instead, and make this their problem.

Nile

Hello Reds-on-Sea

You have my sympathy. Many years ago I complained to my manager about excessve noise in the workplace from one particular piece of equipment. His response was "You go to discos don't you?":rolleyes:

Maybe he's one of your bosses?:rolleyes:

If you can't find another job easily, I'd definitely do what jad has suggested. Your employer has a duty of care to ensure that your working conditions meet health and safety legislation. It's time to blow the whistle.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking for alternative employment. I still have problems today, resulting from working in a similar environment to you 20 years ago.

You have to decide if your health and wellbeing is more important than your loyalty to your employer.

Good luck

Nile

robredz

There should be adequate ventilation, as even normal office photocopiers give off fumes that are toxic from the toner and should not be used in closed conditions. Check out the url suggested by jad, and then decide whether it is worth bubbling the employer to elf'n safety.

ceridwen

"decide whether its worth bubbling" the employer??? I should say its positively obligatory to do so from what you say.

I'd be straight on that phone tomorrow without fail and start the process. Your health may not just be affected the way you state - as in short-term stuff. You dont know what long-term damage this is causing:eek:

Good health is something that we all take for granted as ours by right and never really believe we could be landed with a permanent health problem - UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO US.....

Reds-on-Sea

Thanks everyone,

I'm especially concerned about the guys in the room with 5 large printers - they're all solvent based inks and it really is wretched in there. A guy with asthma walked in and literally 10 seconds later started to get lightheaded & couldn't breath & had to come out, and they spend all day in there! Even the quiet ones have started to complain I'm so sick of my employers attitude towards the welfare of it's staff.

I asked our H&S officer whether the salaried managers would put up with a sinking printing machine right in their office. She didn't give an answer. I really feel the difference in treatment between salaried & factory/production staff, having been on both sides, I can plainly see that factory staff are treated as 2nd class citizens.

We haven't got a union, and yes, I am actively looking for a new job, and have been for a while now It's sad though, despite the problems, there's a relatively low turnover of staff, and many have been there in excess of 20 yrs, I think they're all just too downtrodden to do anything about it and believe that "this is as good as it gets"

it's the whole double standards thing, if the boot was on the other foot, and any of the management had to put up with these conditions, they wouldn't last more than a day....

*goes off to HSE website with a bee in her bonnet*

Hagar_uk

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

Thanks everyone,

I'm especially concerned about the guys in the room with 5 large printers - they're all solvent based inks and it really is wretched in there. A guy with asthma walked in and literally 10 seconds later started to get lightheaded & couldn't breath & had to come out, and they spend all day in there! Even the quiet ones have started to complain I'm so sick of my employers attitude towards the welfare of it's staff.

I asked our H&S officer whether the salaried managers would put up with a sinking printing machine right in their office. She didn't give an answer. I really feel the difference in treatment between salaried & factory/production staff, having been on both sides, I can plainly see that factory staff are treated as 2nd class citizens.

We haven't got a union, and yes, I am actively looking for a new job, and have been for a while now It's sad though, despite the problems, there's a relatively low turnover of staff, and many have been there in excess of 20 yrs, I think they're all just too downtrodden to do anything about it and believe that "this is as good as it gets"

it's the whole double standards thing, if the boot was on the other foot, and any of the management had to put up with these conditions, they wouldn't last more than a day....

*goes off to HSE website with a bee in her bonnet*

If the printer are true solvent printer, then I would be very concerned about the fumes. The fumes can be very strong, but there is also a long term health issue, all sites I have been to with solvent printers have all had extractor fans lcoked into teh machine to stop issues. which gets rid of most of he smell.

If the sytem is using Eco Solvent inks, things are not so bad, but If I was working with them day in day out I would still want an extraction system

ceridwen

Just been reminded of this thread by last post.

So - what happened in the end O.P.?

Zazen999

Your company should have a H&S committee; with members of the staff representing you.

Also, you should be able to look up the machine with the supplier and see what they recommend with regards to ventilation.

Hammyman

My wife works as a signwriter for a family friend. It's a small business with two of them. They have two large printers they do posters etc on. As soon as the printers are on, so is an extraction system because of the very problems mentioned with the fumes.

dickydonkin

Reds-on-Sea wrote: »

Thanks everyone,

I'm especially concerned about the guys in the room with 5 large printers - they're all solvent based inks and it really is wretched in there. A guy with asthma walked in and literally 10 seconds later started to get lightheaded & couldn't breath & had to come out, and they spend all day in there! Even the quiet ones have started to complain I'm so sick of my employers attitude towards the welfare of it's staff.

I asked our H&S officer whether the salaried managers would put up with a sinking printing machine right in their office. She didn't give an answer. I really feel the difference in treatment between salaried & factory/production staff, having been on both sides, I can plainly see that factory staff are treated as 2nd class citizens.

We haven't got a union, and yes, I am actively looking for a new job, and have been for a while now It's sad though, despite the problems, there's a relatively low turnover of staff, and many have been there in excess of 20 yrs, I think they're all just too downtrodden to do anything about it and believe that "this is as good as it gets"

it's the whole double standards thing, if the boot was on the other foot, and any of the management had to put up with these conditions, they wouldn't last more than a day....

*goes off to HSE website with a bee in her bonnet*

So what is your 'Health & Safety Officer' being paid for then?

Is this persons job a specific H&S position or (as I suspect) someone who is unqualified or with a very basic H&S qualification from the HR dept who has taken the poison chalice of being the 'responsible person' for health & safety in your workplace.

You really need to ascertain what is causing the fumes and if they can be avoided in the first instance or implement engineering controls to ensure the fumes are safely ventilated.

It is likely they are laser printers that uses a lot of heat in the printing process and the smell is possibly from Ozone although it is likely there are other fumes being liberated during the process.

You really need to ask your 'Health & Safety Officer' to investigate or if it is beyond her, to ensure that ventilation or moving of the equipment away from potential exposure is carried out.

This hazard and the risk to staff should also have been deemed as foreseeable on an office risk assessment - but I wonder if one has been undertaken.