SMOHIT’s Workplace Exposure Research Program was created to study workplace hazard exposure and educate sheet metal workers on how to best reduce their risk—and the risks they might bring home to loved ones.
The term “take-home exposures” refers to toxic substances that workers can unknowingly bring home on their clothes and bodies. These include asbestos, lead, pesticides, beryllium, and mercury, all of which the Centers for Disease Control study as take-home exposure risks. The awareness of take-home exposure goes back hundreds of years, when public health authorities noticed wives of coal miners were dying of black lung disease.
To help mitigate your danger of take-home exposures, remember to:
- Separate and wash your work clothes separately from family clothes
- Store your work items/boots in plastic or washable bags, preferably outside the home
- Shower and wash your hair at work if possible, or right away once you get home
- Wash children’s toys, play spaces, high chairs and eating surfaces often
- Vacuum and clean the inside of your vehicle with soap and water
Learn more at smohit.org/workplace-exposure-research-program ♣
