Printer toner exposure

[sho'nuff]

I work in an environment where I am in regular contact with toner powder from printers, usually Xerox as my job regularly includes maintenance of those printers.

I get the black, cyan, magenta, yellow toner powder all over my hands and who knows how much i have inhaled over the course of a few months.


I couldnt find any definitive info on the safety of this material. Anyone know how safe or dangerous it is to be constantly exposed to this stuff?

I hope it is nothing like some chemical companies where the employees all came down with leukemia after several years of handling their chemicals.

thanks.

 

[why]

Depends on the printer and toner. A lot of them are basically melted crayons for the colors and the black toner is some kind of magnetized metal if I remember correctly. Read the toner box -- it'll say if it's non-toxic.

 

[sho'nuff]

xerox toner doesnt say anything in regards to that . and i cannot find any definitive info on the internet or on xerox site about it.

 

[bdeuce22]

MSDS = material safety data sheets

that should get you what you are looking for.

 

[MCsommerreid]

Give you teh black lung, metaphorically speaking. Wear a respirator.

 

[Jared]

Originally Posted by MCsommerreid

Give you teh black lung, metaphorically speaking. Wear a respirator.

+1 All particles that size are not a good idea to be breathing:
http://www.epa.gov/particles/health.html

I don't see anything on the Google about skin absorption.

 

[tiecollector]

Wear a surgeon mask and latex gloves when doing your maintenance. Inhaling anything like that over time can't be good. A few times won't hurt you, but all the time can't be good. If they have any kinds of metals in it then you can use some chelated vitamins to get it out of your system, otherwise your body will probably get the substances out on its own.

 

[bowenlopez]

Although the division of labor within the printer in Adobe, this is a real concern, it was proposed. The answer is true, as above. Wing in developing countries, there are dozens of laser printers, often spitting page. Although the system spec'ed entillation is a huge amount of air exchange, you will not believe how long it takes monitoring station cleaning.