Latex products in the work pla Essay Example For Students

Latex products in the work pla Essay Over the last decade, many employees have developed allergies related to the use of latex. â€Å"The employees affected have mainly been found in healthcare, food services and in beauty services.†As employees in these areas, as well as other areas have learned of the potential risk from the contraction of disease leading to death, caused by the exposure to bodily fluids, they have realized that the use of products to stop the exposure is absolutely essential. This has substantially increased and spread the use of latex products, mainly gloves. â€Å"The use of so many is very costly, so many employees turned to third world countries who produce a cheaper, untreated latex, which although it cannot be blamed alone for the development of latex allergies, does contribute to the problem.† The repeated use of latex in the work place can lead to allergies that affect the worker’s ability to function both at work and at home. â€Å"The allergies developed can result in degree from a minor irritation to an anaphylactic shock. Out of the many types of allergic reactions only two types, Type I and Type IV have been observed as being related to latex. Type IV reactions have proved to be a response to additives used by the manufacturer. They are uncomfortable, but not life threatening. This is the opposite of Type I reactions. Type I reactions are caused by an antibody called IgE which recognizes the cause of the allergy from previous exposure.† â€Å"The Type I allergens in latex products exist naturally. They remain in the latex during processing. Three proteins found to be involved with the latex allergies are Kd-14, Kd-20 and Kd-27. The proteins can be airborne through powder residue on the gloves, so they can be transmitted through the air. The proteins are also water-soluble. The reactions from Type I include eye, nose, and respiratory symptoms. If left untreated the reaction may be life threatening.† â€Å"The death count associate d with Type I reactions up until 1995 is 16 due to latex.†These deaths prove that the latex allergies that are being developed are a serious risk to employee health, and the matter needs to be dealt with seriously. Both employers and government need to take charge of the issue to ensure the safety of the employees. The employer needs to provide policies and procedures to reduce the exposure to latex. Until recently latex gloves were the automatic protection worn by all employees dealing with people, or products for people, and in many places this is still the case. This has to stop, and employers are the ones who must implement other options. â€Å"This is extremely important because those employees most at risk are the ones who frequently use latex products, and once the allergy is developed, it does not ever go away.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Other people who are at high risk are those who apply latex gloves while their hands are still wet.†Since the proteins are water-soluble, the skin can absorb them more easily once they are part of the water. â€Å"More groups of people at high risk are those who suffer from various other allergies, and those who use latex products when they have a rash or any other skin disorder, because it gives the proteins an entrance to the body.†Employers need to m ake sure that employees use alternatives to latex as much as possible, and must ensure that employees know about the potential allergies and the best ways to avoid them. From the employee’s point of view, their knowledge of these issues is the key to the protection of their health. Employees’ lives will be changed forever once they develop latex allergies. Those employees such as nurses and doctors, who must use latex gloves throughout their job, will no longer be able to provide adequate care to the patients unless there is an alternative available to use. This however, is obviously through no fault of their own. â€Å"Other gloves, that are latex free are available, and employees need to provide them, regardless of the cost. Latex gloves that do continue to be purchased need to be certified by the Canadian General Standards Board to ensure the safety of employees.†If measures are taken to reduce latex risk, fewer workers will develop allergies. â€Å"Often allergies are so severe that working in an environment where latex proteins may be airborne is no longer possible.†The employees have to find new jobs, with less latex contact. This is hard on the employee, especially today, where not only a good job, but also any job at all is extremel y difficult to find. The biggest part of looking for a new job would be acquiring the necessary skills, because the employees are searching for something new, something that they are not trained for. Superhero's and Engendering Differences EssayThe government needs to not only enforce standards of latex, but also increase awareness of latex allergies by distributing information. A lot of the awareness currently distributed to workers focuses on information about how the workers should be careful when dealing with those who have latex allergies; however, very little of the information distributed is directed at the employees and how they and their employers need to minimize the risk of allergy development. If the employers are not aware of how to protect their employees, they cannot effectively do so. This adds to the number of employees who develop allergies and increases the number of employees that employers lose. â€Å"The importance of this awareness is demonstrated by noting that in 1995 over 250 000 healthcare workers were found to be allergic to latex.†These may be good and efficient employees but they have simply become allergic to their jobs. â€Å"Many of the employees who develop severe reactions to latex, cannot find a job that they can practice safely. As a result they end up on disability allowance.†As well as being costly to the employer and to the government, this is also costly to the employee. â€Å"It costs the employee their normal way of life and can make them feel less valued. Not being able to function in their work environment can have many psychological effects.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"When it is at all possible, an alternate job is found for the employee, but even this option is costly. It costs the employer the employee’s work and the cost or retraining.†It costs the employee time and often a pay cut. This seems unjust to the employee, as he is not responsible for the situation in which he finds himself. These costs to the employee are the main reason that the government needs to become involved in this issue. It is not possible to stress enough the importance of the prevention of latex allergies. The great cost it has on each employee affected is enough to determine what action must be taken now. Suggesting that employers should provide employees with protection is not sufficient; it needs to be the law. The government, employers, workers’ unions, and employees all need to work together so that the destruction of the lives of the employees can be stopped. Improperly treated latex poses a risk to the employee and must be banned from the workplace. As well, unnecessary use of latex gloves should be discouraged. In places where latex must be used, precautions must be taken to ensure those who are using them are at the least risk. If all these things are done and the issue is taken seriously, the costs may be high, but the lives that are saved as a result will be more than worth it. Steelman, V. â€Å"Latex Allergy Precautions.† Nursing Clinics of North America. Vol. 30 (Sept 1995) p. 479. Steelman. P. 477. Steelman. P. 477. Steelman. P. 478. Steelman. P. 478. Stapleton, C. â€Å"The Latex Scare.† Women’s Day. (Jan 2, 1993) p. 75. Stapleton. P. 75. Stapleton. P. 75. Government of Canada. Health Canada. â€Å"The Latex Allergy Project.† (Ottawa: Health Protection Branch. June 1995.) p. 1. Charous, B. MD. The Solution to Latex Allergy Starts with Education. (Franklin Lakes, NJ. Becton Dickenson and Company. 1995.) p. 3. Latex-free Product Alternatives. (Pamphlet) (Published by the Spina Bifida Association of Canada. Winnipeg, 1995.) p. 1. Bund, C. ed. â€Å"Coming to Grips with Latex Allergies.† (Brantford, ON: St. Joseph’s Hospital.) p. 6. Steelman. P. 479. Latex-free. P. 1. Rawlins, Donna. â€Å"The Unsuspected Allergy.† Canadian Operating Room Nursing Journal. (Nov/Dec 1992.) p. 6. Steelman. P. 479. Government. P. 1. Stapleton. P. 1. Steelman. P. 482. Bund. P. 2. Bund. P. 2. Steelman. P. 483.