The problem with xylene is that the acceptable air level in the lab is 100ppm but humans can detect it by smell at the 5 - 20ppm range. So it seems like it is "everywhere" but it could still be at a very low level. What level is safe for a pregnancy? CDC has some info on this:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/repro/solvents.html Tim Morken Supervisor, Electron Microscopy/Neuromuscular Special Studies Department of Pathology UC San Francisco Medical Center -----Original Message----- From: Val L via Histonet <histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu> Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2020 10:02 AM To: Eck, Allison <a...@dh.org>; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Pregnant in histo lab. Am I safe? Sadly I have already been exposed to xylene several times as I cannot avoid the smell. It’s everywhere. There are not enough vents in the lab. I don’t know if it’s ignorance or malice but my manager and coworkers are not quite informed about the dangers that a pregnant woman face in a histology lab. They feel that if the lab passed a xylene vapor tests and give me a general purpose respirator then that’s enough for me to be safe and I can do the same work as everybody else. There is a negligent attitude regarding safety in this laboratory. Also there has been a negative attitude towards pregnant women like if they were are a burden in the lab. It makes me nervous to work here. I don’t think is a healthy work environment. On Saturday, January 18, 2020, Eck, Allison <a...@dh.org> wrote: > Valerie > I have worked in histo with both of my pregnancies with my most recent > one just three months ago. Embedding and cutting and even grossing are > fine to do while pregnant. Under no condition, even with Ppe, should > you be changing stainers or processors or dumping waste or mixing > chemicals. A pregnant woman should not be near powder chemicals as > they are inhalation hazards and xylene in general is an absolute no > no. It is a reproductive toxin and you should have no contact with it. > Please reach out if you have any other questions but your employer mst > make accommodations for you while you are pregnant. > > Allison > > Allison Eck HTL(ASCP)cm, QLS > ________________________________________ > From: Valerie Laughlin via Histonet > [histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] > Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2020 7:21 AM > To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > Subject: [Histonet] Pregnant in histo lab. Am I safe? > > Hello everyone. I am currently in the last weeks of my first trimester > of my pregnancy. > > > I have asked this question to my Ob-Gyn, family and general pregnancy > forums but I wanted to ask people who understand the field of > Histotechnology better. > > > I have been very concerned about the side effects of the chemicals > that might have on my baby. The lab works with the typical stuff > (formaldehyde, xylene, alcohol of different percentages, glacial > acetic acid, stains etc) They make the fixative from scratch. > > > I had to inform my supervisor and manager. I didn’t get the most > positive reaction from them but I don’t care as this is my personal > business and I have rights like everybody else. > > > I gave them a letter from my doctor informing my pregnancy and that I > should be kept away from the chemicals for my own safety. > > > They acknowledged the letter but still decided to buy a respirator > mask for me which is fine. It’s good to have protective equipment no > matter the circumstance. > > > I told them that I can do the same tasks I do every day such as > grossing but with a mask, embedding, cutting and filing but that I > don’t feel comfortable changing the chemicals of the tissue processor > and slide stainer, and mixing chemicals. Also that I can’t dump the > chemicals in the biohazard room as there is not enough ventilation. > > > Literally an hour after I informed this a nurse who was working in a > rojom close to the biohazard room had a negative reaction and had to > be sent to the ER where she was there for days. She blamed the > chemicals from the biohazard room. Other nurses who work close to > that room had reported negative side effects as well. This situation > made me more uncomfortable specially when my coworkers think the > nurses are over reacting and it has to be some other cause because they don’t > get the same reactions. > > > My biggest concern is that despite the letter of my doctor and what > ocurred in the past weeks with the nurse I am still feeling pressured > by my coworkers to work with the chemicals as they feel that a mask, a > lab coat and gloves is enough protection. I am unsure about this. > > > I didn’t get a proper fit test for my respirator by the way. I have > worked for another corporation where they did that right after getting hired. > > > I have read that chemicals can be absorbed through the skin too. > > > I just want to know the opinion of pregnant lab techs and supervisors > who have worked with them. > > > I have read older threads about this in this forum before and > everybody had positive and negative experiences. Some workers were > completely removed from the lab while others kept performing the same > tasks. Some say their babies turned out healthy while others blame the > job for causing short and long term > > health issues for the babies. > > > Most of the employers protected the pregnant worker from the chemicals > to avoid any risks which I feel that’s the direction my employer should take. > There are 3 other histotechs in the lab and they don’t seem happy to > have that extra task in their hands, despite being the one who changed > the processor most of the time this past year besides the supervisor. > > > Thank you for your help. This has caused a lot of distress in me and I > just want to be safe. > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://lists.utsouthwestern. > edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet__;!!DSOD-gJhEGKx5ylYJgQ! > wXUhrTNGAT1e7WIrWBzKQma8r8eNl-9C7c6-gVfAyafbTwi2nuEg6Fjh6g$ > _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.utsouthwestern.edu_mailman_listinfo_histonet&d=DwIGaQ&c=iORugZls2LlYyCAZRB3XLg&r=7cy9qXFa73jDX2Iixpjkq1XlWAfHgLLHm33agI_sCKA&m=CisPSKoPRzK3AilgLK5AoVyiz26qYM6bnkMi-wSRkUI&s=suVHCUGP2XY4JTrNxCw7brs1G4L3or7sl2054VwnLVg&e= _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet