Asignatura:

Gerencia de Talento Humano

Artculo de salud ocupacional

Presenta

William Yovanny Beltrn Garzn

ID 315260
Docente

Alejandro Escobar B.

Colombia_ Bogot D .C.

Marzo 21 de 2015

Workplace Medical Mystery Solved: Blurry vision affects a print press operator
Categories: Workplace Medical Mystery
March 20th, 2015 7:25 am ET - Stephanie Stevens, MA
MMpurpSolved
It turns out Jim wasnt the only one at work with vision problems (see mystery).

To his surprise, Jim discovered almost all of his co-workers who worked the line
with him at the label production plant had experienced some sort of vision problems over
the last yearincluding changes in vision, blurred vision or irritation. Once workers and
supervisors compared notes, the company requested a Health Hazard Evaluation by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). After taking workers job
and medical histories, performing eye examinations, taking air samples, reviewing the
literature on visual effects associated with chemicals commonly found in printing and
other industrial processes, and analyzing samples of the ink used at the plant, the
investigators arrived at a plausible association between the workers jobs and their
symptoms.
Certain amines, chemical compounds derived from ammonia, have been shown
to cause visual symptoms, such as blurred or hazy vision in both an industrial and
2

laboratory settings. Amines are chemical compounds typically used as solvents,

preservatives, drugs, or herbicidesor in the case of the label production plant, as part
of the ink and ink additive.
The water-based ink used at the label production plant contains 1% DMAE, a
type of amine. Additionally, workers add pH adjuster to the pails of ink every day that
also contains a similar amine called DMIPA. The adjuster helps the ink maintain a proper
pH balance, avoiding problems that can occur when pH is too low (the ink can become
thick) or too high (the ink may dry too slowly). The NIOSH evaluation concluded that
DMIPA, an amine that more readily evaporates at room temperature, was likely the
culprit in these vision problems.
In response to the workers complaints, management at the plant began to dilute
the pH adjuster with water. Additionally, staff were instructed to cover all ink pails to
reduce the amount of chemicals that evaporated into the air.
Once these changes were made, workers no longer reported any difficulties with
their vision.

Stephanie Stevens, MA is a Health Communication Specialist in the NIOSH Office

of the Director.
This is the first installment in the NIOSH Workplace Medical Mystery Series. This
mystery is loosely based on Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) reports conducted by
NIOSH and other sources, and any recommendations made herein were for the specific
facility evaluated and may not be universally applicable. Any recommendations made
are not to be considered as final statements of NIOSH policy or of any agency or
individual involved. HHEs are publicly available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/, but
the names of individuals and facilities mentioned in the HHE reports and in this series
have been changed to protect their identities.

Agents

Stephanie Stevens, Jim, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), newspaper printing plant.

variables

The article tries to investigate a case of blurred vision that affects workers in a
printing plant of a newspaper as a result of this mysterious situation calls for an
investigation more deep to the National Institute of occupational health and safety, after
reviewing factors and medical records of workers found the root of the problem
associated with printing inks.

analysis (five ideas),

1. All printing plant workers should have eye exams every month.

2. The area of occupational health of the company required inspections and

training in relation to the use of protective goggles.

3. Workers must assume the role of self-care and immediately report any situation
that affects their vision.

4. The employment insurance should be risk analysis in the jobs of each

employee.

5. Seek alternatives in the raw with regard to inks.

Solutions

Before printing tasks should be made an inspection to the raw in this case inks
and by an expert skilled in the art as must stay this control register and include review of
facilities and the use of personal protection equipment.

Key words

Workplace
4

Medical
Mystery
Solved
Blurry
Vision
Chemical
Compounds
Derived
Ammonia
Readily
Evaporates
Temperature

Glossary.

Surprise:

sorpresa

Almost:

casi

Workers:

trabajadores

Discovered:

descubierto

Line:

linea

With:

con

Him:

el
5

Label:

etiqueta

Production:

produccion

Plant:

planta

Had:

tenia

Experienced:

experimentado

Some:

algunos

Sort:

ordenar

Of:

de

Vision:

vision

Problems:

problemas

Over:

sobre

Including:

incluyendo

Changes:

cambios

Irritation:

irritacion

Once:

vez

Company:

compaia

Requested:

solicitado

Health:

salud

Hazard:

peligro

Evaluation:

evaluacion

By:

por

The:

el

National:

nacional

Institute:

instituto

For:

para

Occupational:

ocupacional

Safety:

seguridad

After:

despues de

Taking:

tomando
6

Job:

trabajo

Medical:

medico

Histories:

historias

Performing:

realizacion

Examinations:

examenes

Between:

entre

References

Mayo
Clinic.
(2013).
Cataracts.
Retrieved
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/basics/definition/con20015113External Web Site Icon

from

University of Washington Medicine. (2014). Corneal Edema. Retrieved from

http://www.uwmedicine.org/health-library/Pages/corneal-edema.aspxExternal Web Site
Icon
Page, E.H., Cook, C.K., Mueller, C.A., Mortimer, V. (2002). Health Hazard
Evaluation Report 2001-0144-2867 Superior Label Systems. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2001-0144-2867.pdf Adobe PDF file
Burr G, Methner M, Page E (2003). Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2002-03792901
Superior
Label
Systems.
Retrieved
from
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2002-0379-2901.pdf Adobe PDF file
Workplace Medical Mystery Solved: Blurry vision affects a print press operator March
20th, 2015 from http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2015/03/20/mm1b/