This fact sheet highlights chemicals and metals; however, there are many types of workplace hazards. Other workplace hazards include: anesthetic gases, ionizing radiation, loud noise, extreme heat or extreme cold stress, strenuous physical exertion, repetitive movements, whole body vibration, infectious agents, injury/trauma, emotional stress and changing shift rotations.

Sometimes, workers carry hazardous substances (dust, powder, chemicals, metal flakes) home on their shoes or clothing. Because of this, it is also important talk to your partner or other adults living in your home about their workplace hazards.

In general, exposures can happen through: inhaling substances (breathing a gas, powder, dust or vapor into your lungs), absorption through skin, or ingestion (eating or drinking).

How can workplace exposures affect my health?

For many possible workplace exposures, studies have not been done to see how they might affect a person’s fertility or pregnancy. However, workplace exposures might affect other areas of health, such as: asthma, allergic reactions or cancer. For this reason, it is appropriate for all workers to safeguard their health in the workplace, even if they are not pregnant or cannot become pregnant.

How can I learn more about chemicals in my workplace?

The best way to find out what chemicals are in the product(s) you use, or products that are used around you, is to get a copy of the Safety Data Sheets for that product. Safety Data Sheets are sometimes called SDS for short. The workplace is required to make sure that SDS are available and easy to find for all chemicals/products used at a worksite. The SDS describe how to properly handle and store chemicals used at your workplace. However, most SDS do not provide helpful information about reproductive risks, because the sheets do cannot account for the amount (level, time) of exposure.

It is helpful to remember that even though a potentially harmful substance or condition may be present at your worksite, it does not mean that you are at risk for exposure. In addition, smelling an odor does not mean you have had a significant exposure. By following proper safety and handling procedures, exposures will likely be kept below levels that would affect your health or pregnancy.

Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal that explores clinical, medical, social and economic aspects of female reproductive health and medication worldwide.

Authors can submit manuscript as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at https://www.imedpub.com/submissions/womens-health-reproductive-medicine.html

Media Contact
John Kimberly
Associate Managing Editor
Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine
Email: womenshealth@emedscholar.com