Health and safety considerations in printing

Nowadays industries that use chemical substances are developing. Besides theexisting chemicals, many new chemical substances are produced, used, stored andtransported every year. So a lot of hazardous and toxic substances are released to theenvironment and cause to risk for human health and the environment.There are many factors affected employees health negatively in work environment.Some of them are unhealthy working medium, physical and chemical factors.Employers should provide good working medium to the employees. Anyhowoccupational health and safety is provided with laws and and regulations. Butbecause of lack of audits, uninterest of employers, laws can?t be in force.Many industries use chemicals and printing industry is one of them. Manychemicals such as inks, ink tiners, lacquers, lacquer-tiners, adhesives and cleaningagents used in the printing industry are hazardous to health and cause harm if theyare inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Many also cause dermatitis, vertigo,lethargy and nausea or damage to the eyes. Exposure can have an immediate or longterm effect. Repeated exposure to certain substances may cause damage to the lungs,liver or the central nervous system. These effects are more pronounced for lowerboiling-point organic solvents.Nowadays printers are in a state of transition from conventional methods toadvanced methods. Especially UV curing technic and UV cationic inks and lacquersare studied.In this study occupational health and safety subjects are given. Present chemicalsthat are in use in printing and recommended chemicals that are less harmful for thehealth and the environment are compared by migration tests used for packagingwhich is prolongation of the printing indusrty. Recommendations are given to protectworkers health in printing sector. Especially chemical factors affected employeeshealth badly in printing house are studied. Subject searched from generally Turkey,USA and EU perspectives. Subject of the thesis was also supported with alreadymaden studies.