Occupational Hazards and Associated Health Effects Among Workers in Main Assiut University Printing Press

Printing Hazards

Occupational Hazards and Associated Health Effects among Workers in Main Assiut University Printing Press

Printing in its simplest forms has existed for thousands of years, in the form of signet rings, royal seals and punches used by gold and silver-smiths. Each printing process is divided into 3 major steps: prepress, press, and post-press. Prepress operations include the composition, typesetting, graphic arts photography, assembly of images and preparation of image carrier. Press includes the actual printing operation. Post-press involves the assembly of printed materials, binding and finishing operations. Workers in printing press are exposed to, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychological hazards. Chemical hazards are the most serious one. due to exposure to lot of chemical substances such as organic solvents, inks, adhesives, organic and inorganic pigments, The most important chemical substances used are Volatile Organic compounds, and inks. Exposure to these chemicals occurs through both inhalation and dermal contact, The Acute symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, eye irritation,.etc. Long-term health effects may include damage of internal organs as liver, kidneys and lungs, brain, reproductive system, bladder etc. Dermatitis is a common health effect among printing workers due to exposure to chemicals. One of the intended components of inks, solvents, and cleaning agents form is Benzene, long term exposure to benzene cause blood disorders. It specifically affects bone marrow, thus leading to decrease in the erythrocytes and leukocytes production resulting in anemia, myeloid leukemia, thrombocytopenia. Noise is health hazard to which those workers are exposed, it occurs during printing, binding, folding. Ergonomic hazards are hazards among those workers in the form of serious accidents and musculoskeletal disorders.

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