[MCOH-EH] group question re: odors

[Delclos, George]

Avoidance of exposure is preferable to use of personal protective equipment, in persons who have bona fide reactions to strong chemical odors/cleaners/bleach. These are usually, but not limited to, known asthmatics. What I generally recommend to employers (since most, but not all, of these cleaning operations are planned ahead of time) is to find a way to let the affected employee know when they are scheduled. In concert with a reasonable employer, they should be able to find a way to continue their usual duties away from the area until the odor dissipates.



George L. Delclos, MD, MPH, PhD
Professor
Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences
The University of Texas School of Public Health
P.O. Box 20186
Houston, Texas 77225-0186
Phone:  +1 713 500 9459
FAX:     +1 713 500 9442
Email:   George.Delclos at uth.tmc.edu<mailto:George.Delclos at uth.tmc.edu>
________________________________
From: MCOH-EH [mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net] on behalf of alukasek via MCOH-EH [mcoh-eh at mylist.net]
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 7:14 PM
To: MCOH/EH
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] group question re: odors

N95


Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 3, 2014, at 4:35 PM, <Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com<mailto:Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com>> <Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com<mailto:Kim.Thompson at hcahealthcare.com>> wrote:

I’m sure this has come up before…..what you do with an employee who is affected by (asthma triggered) odors such as cleaning fluids, waxing, deodorizers, etc.

I know that a reasonable accommodation might be to schedule cleaning at a time/shift other than when that employee works but if that is not feasible and she cannot transfer to another dept, what are some possible solutions? Thank you


Kim Thompson RN, BSN
Employee Health Nurse Manager
Medical Center of McKinney
4500 Medical Center Drive - MOB, Suite 105
McKinney, TX     75069

972- 540- 4218 (phone)
469 - 713- 8660 (fax)

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