HARMFUL SMELLS
We are all aware of the dangers of traffic fumes, tobacco smoke, pesticides and garden chemicals and take precautions accordingly, hoping to defend ourselves against toxic chemicals and invisible, carcinogenic substances.
It is regrettable that we also must include artificial chemical scents and perfumes in our list of potential negatives that endanger our health. Commercial toiletries including skin perfumes and body oils are usually complex in their make-up, unless they come with a guarantee to be pure, natural products. We must examine the list of ingredients in all chemical products and assess them according to our knowledge of their safety. We must do so on the understanding that many chemicals are not proven as yet regarding safety for general use.
Many of us who have allergic reactions or are hypersensitive to chemicals and suffer irritation or negative reactions demonstrate the factor of individual response in health matters. For those who fall into this category, there is no alternative but to mistrust every item until cautiously tested by personal trial.
Fragrances can affect the body through inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. The most common signs of irritation from, or an allergic reaction to a fragrance in a product develops as a skin rash immediately or soon after using a perfume, cream or lotion. This is a clear warning sign that something is not right and the product must be avoided.
Scents can affect not only the person wearing the fragrance, but anyone who comes into contact with them. Depending on the degree of sensitivity, some will experience symptoms of varying intensity from nausea and headache, to skin itchiness and respiratory symptoms such as asthma.
This can be a very real and serious issue in a workplace both for co-workers and for the employer who has a duty of care and who must ensure the working environment is safe and free of health risks.
The only sure way to avoid these reactions to scent and chemical deodorizers is to have a policy of a workplace rule to be entirely ‘scent-free’ as achieved with tobacco free zones.
The Canadian Lung Association and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has suggested scent-free policies as such an option for workplaces and public places. If this is adopted it will accentuate the need to use artificial perfumes as a private matter rather than in general public use. Although this does not include natural essential aromatics, caution and discrimination is advised in employing all aromatics and perfumes.
It will not be long before the need to address this issue attracts general focus.
