Ron
I worked at a packaging plant in Toronto, Ontario for 35 years. I ran an extruder, which laminates film and foil together with polyethylene.
The whole time that I worked there, I never wore any personal protection. We had a joint health and safety committee but they told us that wearing protective equipment was voluntary, so I didn’t. I didn’t find out till it was too late that if you work with isocyanates, it’s mandatory to wear protective equipment (masks).
The smell of chemicals in the plant was terrible. It would make you feel drunk by the end of the day. Your brain would be in such a fog. The company I used to work for was filthy. There were lots of windows that you couldn’t even look out of because of the dust. We’d be inhaling all that dust all those years.
At work, I was struggling with my breathing. It was getting bad. So I went to see my own doctor about it. He diagnosed me with work-related asthma in 2005. He told me that if I keep at my job, it would kill me.
It was the end of my world. I’m only 58 and to not be able to work is awful.
I’m on disability now. My wife works and I take care of the house. If I clean the sink, I have to take a rest. If I clean the toilet, then I have to take another rest. I don’t even bother with the shower stall – that’s too hard for me.
I used to bowl ten pin. Now I don’t even go out on public transport or to restaurants. The perfume and aftershaves (that people wear) on the buses bothers me too much. I don’t like going to restaurants because I’m constantly coughing and spitting up phlegm. It’s too embarrassing.
I’d hate to see someone else go through what I go through. If you work with chemicals, you gotta realize the dangers of these chemicals. We had the MDSS (Material Data Safety Sheets) but they were locked up in the office. Who knew to ask for them?
If you work with chemicals and dust, you need to wear proper protective equipment. I have only 30% of my lungs left. People look at you they tell you look healthy. But I tell them sick lungs do not show.
Learn more about work-related asthma, including occupational asthma and work-exacerbated asthma.
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