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Reducing Manganese Exposure Risk

Manganese is a toxic chemical that should be handled with the utmost care when in the workplace. Engineering controls are an effective way to reduce manganese exposure. The workplace that is dealing with manganese should consider how much manganese is being released and how harmful the substance is. Special focus should be placed on if possible contact with the toxic chemical could occur, and if so, how to limit that risk as much as possible.

If a worker is exposed to manganese they should take precaution by changing out of them as soon as possible and do not take them into their home where it can allow other family members to become exposed as well. These manganese-exposed clothes should be cleaned by individuals able to properly handle the manganese hazards. As soon as possible the worker should cleanse any area of the body that may have been exposed by manganese. In no instance should anything be consumed or ingested in an area where manganese has been handled, stored, or processed to make certain the harmful toxin is not swallowed.

It is important that the work area where manganese is used is washed and cleaned up properly. Avoid using things like a broom that will only allow the manganese to spread further and make possible contact with more workers. Become educated about your working environment to make sure that the proper safety precautions are being used if handling manganese and that standards like permissible levels of manganese is not being exceeded can make the difference between an illness and disease free life or not.

If manganese is spilled anyone that is not wearing proper protection should not be allowed in that area until the manganese is thoroughly cleaned up. There are specific containers that should be used to hold the spilled manganese in the safest manner. The Department of Environmental Protection or the Environmental Protection Agency can instruct the employer how to dispose of the manganese. In the event that a major manganese spill has occurred, the proper authorities should be immediately contacted.

Due to the serious dangers that manganese-exposure can cause and the inability to effectively identify the presence of it, it is important to be able to recognize the signs of the toxicity, which can include a pattern of slowing motor functions, increased tremor, reduced response to speed, enhanced olfactory sense, possible memory and intellectual deficits, and mood changes. If you have been exposed to manganese over the period of a couple months or more, it is advisable to get tested. There are certain occupations that allow for a greater risk for manganism and possibly Parkinson's Disease, including welders, factory workers, and miners. In addition, manganese is found in the environment due to the use of batteries, pesticides, and fertilizers that often times contain manganese.


Immediately inform your employer of any symptoms that may have been the cause of manganese exposure and contact a Manganese Lawyer for more information regarding your legal rights.

 

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Manganese Exposure Symptoms

» Chronic exposure to manganese can result in symptoms similar to Parkinson's Disease, a serious and progressive impairment or deterioration of nerve cells in the brain. Common characteristics of manganism, the chronic exposure to high levels of manganese, can include:

Improper Work Conditions Lead to Cases of Parkinsonism



» The Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Pathology at the National Taiwan University Hospital found several cases of parkinsonism after there was an outbreak due to an unrepaired ventilation control system in a ferromanganese smelter. The ventilation system in the smelter was not repaired for eight months in 1985, and 132 workers were then submitted to a thorough medical examination and estimated air concentrations of carbon monoxide and manganese at different worksites. Six of eight workers performing electrode fixation or welding during 1985 developed parkinsonism after being exposed to manganese for 30 minutes every day for seven days a week. The workers had been subjected to high concentrations of air manganese. These parkinsonism developments showed the dangers of improper work conditions with harmful toxins like manganese, such as a breakdown of a ventilation system that can result in serious conditions.

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How Manganese Affects You:
» Everyday Products Containing Manganese
The twelfth most common element in the Earth's crust, manganese is found in soil, water, plants animals, and air particles. Workers are at most risk for manganese poisoning when mining and processing the toxic material, but manganese is also used to manufacture products like batteries, fertilizers, pesticides, ceramics, as a gasoline additive, and dietary supplements.

» Manganese Side Effects
In addition to manganese poisoning, or manganism , and the link to Parkinson's Disease , there are additional chronic manganese health effects that can occur. Included in these long-term manganese exposure risks is gradual brain damage, change in blood count, liver and/or kidney damage, lung damage, and lung allergy.

For more information on manganese , contact us to ensure your legal rights are being protected.

» High Risk Manganese
Poisoning Occupations
Industries of particular concern for manganese exposure include manganese mining and processing, iron and steel manufacturers, ferromanganese facilities, dry cell battery plants and welding, and people working with metals.