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Serious question!, two people now have said to me that they can't use compressed air at work because of this, never come across it before and can't find anyt
hing on t'internet.
Err, should say "give you"....
I think everything can give you cancer potentially.
Well yeah, but as a recognised hazard?
Never heard of that.
But one thing I did learn was not
to put the air line open end against your skin
due to the possibility of getting an air bubble into your blood stream
no more or less than this thread can...or bad phrasing for that matter.
are they getting confused with embolisms? ie air bubble in the blood stream.
Dust caused by dusting off with compressed air perhaps? Glass fibre manufacture for example?
Some compressed air systems can have refrigerant in them, or (very unlikely) oil mist from the pumping system. Normally there's a filter in the way to stop it coming out of the nozzle. It's possible that exposure to a particular refrigerant, or the oil mist could be classed as a cancer hazard, but the filter would normally deal with this.
Like Dan said, compressed air systems, when used for pneumatic operations, often have a oil atomizer/drier stationed with any machinery. When any air is exhusted to atmosphere, there will be oil in this exhaust, so it's conceivable that inhaling fine oil mist, over a long period of time could cause cancer........but everything does!
I suppose it could if you attached it to the lit end of a cigar.
No, is the simple answer. As mentioned above there are various issues with the misuse of compressed air hoses such as embolisms but sufficient information instruction and training provided by the employer will mitigate those risks.
There was an issue historically with compressed air in the MVR trade using it to clean brake areas and radiators potentially disturbing asbestos fibres.
with regards to oil mist in air lines, if it's in breathing air lines, there are acceptable levels for use, anything from standard use of compressed air power tools will be significantly lower, so again it won't be a problem.
You can't use compressed air to blow the dust from your overalls, while wearing them, it can force the dust into your skin, that is where the risk comes from.
If it was 'compressed air' then the scuba diving fraternity would be a lot smaller than it is.
it can force the dust into your skin, that is where the risk comes from
again suitable and sufficient training and should prevent this and if the pressure of the air was enough to force particulate through clothing into the the dermis then you'd very likely be worrying about an embolism rather than a negligible risk that some of the "dust" may, in unusual cases be classified as a suspect or known carcinogen, which unless you are working with those substances is very unlikely and any work procedures would be much more tightly controlled anyway under the COSHH and carcinogens ACoP.