Photo: NIOSH
Washington — In an effort to help workers who use 3D printers limit their exposure to emissions, NIOSH has created a set of downloadable graphics intended for use as stickers.
The graphics feature QR codes linked to agency resources.
NIOSH says 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is used by “large numbers of people” each day, and its “technologies pose potential hazards to users.”
Settings in which 3D printers can be found include laboratories, factories, hospitals, schools, libraries and homes. Hazards “vary widely” based on technology, materials and environment, the agency cautions. Among them:
- Emission of volatile organic compounds
- Inhalation of materials used in powdered form
- Dermal exposure to certain powdered and liquid materials
- Risk of fire or explosion from flammable or combustible substances
- Mechanical or ergonomic injury from machine support and maintenance, loading and handling of build materials, and handling of products
“NIOSH continues to perform both laboratory and field studies to determine the hazards and potential for worker exposures while using emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing,” the agency says.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication