Toxic Plastic – A Serious Workplace Hazard

The toxicity of many plastics is well-known. Plasticizing agents act as very powerful endocrine disruptors. They can mimic sex hormones and cause birth defects and abnormalities.

Today I went to a Target store and asked an employee for a piece of plastic which I needed. The employee came back and gave me a very large plastic bag. It was an enormous bag that probably was large enough to cover a shipping pallet.

I did not immediately realize it but the plastic absolutely reeked of a very strong, synthetic, plasticy odor. The odor was so strong it got all over the top I was wearing and even rinsing it under the spigot in my bathtub did not get the odor out.

This shit is toxic and I really feel sorry for the employees who get exposed to this.

I was seriously injured at a workplace years ago and the consequences upon my life both in terms of health, career, and finances were very serious.

It’s sad if there are not better regulations to protect employees. That is one seriously fucked up thing about America.

Any country that fails to protect its own people is doomed.

Not all plastic is bad either. I went to another place and got a piece of plastic and it did not have that appalling odor.

I can only say if you work in a place where you are exposed to plastic like this, try to avoid contact with it as much as possible. If the plastic reeks of a bad, synthetic odor try to get it disposed of immediately, because even if it is in your work area it will be offgasing chemicals and you will be breathing it.

Dispose if it in a place that is airtight or outside where it can offgas. If you contact it wash your skin and wash your clothes. Be careful about tracking the chemicals around once they’ve contact you.