ORTHO-TOLUIDINE

Information for Employers of Industrial Workers

o-Toluidine can cause cancer. If your company uses o-toluidine, your employees’ exposure to it, and other aromatic amine chemicals, should be kept as low as possible. Learn what you can do to keep your workers and their families safe.

Reduce your workers’ exposure to o-toluidine

• Explore ways to eliminate the use of o-toluidine in your production process. Use engineering controls and equipment maintenance, which reduce the source of exposure through designs or modifications to your plant, equipment, ventilation system, and process.
• Explore ways to reduce your workers’ exposure using administrative controls. Administrative controls alter the way the work is done. These can include:
  • the timing of work
  • housekeeping
  • personal hygiene practices
• Be sure your workers have and are using the proper personal protective equipment (PPE). These include:
  • NIOSH-certified respirators with an organic vapor cartridge (containing activated charcoal) or one that supplies breathing air.
  • Protective clothing, such as gloves, sleeves, and aprons made from materials that effectively prevent skin contact with these chemicals. Contact the manufacturer to ensure the PPE your workers are using offers the proper protection. If the PPE is not protective against o-toluidine exposure, you should identify models that protect properly.

Keep your workers and their families safe

• Provide facilities to allow your workers to immediately shower and change out of work clothes when their shift ends. This is very important because it shortens workers’ exposure time and keeps your workers from exposing their family members to work chemicals.
• Provide laundry service and require workers to change their work clothes daily.
• Provide training on the health effects of o-toluidine, proper handling procedures, and ways to reduce exposure.
• Offer a bladder cancer surveillance program because o-toluidine is known to cause bladder cancer.

Learn what your workers can do to help reduce exposure.

Find more information and resources related to o-toluidine.