Toner/Health Risks

[Caveman]

I would like ask all of you working as field service technicians like myself, if you are aware of any potential health risks associated with long term exposure to toner powders. I've been in the industry for nearly 20 years now working as a field rep and I have always been concerned as to how breathing in and handling toner chemicals can potentially impact ones health. I have done extensive research and have talked to many individuals in the industry and have not come up with anything definitive as to whether or not this will have a negative affect on those of us who do this type of work in the years to come. Cancer and respiratory problems later on in life are of real concern. Although I take every precaution to handle equipment carefully during pm / maintenance and troubleshooting procedures there is always a percentage of the chemicals we are absorbing into our bodies either through our skin or our lungs.

If anyone has any information relevant to the concerns I raise inthis entry please post - thank you - It's for the benefit of all of us who are engaged in this type of work.

[DelawareJim]

25 years servicing copiers. I've briefly looked into this. My conclusion is that there is very little if any health risk from toners, drums, etc. Every item out there has to have by law a Material Safety Data Sheet. Every toner, every drum, every bottle of fuser oil. I have read quite a few of these MSDS reports and found very minimal, if any health risk. Some of the older stuff (back into the 80's) had some issues with the selenium drums doped with arsenic (I think if you burned them, they would emit toxic fumes) and even some of the fuser oils (I remember if you inhaled hot fuser oil you could get headaches). I feel very confident about all of the newer copiers. I will tell you I do use common sense, for example, when I am dumping developer onto newspaper, I just turn my vacuum on and set the nozzle near the developer pile. This way when the toner creates that little dust cloud, it gets sucked up by the vacuum and not into my lungs.
I think the place to take a look for health risks are the cleaners, solvents, and chemicals that we all use. I use the following and nothing else: WD40, 70% rubbing alcohol, tri-flow 2 oz. squeeze bottle, and Citri-Solv which is a citrus based non toxic solvent...smells like oranges, and I also carry a small bottle of fuser oil to lubricate fusers. The only questionable item I use is an epoxy call Plastic Welder. It is the only product that I have found that will bond and repair broken plastics and it sets up in 5 or 10 minutes. An amazing awesome awesome product. But it has a terrible smell....fumy. So I just try and use it sparingly and I'll even take it outside to use it. Again, common sense. Jim in Delaware.

[Scott_Lewis]

What do you use the WD40 for?

I'm looking for better products than what I'm currently using. Two things that I've pretty much stopped using are INX (solvent) and De-ink (another solvent).

I'm currently using a cleanser called KorKay (sp?) that I'm looking to replace with a better product. Although, I'm not unhappy with its performance ..... just looking for improvements all around. I've tried another citric type cleanser that doesn't work as well as the korkay.

[Paper_Jam]

Yeah read a Ricoh developer bag where it says "contents partially unknown" makes me a bit nervous.

[unisys12]

What do you use the WD40 for?

I'm looking for better products than what I'm currently using. Two things that I've pretty much stopped using are INX (solvent) and De-ink (another solvent).

Some use WD-40 for cleaning feed rollers. Try it, if you have a bottle lying around, the next time you have some seriously gummed up rollers.

As for overall cleaning, our shop uses Spartans SD-20 Spartan Products© Spartan Chemical Company, Inc. 2006
Great stuff, but I have not read the MSDS sheet. Some clients have complained about it, when cleaning the covers of their machine, but others say things like, "Wow, that smells clean!". Actually, this stuff does well enough, that I have had customers offer to buy a bottle off of me.

[kyoceradude]

I'm currently using a cleanser called KorKay (sp?) that I'm looking to replace with a better product. Although, I'm not unhappy with its performance ..... just looking for improvements all around. I've tried another citric type cleanser that doesn't work as well as the korkay.

We use Korkay. Make sure you cut the Korkay 60-40 (60% water). If you use it full strength you will need to rinse. If you don't rinse you will have funky yellow covers after a week. Although this will wash off it's best to do the job just once.

[Cipher]

Yeah read a Ricoh developer bag where it says "contents partially unknown" makes me a bit nervous.

LOL yep that certainly sounds dodgy to me.

[blackcat4866]

Kyocera brags up thier toner as completely inert, and I believe them. The only risk I see is snorting it in place of cocaine, or cut with it.

A lot of the senior guys start to get a skin condition on the back of thier hands. My theory is that we absorb various solvents through the palms of our hands. The body captures small capsules of certain chemicals and isolates them until they work thier way back to the surface. It's just a theory, but a logical one.

If I could go back 20 years I think I'd wear latex gloves. I also wouldn't have used Trichlorethelene, Trichlorethane, Methyl Ethyl Ketone or any of those other really effective, really toxic, really flamable solvents.

[Scott_Lewis]

We use Korkay. Make sure you cut the Korkay 60-40 (60% water). If you use it full strength you will need to rinse. If you don't rinse you will have funky yellow covers after a week. Although this will wash off it's best to do the job just once.

Naaahh, I leave it at full strength. That way, if the customer ever gets ambitious enough to want to clean up their own machine now and then, they can just use a damp cloth and the korkay cleanser will already be applied for them.

Seriously, that is an idea. Up till lately, all of our machines were off-white and beige. With Ricoh putting out nearly white machines, it might become an issue. I will have to watch for that now that I know about the color issue. Thanks.

[paulg]

When my Companies H and S officer in several cleaning chemicals were banned and withdrawn straight away.

They advised we use gloves for every call, its the only item they never complain we use to many of.
The h and s officer also looked at masks but backed down when field guys and ex field guysuys in managment said we could, but i don't think the customers will be to happy.