There are many myths out there about photocopiers and their impact on the health of the workers that use them. When speaking with customers around Manchester, we occasionally get asked about some of these mythological health problems associated with photocopiers, so we’ll aim to dispel some of the most common myths we hear mentioned.
Do Photocopiers Emit Ozone and Is It A Bad Thing?
Manchester doesn’t have an ozone problem, however the business owners of Manchester sometimes seem to be concerned about it. When speaking to them, ozone is often one of the first health objections we are met with.
Ozone (or tri-oxygen as it’s sometimes called) is a naturally occurring gas that makes up just short of 1% of our atmosphere. We’ve all heard about the Ozone Layer, this is part of the stratosphere that protect plants and animals from the effects of sunlight. The gas is less stable than O2 and it’s this quality, which if allowed to build up, can be damaging to animals and people, but in ordinary circumstances it rapidly decomposes into O2.
There are many sources of ozone in our everyday lives. The colourless gas is produced when oxygen interacts with ultraviolet light or where there is an electrical discharge, such as during thunder storms. In addition to these natural environmental sources, there are also our homes and workplaces; at home and similarly at work we can expect a small amount of ozone to be produced from various electrical appliances as well as from air conditioning systems, which use a small amount of ozone to inhibit bacterial blooms.
Hence, it’s true that photocopiers do produce a small amount of ozone, but fortunately the amount of O3 is so negligible that it shouldn’t have any discernible impact on people’s health. The key to ensuring your employee’s health is protected is to ensure your photocopier is positioned in a well-ventilated area and, when installing your photocopier, we will provide you with the recommendations you need to ensure you don’t breach the requirements of the Occupational Exposure Standards (OES).
Is Toner Bad for You?
Laser printers and photocopiers use a fine powder in the printing process known as toner in order to create the printed text or images on a medium. The toner is melted down by a fuser during the printing process and bonded with a medium – such as paper or card – to give a superior finish.
Fortunately, the fine powder used in the photocopier’s printing process has been found to pose no significant problems for the health of the people around and using the machine. As with any fine powder, if a person were to inhale it in significant enough quantities, then there is a risk for respiratory tract inflammation, however modern machines use secured toner cartridges that deliver a precise amount of toner, thus limiting leakage or waste into the workplace environment.
Generally speaking, the only time employees are exposed to toner is during the cartridge renewal process, when there is the potential for toner particles to become airborne, however as long as the instructions are properly followed this should not be the case. And in the rare event that someone does cause toner to be spilled, it’s a simple enough job to clean it up with a vacuum cleaner.
Do Photocopiers Use Ultraviolet Light and Is That Bad?
Photocopiers use both visible and invisible light, especially in the copying process, and it’s true that invisible or ultraviolet light can have potentially harmful impacts on human health.
Ultraviolet light is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is present in sunlight and which can cause damage to organic matter; in humans we see the effect of this as a suntan or freckling, with sunburn being the primary effect of overexposure and skin cancer being the long-term impact of repeated over-exposure to ultraviolet light.
But cleverly, modern photocopiers are constructed with a special glass panel that prevents potentially dangerous ultraviolet light from impacting on those around them, although it’s still a good idea to ensure the lid is firmly closed when copying. Again, our technicians can advise you of the best practice for using our machines during the installation process, if you’re worried about it at all.
Is The Laser In a Photocopier Dangerous?
The term LASER is actually an acronym of Light Amplification by Stimulation Emission of Radiation and refers to the ability to focus an emission of light on a specific point. Photocopiers work by passing a laser beam over a negatively charged drum, defining an image which then uses electrically charged toner to transfer the image to the paper.
But rest assured, the lasers used in photocopiers are relatively weak and, although they could potentially be dangerous, the way modern machines are constructed and the numerous mandated safety mechanisms included, ensures that they are classified as being non-hazardous. Still, it’s not a good idea to do this;
Staying Safe When Using a Photocopier
So all in all, despite the supposed health risks purported by certain people, modern photocopiers and MFDs are actually incredibly safe to use and pose no real risks to anyone using them on a normal day-to-day basis. Provided users follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and instructions, and as long as the photocopier has been properly installed, the potential risks of working with a photocopier can be practically eradicated.
Nevertheless, if you are still worried about the potential impact of your new devices, then North West Digital can work with your team to ensure your new photocopier is being used in safest possible way.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to find out more about this issue or want to speak to one of our highly trained technicians, then please get in touch with us today and we’ll sort you out.
You can contact us by email at info@, on the phone on 0161 477 8950 or you can complete the contact form on the website and one of our friendly team will get back to you.