Common Health Effects

Health hazards can be categorized as acute effects or chronic effects.

Acute health effects are short-term effects that appear, change, or worsen rapidly. They are usually seen after exposures to high concentrations of hazardous substances. For example, skin contact with fiberglass can cause itchiness and skin irritation immediately. Some common examples of acute effects are skin rashes, dry skin, dermatitis, and burns.

Chronic health effects usually develop and worsen over an extended period of time. For example, inhaling small amounts of asbestos fibers may result in no acute effects. But, continuous asbestos exposure greatly increases your chances of getting asbestos disease, such as lung cancer. This is a chronic effect. Some common examples of chronic effects are cancer, mesothelioma, and silicosis.

Most chemical health effects experienced in construction are typically chronic. This makes it difficult to determine where and when exposure occurred.

Health hazards can also be categorized by the area of contact.

A local health effect refers to an adverse health effect that takes place at the point or area of contact. The site may be skin, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal system. Examples of local health effects are burns, skin and eye irritation, dermatitis, and tissue damage.

A systemic health effect refers to an adverse health effect that takes place at a location distant from the body's initial point of contact and can affect the entire body. For example, a chemical can be inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin, but it affects the person's kidneys, liver, or other part of the body. Examples of systemic health effects include infections, nervous system failure, reproductive system damage, allergic reactions, and kidney damage.

To learn more about Construction Chemical Hazards visit our Construction Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.