NOTE: This page is archived for historical purposes and is no
longer being maintained or updated. Vision Concerns at Plant
Lead NIOSH to Identify Link With 2 Chemicals, Suggest Safeguards
Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749 January 6, 2003 As the
result of an investigation that teamed researchers from the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
with management and employees at a label printing plant, two
chemicals in a widely used category of compounds were associated
for the first time with a risk for job-related visual
disturbances. The findings led to practical recommendations for
reducing exposures to the chemicals – DMIPA and DMAE – and
protecting employees' vision. NIOSH, a part of the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), describes the study in
a technical article in the January 2003 issue of the British
journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Employers and
employees frequently turn to NIOSH for help in solving complex
health and safety concerns," said