Printer Fumes?

Indie

Indie

Indie

Soldato
Joined
11 Jul 2006
Posts
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Location
Cradley, West Midlands
Happy Friday!

Just thought I'd share, we recently (about 10 minutes ago) had a request come through from our Facilities team for my IT Department to move a printer from one desk to another. My esteemed college, in the spirit of making conversation, asked why said person wanted it moved.

He was greeted with the response which confused me slightly :- "I've had headaches for 3 days because of the carbon monoxide the printer gives out"

Now to my knowledge, the only excrement I can think of that a printer would kick out is heat, and possibly a very minute amount of toner particles?

The monoxide producing terror printer in question is a HP LaserJet 4350TN. Its also been in the same place for years and years, so no idea why this has all of a sudden cropped up... has there been a daily mail article recently or something?

What are peoples thoughts on this? Much truth behind printers being a health hazard?

Sad thing is we'll probably end up moving it regardless!
 
Yes it's quite well documented that these emit fine dust pollutants and it's actually against EU law to have laser printers in the same room as office workers. Doesn't often get observed mind you.
 
Yeah - dusty cabbages are laser printers, but carbon monoxide?..
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..
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHHAH *facepalm*.

Unless its physically burning with fire, that can't happen.

Besides the rest of the science... I don't even...
 
if the laser printer is being used a lot i wouldn't want to be next to it. re: lots of fine dust as above.
i doubt its releasing carbon monoxide though!
 
maybe not carbon monoxide but the exhaust from a laser printer isnt really that nice.

on a similar topic, we once got asked if we could move an access point as they'd read the radio waves could give you cancer..
 
Dunks said:
Head case.
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My thinking. Some sealed dyes.. probably wouldn't cause that person any damage if you poured then over their head. (Although I don't recommend you do it!)

Even the big ones aren't that bad. Just put it so it's not directly beside someone.
 
Like I say, some dust particles yes! But its not like shes sitting on it. She's about two arms lengths away from it. Though to be fair it is used quite often throughout the day.

platypus said:
Yes it's quite well documented that these emit fine dust pollutants and it's actually against EU law to have laser printers in the same room as office workers. Doesn't often get observed mind you.
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Surely if it was against EU law the majority of business owners would be in some serious trouble?

the carbon monoxide part was what really tickled me though :D

if we end up moving it though I'll be using it as an exercise to get rid of all local printers and have all printing done on the larger photocopiers :)
 
platypus said:
Yes it's quite well documented that these emit fine dust pollutants and it's actually against EU law to have laser printers in the same room as office workers. Doesn't often get observed mind you.
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[citation needed]

(am quite interested, have previously worked near a lazer printer and had no idea it was illegal)
 
bimbleuk said:
Ozone is also a possibility and that does cause headaches also has a distinctive smell.
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The high voltages in them can produce a small quantity of ozone - considerably less than any dangerous level but could be enough to cause headaches for someone with sensitivity to it.

AFAIK you'd only get anything other than extremely negligible amounts of carbon monoxide if you are running like 10 laser printers in a room with no ventilation at all.

I'd expect the headaches are actually induced by either the office lights and/or inadequate glasses (or needing glasses), too long spent using a VDU with a low refresh (<60Hz TFT (due to strobing or other flicker in low quality parts) or <80HZ CRT) or something like that though the small amount of toner particles mixed with a small amount of ozone might not be helping (making a headache triggered by something else worse).

EDIT: Plus hydration - used to work in a call centre where people would go for many hours without drinking enough fluids and wonder why they got headaches :S
 
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Tomorrow's DM headline "Laser Printing Can Cause Cancer", two sheets a day can lead to a long and painful death. You heard it here first.
 
Rroff said:
AFAIK you'd only get anything other than extremely negligible amounts of carbon monoxide if you are running like 10 laser printers in a room with no ventilation at all.
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Whilst setting them all on fire simultaneously
 
Afaik black toner is carcinogenic due to the carbon black pigment used in it. I personally wouldn't want to be breathing in laser printer "fumes" all day.
 
Time to go paperless.

In all fairness when you work in big open floor plan offices the biggest complaints are "The air con is blowing on me" and "I'm too close to the printer". You can't please everyone, but maybe getting a partition setup will please them. Most places now have ditched the 20 x little ones and gone for a 3 x bigger ones placed evenly apart. The complaint you get then is its too far to walk to collect the print jobs.
 
We get this all the time, not "carbon monoxide" obviously haha but some people do appear to be sensitive to whatever fumes the printer is giving off.
 
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