DEPARTMENTS
BY THE NUMBERS
Methylene Chloride-Related Fatalities
An assessment published on April 19 in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that methylene chloride-related fatalities continue to occur in the United States even with regulations and policies in place to address product labeling and worker protections. The assessment set out to identify and analyze deaths related to exposures to methylene chloride or products containing methylene chloride during 1980–2018. Methylene chloride—a solvent used in paint strippers, cleaners, degreasers, adhesives, and sealants—has been linked to cancer, but it can also cause sudden death or asphyxiation. Select information from the assessment appears below.
From “Assessment of Methylene Chloride-Related Fatalities in the United States, 1980–2018”:
“Occupational methylene chloride-related poisonings and deaths are preventable. Results of this case series indicate that a policy approach focused on hazard elimination and safer substitutes in consumer and occupational usages would be more effective in addressing fatalities than the current reliance on hazard communication and PPE.”
Tap on the graphic to open a larger version in your browser.
SOURCE
JAMA Internal Medicine: “Assessment of Methylene Chloride-Related Fatalities in the United States, 1980–2018” (April 2021).
RELATED:
The Synergist: “Methylene Chloride Fatalities” (November 2015).