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more_legal_areas creosoteCreosote skin irritations are caused by exposure to creosote treated wood. People who work in the wood preservative industry, people who build products and structures made of creosote treated wood, and people living in homes with creosote pressure treated wood are all at risk for creosote skin irritations and other adverse health problems.
Creosote is added to wood in order to provide long lasting protection against decay and insect damage. Creosote chemical exposure can be extremely harmful to human and animal health. Because of the risk of creosote skin irritations and other health problems, creosote treated wood is not appropriate for use in a variety of products and structures.
Creosote treated wood should not be used in structures that will be subject to frequent or prolonged human contact, such as outdoor furniture or the interior of a residential area. Farmhouses, furrowing and brooding areas, and areas that livestock or other animals frequently contact should not be built with materials containing creosote. Under some circumstances it is possible seal creosote treated wood with a sealant, thereby mitigating the risks of creosote skin irritations and other health problems.
Creosote skin irritations can occur with both short and long term exposure to creosote products and structures. Symptoms of creosote skin irritations can include redness, scaling, flaking, blistering, and peeling areas of the skin. Long term exposure to these chemicals can cause more serious creosote skin reactions. Creosote skin irritations can also be symptoms of allergic dermatitis that develops as a result of chronic exposure to these harmful chemicals.
Creosote is also is a photosensitizer. This means that when creosote containing products are exposed to different wavelengths of natural or artificial light, they cause a reaction that makes creosote phototoxic. This photo toxicity, in turn, causes creosote skin irritations and allergic dermatitis.
Creosote is a proven carcinogen, meaning that it has the potential to cause skin and other cancers. Symptoms of cancerous creosote skin irritations may include: the development of new skin growths, changes in existing skin growths, and sores that do not heal. Growths that are asymmetrical, those with irregular borders, variances in growth color, and growths that are larger than a pencil eraser, have the potential to be cancerous, and should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Due to the risk of creosote skin irritations and other health problems, the government has placed restrictions on the amount of creosote exposure that is permissible in a work environment. OSHA regulations mandate that creosote levels are not to exceed 0.2 milligrams per cubic meter for a forty hour work week. OSHA also requires that employees, and others at risk for creosote skin irritations, be properly and adequately protected against harmful creosote exposure. Protective clothing, goggles, and gloves, sun block, respirators and well ventilated work areas can all mitigate the risk of harmful creosote skin irritations and other serious health problems.
During the winter months, many people will start trying to heat up their homes. Wood burning stoves has become a more popular way of providing heat, but there are ways of preventing creosote buildup by burning a hot fire for 15 to 30 minutes. In addit...