Asphalt fumes are fumes generated from the heat-dried mixture of bitumen, aggregate, and sand. Most times, we use both asphalt and bitumen interchangeably; which is wrong.
Bitumen is actually a liquid binder that holds the asphalt together, while asphalt is a composition of aggregate, sand, and bitumen exposed to heating and drying in a plant (Asphalt plant).
Asphalt is used mainly for paving roads. According to OSHA, over half a million workers are exposed to fumes from asphalt. Research has it that exposure to asphalt fumes could exhibit various symptoms. These symptoms could be exhibited either in acute exposure or chronic exposure.
Symptoms of Exposure to Asphalt Fumes
- Headache
- Skin rash
- Sensitization
- Fatigue
- Reduced appetite
- Throat irritation
- Eye irritation
- Cough
- Dizziness
- Severe burns
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin cancer
- Loss of skin pigment which could be worsened by sunlight.
Both skin cancer and loss of skin pigment could result from chronic exposure to asphalt fumes.
According to NIOSH, the exposure limit of exposure to asphalt fumes should not exceed 5mg/m3 in any 15 minutes and 0.5mg/m3 over 8 hours of exposure.
Safety Precautions When Exposed to Asphalt Fumes
- Do not eat or smoke while working with asphalt. Note that smoking worsens the effect of exposure to asphalt fumes.
- Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) like coverall or long-sleeved clothing, Hand gloves, Eye goggles, Hard hats, Safety boots, etc.
- Avoid body contact with asphalt
- While working with asphalt with the tendency to get exposed to fumes, it is necessary that we should work against the direction of the wind. This will ensure that the fumes are blown away from you.
- Welfare facilities should be provided which will include washing and changing points.
- There should be routine medical checks for workers exposed to asphalt fumes. One medical check that is recommended is the lung function test, eye test, hematological parameters, etc.
- As far as reasonably practicable, people exposed to the fumes from asphalt should avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Coverall or long-sleeved shirts are highly recommended.
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