Useful search terms for mercury include “colloidal mercury,” “mercury metal,” “metallic mercury,” and “quicksilver.” NIOSH Chemical Resources The following resources provide information about occupational exposure to mercury. Visit NIOSH’s page on Managing Chemical Safety in the Workplace to learn more about controlling chemical workplace exposures. If you work in an industry that uses mercury, please read chemical labels and the accompanying Safety Data Sheet for hazard information. NIOSH recommends that employers use Hierarchy of Controls to prevent injuries. Dentists and their assistants when breathing in mercury vapor released from amalgam fillings.Workers in medical, dental, or other health services who work with equipment that contains mercury.Workers in chemical processing plants that use mercury.Workers in facilities where automotive parts are manufactured.Workers in fluorescent light bulb (CFL) recycling facilities.Workers in facilities where electrical equipment is manufactured.Some examples of workers at risk of being exposed to mercury include the following: It’s used to produce chlorine gas and caustic soda, and in thermometers, barometers, batteries, and electrical switches. The level of exposure depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done. Some of the health effects exposure to mercury may cause include: irritation to the eyes, skin, and stomach cough, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, insomnia, irritability, indecision, headache, weakness or exhaustion, and weight loss. Workers may be harmed from exposure to mercury. When heated it becomes a colorless, odorless gas. Metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid. Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring metal.
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