September 5, 2003—The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has added a safety and health topic page on Metalworking Fluids to its Web site. According to NIOSH, some 1.2 million workers in machine finishing, machine tooling, and other metalworking and metal-forming operations are potentially exposed to metalworking fluids (MWFs), which are used to reduce heat and friction and to improve product quality in industrial machining and grinding operations. Workers can be exposed to the fluids by breathing aerosols generated in the machining process, or through skin contact when they handle parts, tools, and equipment covered with the fluids. Occupational exposures to metalworking fluids may cause a variety of health effects, including respiratory and dermatologic conditions.
