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As per the Canadian Lung Association and the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), 100 to 350 Natural and man-made chemicals are usually used as the ingredients of scents where most of them are toxic chemicals. The chemicals turn into vapour in the air and attach themselves to hair, clothing, and surroundings. At least two-acetaldehyde and benzene have been identified as carcinogenic.

To make scents last longer diethyl phthalate is used which is a skin sensitizer and a reproductive toxin. Fragrances can enter into the body through inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. Perfumes can affect not only the person wearing the fragrance, but anyone who comes into contact with them. Depending on how sensitive they are, the sensitive person might experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headache, itchy skin, hives, itchy eyes and nose, runny nose, wheezing, coughing, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, asthma and strange tastes in the mouth.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization, lists seven of the ingredients as possible human carcinogens. So the employer has the duty to provide and maintain for employees so far as reasonably practicable a working environment that is safe and without risk to health. Awareness training for the workers is also playing a pivotal role in the prevention of workplace incidents in the perfume industry.

On 24 November 2019, it is the fortuitous opportunity for me to be with the workers of CPL Aroma, Dubai who are from various levels such as blenders, compounders, bio-chemists, plant technicians and the wastage disposal management workers. At the commencement of the training program on the Occupational Health and Safety Awareness, the delegates addressed themselves about their job roles and technical involvement in the industry and the one day training program was onset with the key terminologies in Health and Safety with the inception of various ingredients used in the industry and their health effects. I got twitched with the knowledge of the chemicals with the delegates and was discussing as the birder in some point of the training.

The discussions got side tracked with the knowledge of risk assessments which should be carried out at the workplace. The various routes of entry elicited the spark on the control measures, especially the use of various personal protective equipments. After a daintier lunch together, the delegates had a scuffle over some contrasting views on their knowledge of emergency preparedness. Abysmal and multilayered explanations have been followed by the lecture on the emergency preparedness and emergency response which has been concluded with a simple role play with the view of chemical spillage, fire and a gas leak. At the culmination, delegates attempted a piquant quiz, where the feat of their involvement became evident.