UV ink safety risk from SME working practices

Labels and Labeling thumbnail

The greatest risk when working with UV-curable inks comes from bad working practices says the results of the UVITECH project. The research comes from an EC CRAFT (cooperative research award for technology) initiative, initiated in 2001 by six SME printing houses from four different countries across Europe. It addresses a need for controls to cover occupational exposure and environmental impacts at European level.


After intensive controlled examinations undertaken by consultants Envirocare, based in the UK, and Fogra, based in Germany, the project concluded that printing using UV inks does not present a higher risk to health than conventional running if workers take standard precautions. Alarmingly, only three out of the six printers originally tested commonly use gloves, even though they are available; four printers eat or drink in the workplace, which can aid the absorption of chemicals; and smoking is condoned in half of the print facilities. Noise was found to be a medium occupational risk.


UV label printing plate cleaning operations were found to present a higher health risk than the running the press, highlighting the need to implement user-friendly solvents. UV label printing has an overall low environmental impact, although ozone emissions can pose a risk to air-quality if they are not dispersed correctly.


Dr Keith Edmondson, Chairman, Envirocare says: ‘On revisiting 4 of the 6 printers, Fifty per cent of the printers showed improvement and implemented recommendations. With the other half, commercial issues still override implementation of health and safety procedures.’


Risk assessment protocols (one for health and safety and one for environmental issues) will be available via European national health and safety authorities from April 2004.