Your employee suffers watery or itchy eyes, nasal stuffiness, coughing, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, itchy skin rashes, or other similar discomforts. He or she tells you it is an allergic reaction caused by another employee’s perfume or cologne or maybe it’s a cleaning solution used in the office. Worse yet, the employee complains that the customers and/or visitors to your department are the cause. At PSU, as with other employers, supervisors are confronted with these concerns more and more often by employees.

It’s hard to know how to respond – if you ask one employee to stop wearing a fragrance, you could offend them and the employee could be upset with the person who is complaining. If you don’t, your employee experiencing the discomfort may be unable to continue working or be so effected that the work suffers. And, what do you tell your visitors or customers?

More people than ever before are reporting that they suffer from allergies. It’s the 5th leading chronic condition in the U.S. among all ages and the 3rd most common among children under 18 years of age. One in four Americans suffer from all types of allergies. The best way to prevent allergy symptoms and minimize the need for medicine is to avoid allergens as much as possible and to eliminate the source of allergens from home and other environments.

PSU has analyzed this topic through the Safety Committee to determine a strategy for addressing fragrances in the workplace. A “Fragrance-Free” value statement will soon be published. If you receive complaints or become aware of concerns about fragrances in the workplace, start by notifying your staff to reduce and/or eliminate the use of perfumed lotions, fragrances, after shave, and/or essential oils while in the office. In addition, request that employees avoid using any airborne chemicals such as a cleaning spray. Unscented lotions and non-airborne cleaners are preferred for the workplace.

Use information in this article or from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation web site to educate staff about the growing prevalence of fragrance allergies and the importance of maintaining a safe and effective work environment for all employees.

If you have questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact Jenny Sherman (extension 54967) or Chuck Cooper (extension 54312) for assistance.