Social Sustainability
Sensitizer
A substance that can trigger allergic reactions after initial exposure — a hazard class for workplace chemicals affecting airways and skin.
Definition
A sensitizer is a substance that, after initial exposure, causes some individuals to develop an allergic response — respiratory sensitisation (occupational asthma from isocyanates, flour dust, wood dust) or skin sensitisation (contact dermatitis from nickel, chromium, epoxy resins). Once sensitised, a person may react to minute exposures that affect no one else, making continued work with the substance impossible.
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