Fact Sheet Focuses on Respirator Selection for Chimney Sweeps

NIOSH has released a fact sheet on protecting chimney sweeps from respiratory hazards. Intended for both employers and workers, the fact sheet clarifies employer responsibilities and advises chimney sweeps on the proper selection and use of respirators.

Common respiratory hazards for chimney sweeps include soot, organic vapors, silica, and bird and bat droppings. Studies have shown that chimney sweeps have a higher risk of bladder, esophageal, and lung cancer, as we as ischemic heart disease. In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified soot as found in occupational exposure to chimney sweeps as a Group 1 carcinogen, or carcinogenic to humans. IARC noted that soot can cause skin and lung cancer.

The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) also classifies soot as a known human carcinogen (PDF). Chimney sweeps clean both residential and industrial chimneys as well as industrial boilers. These tasks can result in exposures to combustion products. According to NTP, a Danish study of chimney sweeps found respirable soot concentrations from personal samplers that ranged from 1.1 to 25 µg/L.

The NIOSH fact sheet is available as a PDF from the agency’s website.