In the world of grooming and animal care, a well-maintained and safe working environment is of paramount concern for owners, operators, and our clientele. Our personnel, patrons, and furry friends, deserve our best efforts at providing protections for their health and comfort while in our care.
Many of these challenges in providing these protections are obvious and include issues such as cleanliness, noise levels, temperature and humidity control, odor control, and general sanitation safeguards in a neat, orderly, friendly working space. However, the greatest challenge by far in protecting everyone’s health is not so obvious and is rarely seen by the naked eye.
Particulate matter (PM) may not sound too threatening, but according to a 2021 Harvard University study, PM2.5 from burning fossil fuels alone caused 10.2 million premature deaths worldwide, of which 350,000 occurred in the United States, and that was mostly from outdoor PM. This does not break out figures where the percentage of deaths in these confrontations that are attributable to indoor PM’s role.
The United States EPA and the World Health Organization, to date, have not surveyed the PM dangers of indoor exposure, but generally agree that the danger of indoor PM is far greater.
One must wonder why there is so little attention given to indoor PM challenges, since we humans spend 90% of our time indoors, and reports of “Groomer’s Lung” and other respiratory ailments most common to this profession keep popping up along with even more short- and long-term health issues. These organizations have, to date, done little to shed a light on the causative issues, which logically leads us to believe PM and what it can transport is the major health challenge to the animal care industry.
As we all know, you cannot protect or prevent bad outcomes if the enemy or threat is not known. This series of articles will attempt to enlighten the grooming community to what PM is and how important it is to face and conquer its consequences. It will be difficult for me to completely stay neutral on this subject since my exposure goes back many years and has taken at least 10 years of study, research, and much contemplation to fully understand the PM threat.
Until one has directly communicated to those affected by PM and its aftermath, the personal agony and human tragedy caused is only hearsay. I have talked to that very grave, lifelong groomer whose doctor informed her that her grooming days were over due to Groomer’s Lung. Or perhaps working with the loving wife of a 9/11 survivor through describing the use and operation of air purification equipment when her husband was faced with an organ transplant and required a room to be remodeled to be safe from airborne contaminants for his recovery.
It was always a privilege to be of assistance to those whose thoughts for people and their animal friends far exceeded concerns for just themselves. Perhaps clearer, honest assessment of PM here will further the reader’s understanding of the dangers faced in the grooming arena and what measures to take in making the animal care environment the healthiest, safest, and most client-pleasing comfort for groomers, clients, and our animal companions.
Our next postings will define PM, how PM occurs, its composition, the categories of PM, and where it’s found, and why it’s so dangerous. These will be followed by steps to take in controlling the PM challenge.
Till Next Time,
-The Professor