Scents in the Workplace

Dan Knight
October 1999

This article is adapted from one submitted to my employer's company newsletter. Permission is hereby given to adapt it in your own efforts to raise awareness of fragrance problems in the workplace. Dan Knight

A little scent goes a long way.

Just pumping gas can leave you smelling of gasoline for hours. Walk through the haze of smokers outside your favorite store or restaurant, and the acrid smell of tobacco lingers for hours.

Over time you may become accustomed to the smell - I'm sure smokers must. But the odor of gasoline or smoke can remain long after you've become used to it. And others will smell it.

This doesn't apply only to unwanted scents. Your aftershave, perfume, hand lotion, deodorant, shampoo, or soap may surround you with a scent you've become desensitized to, but one which others can and do smell.

For most, unwanted scents are an inconvenience, but for some of us, these scents make us dizzy or nauseous, give us headaches, and can even result in migraines.

It's called multiple chemical sensitivity, an environmental illness caused by repeated exposure to airborne chemicals reaching the brain via the nose. It's covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Over time the problem gets worse - scents we tolerated or even enjoyed begin causing problems. And it gets worse in winter, when the cold weather dries out the nasal membranes, allowing the scents to more readily make their way to the brain.

Victims of scent sensitivity appreciate smoke-free restaurants, but wish something could be done about the cloud of smoke they have to pass through when entering. Ditto for stores, whether the nearby grocery store or the local mall.

Inside the smoke-free mall, we are accosted by the smells of lotions, oils, and perfumes from cosmetics counters and scent-filled stores. In some cases, we have to walk on the far side of the mall to pass by these stores without being overcome.

In church, it may mean months of leaving worship well before the sermon, because no matter where you choose to sit, sooner or later someone with aftershave or a powerfully scented deodorant sits nearby.

And it's a problem at work. In my case, it's triggered by scented candles, pine boughs, poinsettias, perfumes, colognes, and some soaps. That's the short list. Because sensitivity increases over time, the list grows every year. Nothing seems to help, and the very medications that help some deal with allergies can cause worse problems than the scents themselves.

This isn't to say all scents make me sick. Far from it. There are some I enjoy, but others may be sensitive to those scents. The only safety is avoiding scents.

I have a sign outside my cubicle, marking it as a scent-free area - but it doesn't seem to help. The scented still walk right in, forcing me out for fresh air as soon as they leave, and occasionally home for the rest of the day.

The problem of fragrance sensitivity isn't limited to my cubicle. Hardly a day goes by that I don't have to walk in the scent trail of someone who overdid it - or walk down a hallway with scent-filled offices. (Fortunately, only a small minority of employees overdo scents.)

Using scents originated in the era when bathing was a once- or twice-a-year event and perfumes masked the body's natural odors. In this era of personal hygiene and deodorants, the original reason for perfumes is gone. Since they no longer need to mask bad odors, there's no need to apply them heavily. In fact, some who are scent-sensitive suggest that because fragrances are often intended to enhance intimacy, they should only be noticeable at intimate distances.

Just as we now have a smoke-free workplace, I would love to see this company go scent-free for the dozen or so employees affected by this. (About 15% of the population suffers from multiple chemical sensitivity.)

Until then, consider a scent-free or minimal scent lifestyle. The scent you think makes you more attractive may make others ill. And if you feel you must use a favorite scent, please be aware of those who are sensitive and use as little as possible.

In response to this, my employer adopted a scent-free workplace policy in November 1999. I'm breathing a bit easier at work!

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