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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: radioactive salts Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:55:41 -0700 Author: John Crawford McGregor

Next by Date: Subject: Re: Latex degradation, low humidity, Chinese drywall? Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:31:45 -0600 Author: John Larson

Debbie,
 
Generally, I don't reply to these, but this one caught my attent ion.
 
There's the old thing about workers where the light wasn't "light" enough , so the management changed the light to have more candlepower.  T hen the workeers complained again and they dreceased the candlepower . In both cases, the workers felt better because someone in manage ment had listened to them.
 
Chemophobia:  Why would you take a job in a FAB if chemicals scare the toowhoolis off of you?  But persons do.  Yes, man y "Building-related syndromes" are a manifestations of such.  I reca ll one in IBM in Boulder, CO where it finally turned out that a person ha d stuffed an orange in a lower desk drawer and it had done what oranges do when left exposed to the ambient atmosphere for long enough -- mold can hav e a very distinctive odor and some persons are quite sensitive to it.  ; Doesn't mean you have to tear the building down.
 
Latex breakdown:  Many of us in the Denver area have dealt wi th this.  There is some decent evidence of airborn levels of certain of these things from car tires.  Certainly, there are those who h ave a true latex allergy (mostly from the wearing of latex-based (with of c ourse corn-strarch lubricated) surgical gloves.  So of course, suc h is true.  Anaphylxis and anaphylactoid reaction have occurred in s uch cases.  But it doesn't seem likely in the situation you describe .
 
Drywall, from whatever origin.  Many will have some formaldehyde w hich can off gas.  However, mostly this is a "nuisance" issue.&nbs p;
 
Now, "nuisance" is as "nuisance "does.  My runny nose or he adache doesn't mean much to the next person.  But what has been foun d is simple:  the more job stress you have and the less you h ave control over the work conditions (simple things like temperature -- ask any dozen employees -- half will say it's too hot and half will say it's t oo cold, and what they say is right for them at the time they're a sked -- doesn't matter what the room temperature is -- they can't control i t) and it may make things that might mean nothing much to someone else seem like a big deal to them.  Perception is reality in operation.  ;
 
Many studies done with subjects who considered themselves to be perf ectly healthy found that, about average, they had any number of symptom s (usually about 20/day) that some other persons might fixate on and others might just take as a part of normal life.  So, for me, today:  
- I have some low back pain;
- I had a bit of a headache when I woke up this morning;
- My sinuses are a bit full and occasionally, I cough;
- I have some eye irriatation
- When I go walking, my right knee aches a bit;
- Because of chronic back problems, I sometimes have a bit of pain in my right leg and can't feel part of my right foot;
- Because of some tick bites when I went to India and have a chronic replas ing fever, I sometimes have recurrent fevers and chills and so on and so forth.
 
Do I think it has diddly-squat to do with my work environent?  NO!&n bsp; I'm simply a human being who has lived long enough to know a few things.
 
So yes, don't ignore the complaints. 
 
The ozone could be an issue, but I'm still not convinced.  You cou ld measure it, of course.
 
In general, when management listens to the concerns of workers and does w hat is simply indicated to improve work conditions, things in general get better.
 
Just some thoughts,
 
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
President and chief Medical Toxicologist
Toxicology Consulting and Medical Translating Services, Inc. (TCMTS, In c.)
Laramie, WY
Clinical Assistant Professor
Colorado School of Public Health
Denver, Colorado
Senior Advisor
Forensic Science
Weatherford College
Weatherford, Texas
ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**msn.com
office phone:  (307) 745-0600
cell phone:  (307) 399-1564