Sammye,  Just one sniff is terriff, eh?   Maybe so, maybe not. But these allergies can be really life altering.

I got mine in "the biz."   I was getting ready to do a show and putting on my make up.  The eye lash adhesive was a rubber latex as most were then (some still are).  I touched the lash to my lid and watched in the mirror in utter horror as my eye rapidly swelled tight shut.  I couldn't go on.

I had been using this eyelash stuff for years and only noticed a little itching.  But when the allergy made it's move, it didn't mess around.  

On the rubber band thing, many rubber bands aren't rubber anymore.  But recently I put one around my wrist thinking it was probably just butadiene, and when I took it off, I had a nice bracelet of little blisters.

Those experiences don't make me a latex allergy expert.  Get advice from the student's doctor if possible. Ask what happens when she is in a location where she "smells" rubber.  Are there serious symptoms that could be life-threatening or does it sound more like she's anxious?  Has she ever had an anaphylactic reaction to the rubber that required medical treatment?  Does she carry an epi-pen?   Find out how seriously the doctor is concerned and then you can be concerned at the same level.

Lot's of questions here.  Like maybe ask if she would be willing to rent out her nose to determine which bands are natural rubber and which are butadiene or other elastomers.

Oh I'm just so bad.

Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A., Industrial Hygienist

President:  Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.

Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE

181 Thompson St., #23

New York, NY 10012     212-777-0062

actsnyc**At_Symbol_Here**cs.com   www.artscraftstheatersafety.org

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Samuella B. Sigmann <sigmannsb**At_Symbol_Here**APPSTATE.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Sun, Sep 4, 2016 7:22 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies

I wondered when someone would chime in on the obvious.  How can the question of which glove to replace nitrile be answered if we don't know what chemicals the person is working with?  Thanks for pointing this out, Monona.

On this note, I had a student this week whose allergy to rubber bands was so bad, she could not smell them or be in the lab where they were being used.  This was a new one for me.  I am wondering how she goes into stores?

Sammye

On 9/2/2016 1:42 PM, Monona Rossol wrote:

Hmmmm.  I thought the manufacturer's recommend gloves be chosen to resist the particular solvents being used.   So this is not just "find any glove that doesn't cause me to break out."

Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A., Industrial Hygienist

President:  Arts, Crafts & Theater Safety, Inc.

Safety Officer: Local USA829, IATSE

181 Thompson St., #23

New York, NY 10012     212-777-0062

actsnyc**At_Symbol_Here**cs.com   www.artscraftstheatersafety.org

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald Abramowitz <dabramow**At_Symbol_Here**BRYNMAWR.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Sent: Fri, Sep 2, 2016 9:52 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies

Best's  N-DEX =AE Free 7705PFT is accelerant free.

Another possible alternative is a chloroprene disposable glove like the Microflex Neopro.   Yet another thought would be to try a polyethylene liner glove under the nitrile.  The cheap, flat gloves they use in food prep are typically HDPE and food contact grade.  I don't think there are complicated formulas to polyethylene, but I can't prove that.

                            Don

---

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu> on behalf of Casadonte, Dominick <DOMINICK.CASADONTE**At_Symbol_Here**TTU.EDU>
Sent: Friday, September 2, 2016 9:39 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies

 

Who sells accelerant-free nitrile gloves??

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 2, 2016, at 8:34 AM, paracelcusbombastusvon**At_Symbol_Here**juno.com <paracelcusbombastusvon**At_Symbol_Here**JUNO.COM> wrote:

Lucy,

You hit the nail on the head.  The sensitivity is not to the "polymer" but rather the "accelerants" or catalysts.

Lynn Knudtson

---------- Original Message ----------
From: Lucy Dillman <lucydillman**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2016 18:46:34 -0700

=C3- =BB =BF

I'm weighing in on the glove issue.  I have a sensitivity to latex gloves, so switched to nitrile.  (All powder free, by the way).  After some time, I felt like bees were stinging my hands when wearing nitrile gloves.  I tried using cotton glove liners, but they are hot and awkward, at least for me, when performing fine motor tasks.  After some study, I discovered accelerant free nitrile gloves.  Apparently it is the accelerant they use in making the material that can be a sensitizer.  My problem was solved. 

 

Best wishes,

Lucy Dillman

----- Original Message -----

From: Amanda MacPherson

To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU

Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2016 1:05 PM

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies

 

Hi Zack,

 

No, we do not have powered gloves.  They are the thin gloves that we use for general purpose use.  We have specialty gloves for some specific applications, but the student will not be working with those types of materials for this particular lab.

On Thu, Sep 1, 2016 at 1:54 PM, Zack Mansdorf <mansdorfz**At_Symbol_Here**bellsouth.net> wrote:

Are you using powdered gloves?  Nitrile allergies are pretty rare.  Are these thin gloves or thick gloves (thin I assume).

 

If the glove use is to keep the student clean or the work area clean, there are potential alternatives.  If it is for chemical permeation resistance, you need to check permeation guides.

 

Zack

S.Z. Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP

Consultant in EHS and Sustainability

7184 Via Palomar

Boca Raton, FL  33433

561-212-7288

 

 

 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Bob Hill
Sent: Thursday, September 1, 2016 1:34 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies

 

I have not heard of nitrile glove allergy but allergy to latex is not uncommon. It would be good to document the nitrile allergy if it has not been previously reported.  Perhaps you could try vinyl gloves but I would do it cautiously since this person is allergic to nitrile (a polymer). 

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"
>Sent: Sep 1, 2016 12:59 PM
>To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
>Subject: [DCHAS-L] Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies
>
>From: Amanda MacPherson
>Re: Latex and Nitrile Glove Allergies
>
>Hello,
>
>We currently have a student going through our chemistry program that has an allergy to latex and nitrile gloves. Does anyone know of a suitable alternative they would recommend? I have found several alternatives, but I know virtually nothing about the gloves themselves.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Amanda MacPherson
>
>--
>Amanda MacPherson
>Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
>Physical Sciences Department
>York College of Pennsylvania
>441 Country Club Road
>York, PA 17403

Robert H. Hill, Jr., Ph.D.

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

roberth_hill**At_Symbol_Here**mindspring.com

 

"The Safety Ethic: I value safety, work safely, prevent at-risk behavior, promote safety, and accept responsibility for safety." 

 

--

Amanda MacPherson

Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator

Physical Sciences Department

York College of Pennsylvania

441 Country Club Road

York, PA 17403

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