Natue of the Beast

My job exposes me to the best and the brightest in Health, Safety, Security, and Environment. It also exposes me to the stupidest and the hypochondriaism (yes, that is probably a word I made up) in the work place.

For instance, the day we discovered asbestos tile. It was 2% asbestos containing material and 98% vinyl. The asbestos was fully contained in the vinyl. You'd have to pulvarize and snort the dust to be able to inhale the asbestos. It takes decades to feel the affects of any complications due to asbestos exposure. You are exposed to more asbestos walking down the city streets than you were when we found the tile. One woman had to go home because the asbestos made her lungs hurt that day. Um... yeah... no, it didn't. Dust and dirt from 30yr old carpet coming up? Probably. Asbestos? No.

Today, I got to follow up on an email where someone complained that the person near them used air duster to clean their keyboard and it made her lungs hurt. Really? The short answer is no, the air duster did not make your lungs hurt. The dust your neighbor blew around may have done that. But the air duster? Not unless you were huffing. In which case, you are fired for the illegal use of inhalants. It's against the rules.

But I am a good safety person and pulled the MSDS and the product info sheet. I defined "overexposure" and "workplace exposure" for them. No, you don't need a respirator mask to air dust your keyboard. No, you don't have any sort of overexposure risk from your neighbors cleaning their keyboards.

Oye.

And while I'm at it... Flush the damn toilets!