Re: Digest Number 137

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/14/2004 7:43:49 AM Eastern Standard Time, iequality writes:

My final question relates to what this list believes is theappropriate respiratory protection to use when we take awalk in our neighborhood to prevent exposure to thesignificant amounts of allergens and mold we arecontinually exposed to and typically exceed (by powers often) the levels seen in our healthy homes?? Let's get a grip already...Good luck to all,Mike McGuinness

Mike,

With great respect I submit the following. Just as I would not make fun of someone who is in a wheelchair I would not make fun of someone who may have a "disability" that is less visible....i.e. allergic response.

There are indeed some people that, even with immunological shots, cannot walk outside on certain days when the spore counts are very high.....so your question about respiratory protection for these people who be quite different than those who have no problem.

I, for one, do not enjoy reading comments such as yours with the knowledge that you are in the industry and yet have no clear understanding of the people who suffer the most from the elements that you are supposed to be dealing with. Clearly, you don't know this portion of your market, the portion that is the most ill affected.

Most obviously taking a walk down a street and being exposed is also not relative to being in a closed environment with improper air circulation.

Personally speaking, I did not enjoy the "tone" of your submission....was it intended to insult those who have the most sensitive response level?

Sharon Sawyer Cross

School Health and Safety Association

[Guest guest]

Well. First I'd kick them and push them into the street.

Then I'd put them into an SCBA with a pressure demand regulator. No,

wait, I'd put them in an air supply system with a manifold on the back

of their chair with a pressure demand regulator. The respirator, not

the chair. Then I'd fit test them with a mixture of irritant smoke and

bitrex and bannana oil just to make sure we cover all the bases - can't

use saccharine, it is full of carcinogens maybe.

Then I'd send this email off and do some real, but less entertaining,

work.

It's primary elections day in Minnesota - that's probably why I'm so

cynical today.

D

Sawyercros@... wrote:

In a message dated 9/14/2004 7:43:49 AM Eastern Standard Time,

iequality writes:

My final question relates to what this list believes is

the

appropriate respiratory protection to use when we take a

walk in our neighborhood to prevent exposure to the

significant amounts of allergens and mold we are

continually exposed to and typically exceed (by powers of

ten) the levels seen in our healthy homes??

Let's get a grip already...

Good luck to all,

Mike McGuinness

Mike,

With

great respect I submit the following. Just as I would not make fun of

someone who is in a wheelchair I would not make fun of someone who may

have a "disability" that is less visible....i.e. allergic response.

There are indeed some people that, even with immunological

shots, cannot walk outside on certain days when the spore counts are

very high.....so your question about respiratory protection for these

people who be quite different than those who have no problem.

I, for one, do not enjoy reading comments such as yours with the

knowledge that you are in the industry and yet have no clear

understanding of the people who suffer the most from the elements that

you are supposed to be dealing with. Clearly, you don't know this

portion of your market, the portion that is the most ill affected.

Most obviously taking a walk down a street and being exposed is

also not relative to being in a closed environment with improper air

circulation.

Personally speaking, I did not enjoy the "tone" of your

submission....was it intended to insult those who have the most

sensitive response level?

Sharon Sawyer Cross

School Health and Safety Association

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[Guest guest]

Hah,! Very Funny on those silly hysterical mold crazies.

Well, I know of a store that is a good slammer and one day I saw a

lady don a VOC rated respirator before entering.

It is totally appropriate protection for someone who has learned by

experience that this is necessary.

I wanted to run after her and ask why she even goes in.

Probably for the pharmacy that was inside the store.

In 1987 I had a great opportunity to witness what personal steps

sensitized individuals have to take in order to determine their own

safe levels of exposure.

I was standing in a line of several hundred people in a place where

doing something crazy like suddenly sitting down would call attention

to yourself. But I was getting a major " mold hit " and standing was

becoming increasingly difficult and I finally said " The hell with it "

and plunked my butt down on the floor.

As I did, I wondered if there might be others in the room who were

similarly affected. I could see that other people were swaying

groggily and holding their hands to their temples in the

classic " mold salute " . Sure enough, as soon as I " made it OK " ,

others started to hit the floor too, saying things like " My God, I

can't stand up any longer " and " I'm so dizzy. My head is spinning "

and stuff like this. Out of about three hundred people, I would

guesstimate that at least half a dozen were affected to the point of

extreme difficulty in maintaining vertical posture and about thirty

others were obviously discomfitted by their reaction but were better

able to deal with it.

For years I've wanted to mount a camera in that building and assess

reactivity by monitoring postural responses to difficulty in standing

upright and try to estimate reactivity in the general population

without their knowledge of being tested.

It's a shame that there are many on this list who are seemingly

unaware that many people actually are living every day at this level

of reactivity. These are the people you are going to fail by

completely underestimating the level of remediation necessary to make

a place bearable.

You will learn. It's only a matter of time.

- the Stachysterian