With all the concern about proper ventilation, fume hazards are on one's mind regularly. My foreman had a distant cousin die from what the medical authorities considered a workplace caused death. This was several months ago. Several other workmates also came down with some sort of respiratory illness in the welding shop. After all kinds of investigation it turned out to be mouse droppings. This is another reason to make sure workplaces are rodent free. Most of the situations I have seen where rodents move into a welding shop are from garbage barrels full of lunch refuse. Randy
It's not only a health hazard, but a fire hazard, too. I used to get so aggravated at the slobs who would throw their things on the floor rather than in the can. I asked one if he did that at home. He said, "Yeah." I believed him.
I went to safety courses for a couple of years. I thought I wanted to be a safety man until I understood their job. Anyway, one of the leading causes of accidents in the workplace is poor housekeeping.
Tin Cats by Victor are a good trap for mice. Simple. Easy. Cheap. Reusable. Live trap so you can just toss the whole thing in a bucket. No blood, guts, or handling gory traps. Simple to set, simple to empty. Easy to clean. If it was just that easy to get rid of sloppy people.
And don't even get me started about the ones who spit on the floor or chew tobacco...............
Oh man Steve... Um...my tool boxes are sort of in a mess and I can't find anything cuz I'm really busy and stuff and I know my 5/8s wrench is around here somewhere I was just using it this morning. Um....do you think I could borrow your 5/8s box end wrench for just a little while...I'll bring it back, really I will.
Good points all - I had to run a Hog Nose snake out of the shop - No, not mice - it was cold and wanted the heat of the slab - He normally easts small toads and frogs. And a toe if you stuff it in his mouth!
Did a good fright upon first sight - no yellow so the black with yellow is a King, but dull black sharp tail - had me going for a while. Books are wonderful.
Martin
Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member
(Rodent infestation in the workplace -> illnesses)
Heard same from an old friend I met again yesterday who works in education sector here in UK. School is falling apart, asbestos in the roof -- and rodent-infested office. Collapsed at work, diagnosed with pneumonia and was in hospital for two weeks. Likely reason - the rodent infestation.
This death occurred on the Canadian Prairies where it is dry. Things don't get washed away like they do out on the West Coast. Fortunately the investigation confirmed that this was a workplace injury so the widow and survivors will be compensated. Someone mentioned about workmates being as bad as the rodents. I agree! I get right pissed off having people spit on the floor beside me. Now that I am older and have the right to be grumpy I voice my objection where in earlier years I would have not said anything. Randy
Google Hantavirus. Pretty unusual, but I think we had a case in our state this year.
I welded for a company once that did a lot of crane boom sections. You worked welding in all positions, as the booms could not easily be rolled with the equipment available once they reached a certain mass.
The overhead welders who had to lay on the floor were some of the best welders. Mostly the others could do flat and horizontal.
The floors got in such bad shape from spit and tobaccy juice, we got together the overhead welders one day at noon when there was plenty of spit and juice on the floor. We said that this composed an OSHA health biohazard, and that we would not work until it was cleaned up. I lead the charge, having safety training. They had to hose off the floor, and then it was too wet for anyone to work safely.
The next day, a meeting was held, and everyone was told that a person spitting on the floor would be sent home for the rest of the day.
The problem got better in a few days after several guys were sent home. Not much worse than laying on a big phlegmwad or splotch of tobacco juice in your $200 Carharts because some boob isn't housetrained.
Other jobs I was on had a no spitting policy. First time, the rest of the day off. Second time, the rest of the day off and the one following. Third time, you're outta here.
Something people always forget is that TB is controllable but not really curable. As for hepatitis the variations of different strains seems endless. Not all rodents have four legs. The guy working next to you could have a very long history before he arrived at your job site. There was a time that spitting anywhere in public would get you a ticket from the local beat cop. Randy
Other jobs I was on had a no spitting policy. First time, the rest of the day off. Second time, the rest of the day off and the one following. Third time, you're outta here.
Google Hantavirus; this is from rodents and is very deadly. When it first appeared in 1993 in New Mexico, it had a 70% fatality rate.
If a building has or has had a heavy rodent infestation, dried droppings can be inhaled or ingested if disturbed (as in cleaning up the droppings). The hantavirus infection can come from both ingestion or inhalation. Cleaning up a mess of dropping should be done with a welders face mask or respirator.
When i went back to my old job i spent two weeks cleaning up after the vermin. Used masks and a shovel and traps. Nasty work. I can't believe the clown who replaced me was such a pig, but then again I also ordered over $5000 in tooling to replace stuff he broke, and have been finding more as I go. Last spring some ne "mascots" appeared, pictures taken where they seem to live. What would you expect in Calaveras County? I named them Number 1, Number 3, and Number 4. I am careful to shoo them away in the morning after Number 2 had a premature "Burial at sea"
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