LIVING UNDER A SHADOW
Michael Mitchell
Government project manager
Fairbanks, Alaska
As a college student 25 years ago, I worked summers as an apprentice machinist. We had parts-cleaning tanks full of solvent, along with squirt bottles of MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) for degreasing parts. Like most of the other machinists, I would take the part and swish it around using my bare hands. The boss encouraged us to use gloves, but we were young and robust and invincible. Gloves were awkward, and there were no ramifications for not wearing them or listening to other warnings.
“One time, not long after I cleaned out a long-neglected parts-washing tank, I developed an excruciating headache. The doctors thought it was meningitis and wanted to do a spinal tap. I thought it was overexposure to chemicals, and I resisted. They were clueless about industrial chemical overdoses and didn’t believe me, but they held off on the tap. After two days, the headache subsided.
“I’m no longer in the trade, though I did construct my own house (as is common in Alaska) and continue to do a lot of woodworking. To this day, I live with an ominous, overshadowing concern that cancer will shorten my life, especially whenever a new health problem arises. I’m vigilant about using proper safety gear and procedures when working with power tools and paints, and I insist that my sons do the same. I do not let them work if they are not wearing the right gear or are performing a task in an unsafe manner.
“Yes, I agree that some of OSHA’s rules seem overzealous and lack common sense. But a ‘sixth sense’ of safety awareness, and a desire to run a safe business, is true common sense.
“Superintendents and owners must not only encourage safety, they must insist on it. Supply your crew with comfortable gear (the quality has come way up from 20 years ago) and train them. If possible, use testimonials from those who learned the hard way. If you can convert the hearts of young, ‘invincible’ crews to embrace a safety mindset, and educate them on how to work safely, they will follow the rules even when you’re not watching them.
“Either work safe, or get off the job.”
Acute exposure to high concentrations of MEK can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Long-term MEK exposure in animals has led to problems including fetal malformations and slight neurological, kidney, liver, and respiratory effects (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Other chemical hazards found in construction work include asbestos, lead, plaster and silica dust, and vapors from solvents, paints, and glues.