Summary-line: 30-Apr bitter@allegro.tti.com #chemical sprayed in office Return-Path: Date: Tue, 30 Apr 91 11:40:23 PDT From: bitter@allegro.tti.com (Bitter) To: cnorman@ucsd.edu Cc: immune@weber.ucsd.edu, cnorman@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: chemical sprayed in office *** EOOH *** Return-Path: Date: Tue, 30 Apr 91 11:40:23 PDT From: bitter@allegro.tti.com (Bitter) To: cnorman@ucsd.edu Cc: immune@weber.ucsd.edu, cnorman@weber.ucsd.edu Subject: chemical sprayed in office [Please post. --is this mailing list still active?] The inside of my office was just sprayed with a chemical for Pest Control, and I am physically ill and can't go near it. I am sending this from another office. I'm pretty upset (besides being ill) because I saw this coming and just YESTERDAY made a direct specific request to our company facilities department to definitely not use chemicals in my office without consulting me first and telling me the chemical. I just called back and the woman I spoke to yesterday was surprised and sorry that the message didn't get passed on to the sprayer. So it's too late, and now I'm trying to figure out what to do. I found out that the name of the chemical they used is "Cypermethin" and it's "the most mild chemical we use". The man from the Pest Control company said "you may want to take a few minutes break before going back into your office". Is that what they told the citizens of Chernobyl (sp?) after the nuclear accident? )-: Anyway, I'm trying to find out about this chemical and whether I can expect the effects to last for a long time. I am considering requesting (demanding?) a new office, although there is no guarantee that it is chemical free. I'm not thinking very clearing right now, but would appreciate any advice about this. I am not interested in any kind of legal action - I just want to find a way to deal with this. The best thing is if anyone has info about this chemical. I have a call into my allergy doctor. The hardest thing is that I am getting very little sympathy from my coworkers (who aren't bothered a bit by it) and my boss jokingly called me a wimp. He is generally pretty understanding if I can convince him that this is a "real" problem. I guess I don't look bad enough. Has anyone had experience convincing their employers about such problems? Gotta go now, and I think I may have to take the rest of the day off. Any advice will be appreciated. Mark Bitter