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B. take advice from a lawyer specializing in disability discrimination law.

I'm pretty sure that people using any particular keyboard layout do not constitute a protected class of people. Much less "disabled".

It probably still falls under the scope of OSHA's ergonomics guidelines.

Cheers,

There is an investigation so we will find out eventually what happened.

I work at KSC and I have had fall protection training. There are certain times you need to wear fall protection. It has to do when you are working near an unprotected edge. You have to wear it when you are near an unprotected edge with a drop of 6 feet. The Pad is really pretty impressive because you can access most areas or the orbiter and a few key areas of the SRB's and ET. Before launch the access arms and platforms are moved away. Most of the Pad is protected by handrails and some of them are very strong since they get hit with exhaust.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=10757&p_table=STANDARDS

There's also this: http://ehs.okstate.edu/news/KAREN.HTM
Interestingly enough the above link had the uni recommend neoprene gloves but this link says neoprene is not good enough: http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19980309.html

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_toc_level=1&p_part_number=1910

I scroll down to "Subpart S"...

General electrical regulations it seems; can you point to which part of the subpart you refer to?

No holiday time,

-There are 10 Federal holidays, of which most employers will observe at least 6. Depends on your industry and employer.

no sick leave, no maternity leave,

-FMLA. 6 weeks unpaid leave, guaranteed. (though shitty employers can skirt this). Sick time varies from employer to employer.

no restrictions on hours worked, no mandated breaks,

-Varies from state to state. Ostensibly the Federal government only regulates interstate commerce.

few health and safety regulations,

-http://osha.gov/

can be fired without notice or reason,

-In theory yes, in practice not so much. Wrongful termination suits are exceptionally easy to file.

can legally discriminate, etc.

-http://eeoc.gov/ No, they can't.

It is like working in the third world.

Hyperbole much? There are lots of things wrong with employment in the US, but I'm gonna wander out on a limb and say that since you're not engaging in actual serfdom or subsistence farming, you're just a tad bit better off.

No, there aren't federal laws mandating the protections you outline, but it's unfair to assume that since the protection doesn't exist, the benefit doesn't exist anywhere. Most of us that work full time have sick time, vacation time, health care, and are covered by some form of overtime law or comp time policy.

You're a little off.
Outdoor air carbon dioxide levels were typically around 300 ppm 60 to 100 years ago, in fact, they've rarely exceeded 280 ppm for the last 400,000 years.. Nowadays they're around 360 ppm to 400 ppm - that's 20% more than just 50 years ago - a pretty abrupt change. It's also more than 25% above the previous four interglacial CO2 peak levels.
Indoor air carbon dioxide levels are typically kept around 600 ppm (at least, that's the attempt). Above 800 to 1000 ppm there's probably inadequate ventilation, though that may be using the CO2 level as a surrogate for other indoor air pollution as much as a direct problem of too much CO2. Above around 1,000 ppm people begin to complain of headaches and drowsiness
OSHA's 8-hour limit is 5,000 ppm, which you might find in an industrial environment. At that level you're also significantly affecting the percentage of O2 in the air.

"The UV band in general is absolutely considered to be ionizing."

No, it is not "in general".

See http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q2111.html.

and http://ehs.uky.edu/biosafety/uv_radiation.html

and http://yarchive.net/env/ultraviolet_dna_damage.html

and http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiation_nonionizing/index.html#ultraviolet

and http://www.icnirp.de/PubOptical.htm

Again, vacuum ultraviolet is something people will never come into contact with since you'd literally have to be in a vacuum to do so.
So in terms of the UV that anyone cares about from a health standpoint, it is not ionizing.

Full disclosure: I'm not American.

After the Texas City refinery disaster, not a lot of Houstonians are keen on giving BP any "second" chances. These asshats have a history of cutting corners and killing people. OSHA slapped them on the wrist last year. A record-breaking fine is just two days' profit for this company. Instead of "let the punishment fit the crime," it should be "let the punishment fit the wallet."

Occupational Exposure of Police Officers to Microwave Radiation
  From Traffic Radar Devices

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/fnradpub.html

For those really interested in this sort of issue, read the document accessible via the following link. There was a near miss when BP was drilling the Thunder Horse well, and this paper documents how it was handled. We're not talking about a bunch of amateurs here, on the BP side or the Transocean side. That's why this incident needs to be understood - it caught a bunch of very good people by surprise:
NOAA Report

Google cache

Second - OSHA's website has some of the best diagrams:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/oilandgas/well_completion/well_completion.html

Third - the specs from this platform/ship:
http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Deepwater-Horizon-56C17.html?LayoutID=17 -- check out "Thrusters: 8 x Kamewa rated 7375 hp each, fixed propeller, full 360 deg azimuth"

JGG

Technically it's a recommendation: Section III, chapter 2, subsection V. Heat stress is Section III, chapter 4 with plenty of formulas.

Technically it's a recommendation: Section III, chapter 2, subsection V. Heat stress is Section III, chapter 4 with plenty of formulas.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/silicacrystalline/index.html

OSHA seems that exposure to silica in the crystalline form is bad stuff.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/health/#chronic

Volcanoes, like the one in Iceland currently erupting release large amounts of the stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_Caldera#Volcanic_hazards

Think of the air traffic delay if Yellowstone went off!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckleberry_Ridge_Tuff

Its is a shame your arguments where so poor because I agree with your conclusion.

Is that why it has been observed that children living under power lines had a 70% increased risk of leukemia?? Is that why DDT has been sprayed directly onto people as a standard anti-mosquito practice?. Is that why asbestos has been used extensively as an insulator and structural material? Is that why lead paint has been the standard paint for home renovation and art? Is that why gasoline is carcinogenic? Is that why wet Portland cement causes serious health problems which include severe burns that damage nerves?

Just because something is banal, widely used and is seen as an accepted practice it doesn't mean that it is perfectly safe and free from any nasty side effects. History has a pretty long damning list of cases where the dangers are only known after the stuff that causes them is widely deployed.

That is, "clean-ish".

    If 70% of their generation is hydro or nuclear, that still leaves 30% that isn't.

    Hydroelectric plants have their drawbacks. To build them, a large area has to be dammed up. This changes the flow of a natural river. Large areas upstream are flooded to make it. Downstream, the natural flow is frequently reduced, which can cause many other problems.

    Nuclear plants are clean, except they usually have a large warm water outlet that changes the environment around it. That water is frequently contaminated with heavy metals. Not nuclear waste, but corrosion from the metal pipes from the inlet, through the heat exchanger and generators, on out to the exhaust. The spent fuel rods aren't exactly the cleanest thing either, but they end up going somewhere.

        I won't say that changes away from dirtier plants isn't a good thing. We just have to really consider what we're doing, rather than blind faith in "new tech will save us". IF someone invented a new power generator tomorrow that seemed to have no emissions and would run seemingly forever, I'd still want to know what the drawbacks are. Oh like, 1 in 4 people within a 100 mile radius will die because of a previously unknown radiation. Bah, that'd never happen.

Well, if your employer exposed you to 151 dB, it WOULD be against the law (scroll down for table G-16 and read the footnote, maximum impulse noise level is 140 dB):
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9735

Also note that OSHA standards are weak. Most otolaryngolgists will tell you that 80dB for an 8 hour period is injurious. OSHA allows for 90dB.

Or even just stand. I went to the home store a few months ago and bought a $20 plastic shelf system, used a hacksaw to cut the legs to the right length, and made two shelves: one for my keyboard and trackball and one for my monitor. I made sure that I use the shoe insoles my wife (a podiatrist) recommended and haven't been tempted to go back to sitting.

I was nervous for the first few days, and the stream of co-workers dropping in to see me standing all day didn't help. Once the novelty passed (for them and me), it became second nature. My calves are in awesome shape. I've lost a little weight even though I had IV steroid shots for a joint problem. My back hasn't hurt. My posture is much better. It's almost physically impossible to get the after-lunch difficulty staying awake. Now, I may very well come to hate this later, but for now it's been a complete success with no disadvantages at all.

Tips:

• Get the cheap shelves so you won't feel bad about hacksawing them as you see fit, and if you give up on the experiment, you can use them in your garage.
• Customize your shelves correctly. The top of my keyboard is a couple of inches below my elbows so that my arms hang down a little and my wrists are bent back slightly. The top of my monitor is approximately eye level so that I'm looking downward at it. My doctors and OSHA agree that this is the best arrangement. This applies for sitting conditions, too, but if you're going to start with a new environment you might as well get it right from the beginning.
• Get insoles for your shoes, and not the cheapest Dr. Scholl's kind. My wife insisted on a rigid set and they've done more for foot comfort than I would have thought possible. Seriously, this isn't optional. Insoles. You'll thank me for it.

Or even just stand. I went to the home store a few months ago and bought a $20 plastic shelf system, used a hacksaw to cut the legs to the right length, and made two shelves: one for my keyboard and trackball and one for my monitor. I made sure that I use the shoe insoles my wife (a podiatrist) recommended and haven't been tempted to go back to sitting.

I was nervous for the first few days, and the stream of co-workers dropping in to see me standing all day didn't help. Once the novelty passed (for them and me), it became second nature. My calves are in awesome shape. I've lost a little weight even though I had IV steroid shots for a joint problem. My back hasn't hurt. My posture is much better. It's almost physically impossible to get the after-lunch difficulty staying awake. Now, I may very well come to hate this later, but for now it's been a complete success with no disadvantages at all.

Tips:

• Get the cheap shelves so you won't feel bad about hacksawing them as you see fit, and if you give up on the experiment, you can use them in your garage.
• Customize your shelves correctly. The top of my keyboard is a couple of inches below my elbows so that my arms hang down a little and my wrists are bent back slightly. The top of my monitor is approximately eye level so that I'm looking downward at it. My doctors and OSHA agree that this is the best arrangement. This applies for sitting conditions, too, but if you're going to start with a new environment you might as well get it right from the beginning.
• Get insoles for your shoes, and not the cheapest Dr. Scholl's kind. My wife insisted on a rigid set and they've done more for foot comfort than I would have thought possible. Seriously, this isn't optional. Insoles. You'll thank me for it.

Any lab used for production or quality control in industry has to meet more stringent standards than an academic research lab. The rules to a certain degree assume qualified personnel and experiments without forgone conclusions. See http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10106

well, ammonium perchlorate -- pure, not this compound, is an explosive according to OSHA. How hard would it be to synthesize ammonium perchlorate from APCP? If it is not overly difficult, the BATF has every reason to be worried that mass distribution of this without licensing could open a channel for acquiring explosives materials domestically and in bulk under the guise of "hobbyist". ?

You are assuming (incorrectly) that the BATF has the authority to regulate a non-explosive substance (APCP) for that reason. The legislation that created their regulatory oversight specifically says they can only regulate a substance if it's "primary and common purpose is to function by explosion". Thus by law they can not regulate something that, when misused or modified can be made to explode. Otherwise they'd be regulating your gasoline purchases, propane gas, fertilizer, solvents, dry ice...and on and on.

Secondly, more practically, making pure AP from APCP is technically difficult, would be very expensive and in the end make a lousy explosive -- there are much better and more readily available ones.

This compound is used to fire ejection seats out of aircraft. As well, ammonium perchlorate -- pure, not this compound, is an explosive according to OSHA. How hard would it be to synthesize ammonium perchlorate from APCP? If it is not overly difficult, the BATF has every reason to be worried that mass distribution of this without licensing could open a channel for acquiring explosives materials domestically and in bulk under the guise of "hobbyist". It wouldn't be the first time -- pseudoephedrine can be readily broken down to ephedrine, which is one of the components needed for methanphetamine production (and derivatives).

Perhaps someone with credentials in chemistry beyond self-educated (as I am) could comment on the feasibility of this?

asking a valid question isn't fear mongering. it wasn't that long ago that match manufacturers were still using white/yellow phosphorous despite its known health hazards and red phosphorous being known to be just as effective while not being lethally toxic to factory workers.

while i'm sure this technology can probably be employed without significant health risks to human beings, it's rather foolish to speak as if worker exploitation and endangerment never happens. heck, i think there was a story on /. just a few months ago about a chemical powder use for adding butter-flavor to microwave popcorn causing lung-disease in factory workers (it's only hazardous when inhaled, not when eaten).

i'm the first person to support the need for the U.S. to switch to an electric-powered transportation infrastructure, but that's no reason to be reckless and accept new and untested technologies unquestioningly. after all, a lot of American companies specifically open overseas factories in places like China to capitalize on their lax environmental and work place safety regulations. the days of corporate irresponsibility are not yet in the past.

I don't care for word processors much either. Have you tried a text editor such as VIM or EMACS? Ktouch, a touch typing tutor for KDE, has helped me. Good ergonomics makes typing easier too. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/

...right. OSHA totally rates mineral oil mist as a 1 (slightly flammable). Mineral oil is even used commonly in HV transformers, which reach MUCH higher temperatures than will be experienced by even malfunctioning computer parts.

There are several forms of asbestos:
SLTC Working definition of Asbestos: A term for naturally occurring fibrous minerals. Asbestos includes chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite (cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos), tremolite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, and any of these minerals that have been chemically treated and/or altered. The precise chemical formulation of each species will vary with the location from which it was mined. Nominal compositions are listed:
Chrysotile Mg(3)Si(2)O(5)(OH)(4)
Crocidolite Na(2)Fe(3)(2+)Fe(2)(3+)Si(8)O(22)(OH)(2)
Amosite (Mg,Fe)(7)Si(8)O(22)(OH)(2)
Tremolite-actinolite series Ca(2)(Mg,Fe)(5)Si(8)O(22)(OH)(2)
Anthophyllite (Mg,Fe)(7)Si(8)O(22)(OH)(2)

Of these 6 forms of asbestos there is no controversy whatsoever in the medical literature that all but chrysotile asbestos are carcinogens. There is a minority view that chrysotile asbestos does not cause mesothelioma (the signature cancer) but the majority view, is that it does. The debate, in my opinion, is largely moot since almost no 'pure chrysotile' asbestos exists - it is usually contaminated with small, but meaningful amounts of the other (amphibole) asbestos fibers at 1/2 - 2% concentrations by weight.

While the height does offset the too-low monitor problem

My physical therapist, my optometrist, and OSHA say that most monitors are too high.

But, it doesn't seem to make SENSE to me...

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/titaniumdioxide/recognition.html
Search down to:

HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

http://www.theorganicmakeupcompany.com/CA/titaniumdioxide.asp

"Titanium dioxide has a variety of uses, as it is odorless and absorbent. This mineral can be found in many products, ranging from paint to food to cosmetics. In cosmetics, it serves several purposes. It is a white pigment, an opacifier and a sunscreen. Concern has arisen from studies that have pointed to titanium dioxide as a carcinogen and photocatalyst, thus creating fear in consumers."

"The MSDS states that titanium dioxide can cause some lung fibrosis at fifty times the nuisance dust, defined by the US Department of Labor as 15 mg/m cubed (OSHA) or 10 mg/m cubed (ACGIH Threshold Limit Value). The ACGIH states that titanium dioxide is "not classifiable as a human carcinogen". Symptoms of chronic overexposure to titanium dioxide in an industrial setting, according to the MSDS, include a "slight increase in lung tumour incidence in lab rats". It also states "when titanium dioxide was fed to rats/mice in a carcinogen bioassay, it was not carcinogenic". The NIOSH declares that at 5000 mg/m cubed there was slight lung fibrosis, concluding that this substance was carcinogenic in rats."

http://www.ccohs.ca/headlines/text186.html

OK, I know the first slam upon me will be the lack of concentration of the TiO2, the means of entry, and so on, but STILL...

Go look up Hydrazine (mono-methyl or di-methyl) and it's dangers. Tell ya what..heres the link to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomethylhydrazine and OSHA http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_255500.html Think about how dangerous it is and how much of it is onboard (50kg or so). Then think about how much a good ambulance chaser aka "personal injury" lawyer could make off said dangers by suing Boeing, the Government and who knows else if someone's land was "contaminated" and there was an "injury". Then get back to me about if $60M is expensive.

Even a small leak at this plant can kill many workers or even people in a nearby town without them even realizing they should run away for safety.

and realize that if the ambient sound level is greater that 85 db, the company has to start a hearing conservation program... http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735 You really don't want to share a computer room and a office, and may not be able to and meet fire codes. You might want to touch base with the local fire marshal. Also, I am assuming that you are going to have limited access to the computer room - how are you going to have general access to your office at the same time?

(go even further.)

OSHA has something to say about the matter.

>>> According to Wikipedia, the OSHA maximum occupational exposure to mercury is 0.1 mg/m3.

And according to OSHA, that's the acceptable amount for a full 8-hour shift of work. At roughly 1L/s, that's about 3.6m3/hr, or about 3mg/shift.

Or the entire contents of a CFL every day and a half.

>>> Somehow you haven't quite convinced me that inhaling four milligrams directly into
>>> my lungs isn't going to be a bad, if not a deadly, thing for me.

One presumes you don't go around snorting CFL bulbs; if you don't, you're never going to get the entire contents in a short period of time. Indeed, you're highly unlikely to get the entire contents at all if you simply air out the room like everyone suggests, and based on the shape of CFLs it's unlikely that anything less than crushing a bulb would release more more than a fraction of the mercury.

It's probably not a good idea to take up huffing CFLs, though, as the "immediate danger" level of mercury vapour is set at 10mg/m3. At ~5L/breath, that's about 20 breaths per mg, suggesting that rapid inhallation of large amounts of mercury isn't going to be much fun. It's pretty questionable whether it would be damaging, though, as animal studies show that mild organ damage occurs after an hour of 30mg/m3 exposure - a human in that environment would have breathed in over 100mg of mercury by then.

>>> When I start buying as many computers as I do light bulbs, I'll try to remember your enlightening comparison.

Try also to remember that computers are often bigger than light bulbs. Size - as you may have heard - matters.

What is MOST CONCERNING: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium_hydride_bomb
"Even with these apparent problems, the great physicist Edward Teller pursued the work and detonated two of these bombs, giving off only a power of 200 tons of TNT. This was a great disappointment and discouraged further work."
(Suppose any terrorist group would be content with 200 tons of (radioactive) explosive potential and they would likely engage into research of this bomb type.
NOTE: The 1995 Oklahoma City, OK Federal Building bombing was caused by roughly 2.5 tons of explosives.)

The link FTA and two quoted paragraphs: http://www.hyperionpowergeneration.com/
"Safer and Self Contained
Often referred to as a "cartridge" reactor or "nuclear battery," the Hyperion hydride reactor is self- regulating with no moving parts to break down or corrode. The inherent properties of uranium hydride serve as both fuel and moderator providing unparalleled safety among nuclear reactors.
Sealed at the factory, the module is not opened until it is time for the unit to be "refueled," approximately every five years or so by the manufacturer. This containment, along with the strategy of completely burying the module at the operating site, protects against the possibility of human incompetence, or hostile tampering and proliferation...
Hyperion is Cleaner
Because of the inherent properties of uranium hydride, Hyperion is "cleaner," producing only a tiny fraction of the waste produced by other types of reactors. Water is not used in the process, so there is no danger of pollution to local water bodies. And certainly, operation of the Hyperion reactor does not produce any greenhouse gases and allows for a cleaner atmosphere. The energy per module generated is 27 MW."

IF Water is NOT used, what is this "Steam Generation" thing mentioned? .... even heat exchangers can do eventually leak...

This device appears to be a "Sealed" 'Uranium Hydride' Nuclear Reactor with a 'Deuterium Hydrogen Isotope' moderator or partial 'Nuclear Poison' to control the spontaneous fission reaction rate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_poison

The stoichiometric chemical equation for Uranium Hydride is noteworthy: (2)UH3 = U + (3)H2
Hydrogen is Extremely Flammable in our atmosphere (Deuterium is isotopic form of Hydrogen) and so is Uranium Hydride (UH3):
"Uranium hydride is a brownish-black or brownish-gray, pyrophoric powder." http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/uraniuminsolublecompounds/recognition.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrophoric
The flammability of UH3 and fuel-air detonation potential of chemically-decomposing UH3 and the Hydrogen generated was enough of a concern that the US Department Of Energy (Oak Ridge, TN) published a detailed study of the handling of UH3 in "glove box" conditions: http://www1.y12.doe.gov/search/library/documents/pdf/ydz-2351.pdf

It is possible that Hyperion Power Generation's PR "Spin" of its 'sealed portable 27 Million-Watt Nuclear Reactor' as being as safe as a common 'sealed AA battery' is incorrect.
Also, the suggestion that these devices SHOULD be used in third world countries is of great concern.

As suggested on Hyperion's web page, the use of these reactors for remote steam and electrical generation for oil extraction from Bitumen Sands IS cost-effective and DOES reduce greenhouse gases emissions for that process.
(It's a good thing that most of the Tar Sands are located in Canada and not the Middle East or Africa.) http://en.wikipedia.org/

Because he wasn't doing it safely. You want to hang off the side of a highway and get yourself or someone else killed hanging an electric sign for an advertiser, go ahead. But if the city or state agency sends an employee to do that without the proper safety precautions and that worker (or an innocent bystander) gets killed, that agency will be held accountable.

And unfortunately, accidents do happen.

a vacuum also conducts electricity .Maybe not as well.could they use a vacuum?

Only when there is a source of free electrons nearby. A CRT works by having an electron gun in the back. When it is dead, the electron flow stops. Add a small amount of gas and excite it and you have a low pressure plasma much like in a neon tube or plasma sphere. A vacuum is used as an insulator. Here is an example..

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/electric_power/illustrated_glossary/substation_equipment/vacuum_circuit_breakers.html
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=1601629
http://www.power-technology.com/contractors/switchgear/huayi/huayi5.html

no gas. no plasma. little arc from vaporised metal.

SUBSTANCE IDENTIFICATION

* Formula

N(2)O

* Structure

(For Structure, see paper copy)

* Synonyms

Dinitrogen monoxide, factitious air, hyponitrous acid anhydride, laughing gas, nitrogen oxide

* Identifiers

1. CAS No.: 10024-97-2

2. RTECS No.: QX1350000

3. DOT UN: 1070 14 (compressed); 2201 23 (refrigerated liquid)

4. DOT label: Nonflammable gas, oxidizer (nitrous oxide, compressed); nonflammable gas (nitrous oxide, refrigerated liquid)

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/nitrouso xide/recognition.html

Some things to read before you break open your piggy bank and invest in lead clothing ;^) ;^)

You can run, but you can't hide...

Now, what sort of concentrations are generated from a spill of 5mg in an average sized bedroom?
FTFOA:

EXPOSURE LIMITS

* OSHA PEL The current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) for mercury vapor is 0.1 milligram per cubic meter (mg/m(3)) of air as a ceiling limit. A worker's exposure to mercury vapor shall at no time exceed this ceiling level.

* NIOSH REL

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has established a recommended exposure limit (REL) for mercury vapor of 0.05 mg/m(3) as a TWA for up to a 10-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek. NIOSH also assigns a "Skin" notation, which indicates that the cutaneous route of exposure, including mucous membranes and eyes, contributes to overall exposure [NIOSH 1992].

* ACGIH TLV

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has assigned mercury vapor a threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.025 mg/m(3) as a TWA for a normal 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek and considers mercury vapor an A4 substance (not classifiable as a human carcinogen). The ACGIH also assigns a "Skin" notation to mercury vapor [ACGIH 1994, p. 25].

* Rationale for Limits

The NIOSH limit is based on the risk of central nervous system damage, eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation [NIOSH 1992].

The ACGIH has not published documentation for the current TLV for mercury vapor. The 1991 Documentation of Threshold Limit Values (6th edition) discusses the basis for the prior TLV of 0.05 mg/m(3), but does not discuss the current TLV for mercury vapor [ACGIH 1991, p. 881].

HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

* Routes of Exposure

Exposure to mercury vapor can occur through inhalation, and eye or skin contact.

* Summary of toxicology

1. Effects on Animals: Mercury vapor can damage the kidneys, liver, brain, heart, lungs and colon in experimental animals. It is also mutagenic and can affect the immune system. Rabbits exposed for a single 4 hour period to mercury vapor at a concentration of 28.8 mg/m(3) developed severe damage to the kidneys, liver, brain, heart, lungs, and colon [Clayton and Clayton 1981]. Rabbits exposed to 0.86 mg/m(3) for 6 weeks had significant brain and kidney damage, which resolved on cessation of exposure. Exposure to 6 mg/m(3) mercury vapor caused severe damage to the kidney, heart, lung, and brain of rabbits; however, dogs exposed to 0.1 mg/m(3) for 83 weeks had no microscopic indication of tissue damage [Clayton and Clayton 1981]. Mercury may injure the kidneys through an autoimmune mechanism [ACGIH 1991]. Mercury was mutagenic in eukaryotic cells [ACGIH 1991].

2. Effects on Humans: Mercury vapor can cause effects in the central and peripheral nervous systems, lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes in humans. It is also mutagenic and affects the immune system [Hathaway et al. 1991; Clayton and Clayton 1981; Rom 1992]. Acute exposure to high concentrations of mercury vapor causes severe respiratory damage, while chronic exposure to lower levels is primarily associated with central nervous system damage [Hathaway et al. 1991]. Chronic exposure to mercury is also associated with behavioral changes and alterations in peripheral nervous system [ACGIH 1991]. Pulmonary effects of mercury vapor inhalation include diffuse interstitial pneumonitis with profuse fibrinous exudation [Gosselin 1984]. Glomerular dysfunction and proteinuria have been observed mercury exposed workers [ACGIH 1991]. Chronic mercury exposure can cause discoloration of the cornea and lens, eyelid tremor and, rarely, disturbances of vision and extraocular muscles [Grant 1986]. Delayed hypersensitivity reactions have been reported in individuals exposed to mercury vapor [Clayton and Clayton 1981]. Mercury vapor is reported to b

Nice guess. Actually it's because it's an OSHA regulation that any atmosphere with 19.5% is considered an Immediate Danger to Life or Health (IDLH). Of course, I haven't done my own studies, but if you'd like to do some testing, your above sibling posters seem like they'd have no problem volunteering. Let me know how it goes.

get a professional, and use google - first hit on searching for fireworks electronic blasting cap. I have worked with profesisonal pyrotechnicians in the past, and its tricky business. You really don't want to be playing around with this without proper training. First of all, you will have to replace all the fuses on the fireworks you buy, which will probably render about half of them useless. Pro pyrotechnics are actually built with the options of electric igniters. the stuff you buy in shops isn't. you are probably better off making or buying fusewire and timing it on fuselength.

for proper electric firing you will need the fireworks to go with it. this means digging a trench, getting firing mortars, and proper shells. Also, assuming you go ahead with this, despite everything (and you somehow getting hold of all the stuff required) you will need to comply with a bunch of regulations (for the US, but every country has similar regulations). Think. there is a pretty good reason for these rules.

you are playing with fire.....

It's all about exercise. If everyone who played a lot of games daily took 20 minutes out of their day to stretch and do light, fully body exercise, then we wouldn't be having this problem. It's called muscle atrophy.
Another important thing is posture. Most people don't really care about it and these days parents don't enforce good posture on their kids, but if you sit at a computer or in front of a console in an ergonomic position you will never ever develop arthritis or carpal tunnel or back pains, etc. You can even reduce your risk of those things if they are hereditary.

- http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstatio ns/positions.html
- http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/Ergonomics/compergo.htm

Hmmm, and I'd also like to point out from the MSDS you referenced it states

Ingestion:

Narcotic. Human lethal dose probably 120-250 mg. In addition to its analgesic action, morphine may cause gastric disturbance with nausea, vomiting and constipation. Large amounts may cause central nervous system depression, respiratory or cardiac collapse, coma and death.

Wow, you really didn't do your homework, did you?

It shouldn't have happened in any industrial setting with any machine.
There are rules regarding Lockout/Tagout. The switch should have been shut off and a lock and identity tag place on it so it couldn't be turned back on by anyone. If ten people are working on a machine there should be ten locks and identity tags attached to the power switch in such a fashion that all ten have to be removed before the switch can be turned back on.
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergy/in dex.html

There would be some important safety implications here. If a capacitor has a capacitance that indeed allowed it to be charged in seconds and to store a great deal of charge, then there are some significant discharge hazards. A capacitor that can charge in seconds can discharge in seconds. As little as 50mA can kill (more info shock hazards on OSHA). Current (measured in Amps) is charge per time (1A = 1c/s). Capacitance (measured in farads) is charge per volt. A wet human acts approximately like a 1000-Ohm resistor. I'll leave the rest as an excercise for the reader.

Let's not forget about OSHA. If any of you have had to deal with the fear of an OSHA inspection at your workplace, you'll know what I mean. I can only imagine that schools are in fear of documenting everything they have as well, and it's much easier to clean out the chemistry lab than to acquire an MSDS for table salt.

Who do you complain to about Intel's "power-guzzling CPUs"? None.

Who do you complain to about your employer's loud working conditions? OSHA.

Anyway, it's in the millwatt range, and people aren't putting their heads or their crotches on the access point and nothing is going to happen. This guy that banned wifi is a complete idiot.

And you know that how? There is not enough epidemiological data available yet to KNOW how safe or unsafe exposure to some of the newer sources of microwave radiation is, such as wifi or cell phone transmitters. You are just one more of the eager users who refuse to even acknowledge that there might be a potential problem. One of the older sources of exposure to microwave radiation are the radar speed measuring devices used by police officers and there has continued to be concern about the rates of testicular cancer and other cancers in the relatively small group of users. Even after 30+ years of using radar guns, however, the best advice that OSHA has today is:

"The health concerns of officers who have used traffic radar in the past cannot immediately be resolved because of a lack of definitive scientific information on chronic, low-level effects of microwave radiation. It is possible, however, to make concrete recommendations about the use of traffic radar devices that will reduce or prevent future exposure."

Why would you expect that we know what the effects of newer sources of microwave radiation are if we still don't know what the effects of old sources are? In the absence of studies that can quantify the health effects and provide guidance for new exposure standards, avoiding unnecessary exposure is a good idea. Your posting that people who are attempting to do that are 'idiots' is not helpful.

I'm pretty sure if a 360 DVD drive was louder than a 757 and if you had watched a few movies on it that you would pretty much be deaf right now. According to OSHA