Re: chemical allergies and sense was( drinking in the darkroom)

On Nov 2, 2004, at 7:45 PM, Judy Seigel wrote:
>
> Meanwhile, I strongly third or 4th Bob's warnings about the dangers.
> I've said this before but it can't be too often repeated -- Remember
> that some workers could put their hands in the dichromate for a
> lifetime without ill effect. But as my own allergy to turpentine
> proved -- one day it can be all over and no going back. After that I
> wasn't sure I could use photo chemicals, let alone dichromate -- which
> I have SO FAR by extreme caution. (For instance, even the trash gets
> removed *immediately.*)
>
> But it was always a struggle to convince students. The rule in the
> class was gloves for EVERYTHING, even/especially in the wash water
> where hands are more fully immersed for longer periods. But students
> would come in the next week and say their large-format teacher said it
> was impossible to develop (ie flip) film except with bare hands. There
> are still such macho characters around, who, having gotten away with
> it themselves figure it's safe. ("Real photographers don't wear
> gloves.")

As someone with asthma and allergies, let me also note that latex is
NOT the best choice for gloves, especially if someone intends to do lab
work more than a few times.Latex is not inert, many many people in the
medical profession had to change careers before the latex free gloves
came out.

Any one of the current synthetic latex-free gloves would better serve
folks, IMHO. I'd also recommend perspex/plexiglass face shields over
goggles for similar reasons. Quite a few acquaintances in the oil
industry lost chunks of skin and olfactory nerves due to acid and
alkaline splashes in the lab.

Yours in the fading autumnal light,

Gordon Cooper
Bremerton, WA
Received on Tue Nov 2 23:20:50 2004