Topic: Daughter shaved down steel railroad tie, no PPE given-
2roads
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
My daughter take s a jewelry class in high school. They use emery boards to shave down silver, brass and copper. Other then when they work with lead based enamels, they don't wear any Personal Protective Equipment.
Today the teacher made her come in after school and for a finals grade clean up her room. Only she didn't clean, she was given the task of leveling out a steel railroad tie with a metal shaver and there was no ventillation on, no gloves, mask or goggles given to her.
Her hands were covered in silver looking steel, she has a blister, and her boyfriend says the air was thick around her. She did this for an hour, and it was to flatten out the surface where they bang other metals on to shape.
I am livid!
I am calling the principal tomorrow.
So she breathed in steel particulate for an hour.
What do you all think the consequences will be for her in the long run?
2roads
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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Dogsandcats
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
Quick thoughts Did you take pictures
Can you call your GP and ask the above ?
Have your daughter write out a statement of what she did and for how long....
I am sorry I don't have more for you. I am not trying to sound sue happy. It is just better, if she does need medical care, to have some needed information.
If you don't get more responses, maybe claify your subject line
God bless
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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philly78
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I think you are doing the right thing in contacting the principal. I would be livid as well!
I don't know what the ill effects would be, if any, so I can't really offer anything in that department. I would guess that breathing in that crap could irritate the lungs but I don't think permanent damage would happen if it was only this one time. Of course...this is just a guess and I could be wrong.
Was she coughing more than usual? Blowing "black soot" out of her nose? Any black particles on her sheets? These are things I used to see happen with my dad depending on what type of work he was doing. I would be on the lookout for such things.
-------------------- When faced with pain you have two choices....either quit and accept the circumstances, OR make the decision to fight with all the resources you have at your disposal. Posts: 1000 | From PA | Registered: Mar 2011
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2roads
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posted
I will call her Ped tomorrow, but I have so little faith in them after Lyme. I will have her write this outlandish hour out to take to the Principal. Thanks Dogsandcats.
She cleared her throat a little. Hasn't really coughed. I tried to get her to blow her nose, but she had very little mucous. I saw nothing on silver on it anyway.
I had her shower, and I will have her pitch her contact lenses and put new ones in.
This is a lesson for her. You cannot trust others. You must look at for yourself because very few people will.
I could smash this woman right now-
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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2roads
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Thanks philly78. I meant to add that.
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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lululymemom
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posted
I'm wondering if binders would help clear out some of the metal she may have inhaled.. Maybe a nasal rinse like a nettie pot.. Just thinking out loud..
Bartonella henselae 1:100 Posts: 2027 | From British Columbia | Registered: Jun 2010
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2roads
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Thanks,
I will look into this.
How maddening-
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
Offer her tons of chlorella 10-20 tabs 10 min before all three meals and again at bedtime. It will bind the toxins. Make smoothies out of it that are tasty. Now is the time to do it before the stuff settles in the different body compartments.
I just posted a list with several binders on another thread. You might want to look at them.
For aluminum detox - couple cups of organic apple cider vinegar in bathtub helps.
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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Dogsandcats
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posted
I sent my reply quickly cause I had an appointment.
Now, after taking a breath, I would have been furious with fire and steam coming out my ears, nose and mouth if it was my child. That is basic protocol to wear protective glasses, etc.
I was quite the mother bear, my advice is try to be factual and stay calm. I think sometimes I lost credibility and was seen as just "one of those moms" because I was so protective when it came to dangerous or harmful stuff.
With that said, pray and... you go Mom!
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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map1131
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I would take this straight to the board of education. I would pass the principle right up.
But that's just me. Oh I'd cc the principle with my formal complaint in writing.
I would have been a mad woman on a mission. It's better to calm down and write the letter and have your daughter do a summary of everything.
Your letter and your daughter's copies to teacher, principle, board and original for your file.
I would wait two maybe three days and call the highest person you can get on phone from the board of education. I would send all cerified mail, so they must sign for it.
Then I would see who calls me first. If it's the principle and he tries to pacify you. Go personally to the board office.
Remain calm but insist they change their toxic exposure rules to all schools, all teachers, all principles for next year. Of course you want a copy of letter from them.
I would keep all contact, all notes, everything you do to help your daughter detox this mess.
I would be one organized on top of it mama. Then the school system would acknowledge they did not follow proper procedure with your daughter and her health and well being under their supervision.
I would scare these fools to death. Legal action might not be needed. But I would have all my i's dotted and my t's crossed and DEMAND CHANGE in the future.
Good luck and use detox methods galore to be sure your daughter is safe. Even testing if you feel is necessary, at the schools expense of course.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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TerryK
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I'm sorry this has happened to your daughter. When my daughter was in grade school they sprayed pesticides all over the drinking cups, desks, floors etc.. This was years ago and I got no where when I tried to tell them it was not safe for the kids to be ingesting this nasty stuff.
I would ask questions cautiously. They will look to protect themselves so the more information you can get before the alarms are raised the better.
I'd find out exactly what the railroad tie was made out of. If they don't know for sure get the specs on it and do some research on the materials in the railroad tie. Make notes on everything said to you, who said it, date and time.
Get as much info as you can such as what the size of the file was because you may need to know the approx size of the particles at some time down the road. Get your daughter and her boyfriend to write down as much detail as they can remember.
Personally I would take my child to her doctor immediately and after doing more research on possible outcomes I might find a specialist to check her out if I thought it was warranted.
I've found that many ppl who are in charge of schools are ignorant about these kinds of dangers. Many years ago when I dealt with the pesticide incident the school nurse kept assuring me that the product was safe or they wouldn't be allowed to sell it. HA!!! Most of us know better.
Once they are aware that you are not happy I would conduct any contact with the school about this in writing so you have a paper trail.
edited to add: I didn't see Pam's post before I posted. She has some good ideas but before doing anything it might be a good idea to make sure you have your facts straight about exactly what material is in the tie.
posted
If its just plain old steel I wouldnt really be worried so much about the toxicicity, I would be more concerned with the lack of eye protection in doing so, always want that when dealing parrticulates.
As far as other dangers I grind on steel regularly at work ( machinist ) and never had any ill effects, like I say the lack of PPE is very bad on the schools part though.
Posts: 72 | From chico, ca | Registered: May 2011
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map1131
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gryphon, why are you on this site? I would assume you are ill with lyme & co?
How do you know for certain that you have ground steel at work and have no effects from breathing them for years.
Eye protection is great. But it doesn't make smart sense to me that you haven't protected your lung and your skin for years at work?????
So gryphon, I may be way off base here, but I don't believe I am. Anything foreign to the lungs over years of unprotected breathing is WARNING WARNING you are at risk for serious complications and illness later in life.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Map yes I am ill with Lyme but I dont see how that has anything to do with my job, especially considering I ve only been doing this for 3 years and had symptoms of LD before that. As far as breathing it in I never said I do that all that time, and in fact usually wear some sort of mask (PPE) to help.
Even the best protection isnt perfect and sometimes we breath a little in, I m just pointing out that I dont feel theres anything overtly toxic about simple steel. I mean its not mercury / aluminum etc. Plus I get it on my skin all the time and have never had an irritation due to this, makes me wonder what else was in the railroad tie ( creasote perhaps )
Unfortuantely in my profession this is the nature of the beast, and if people want to have nice machined and welded parts... well someones gotta do it.
Posts: 72 | From chico, ca | Registered: May 2011
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map1131
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I have family that are welders and they tell me safety equipment gets in their way. I'm just a safety minded person.
I don't believe the lies we are told about this and that being safe. I just can't image what is safe about breathing in harmful stuff or doing toxic jobs and there not be consequences down the road.
My husband is a meat cutter and has been for 35 yrs. They use very toxic chemical to clean up meat rooms and kill bacteria. My husband would not think of breathing in the toxins from the products they use.
I just don't see things as being simple metals anymore, gryphon. i'm sorry but I thought dentists and hospitlas could do no harm to our bodies too.
Before this illness came upon me I didn't realize that artificial sweetner that I consumed daily in my coffee was harmful to my health.
I didn't realize that all the silver fillings and silver crowns in my mouth were killers too and I paid big bucks out of pocket for root canal and all those crowns. I didn't know that you could go to the hospital with a simple surgery and die from the super bacteria(s) in our hospitals.
Safety is key. We have a member on lymenet that came to KY years ago to go to Mammoth Caves for exploration and he left this state and went home and became very ill from tick bites.
That was in the 90's. This member is chemical sensitive and his career was in a chemically toxic shop/warehouse. Before he could leave that job due to disability from Lyme & co, he also was so ill from the chemical exposure that I was afraid this man was going to die before he finally got away from the chemicals.
I'm sure they had protective gear too. I'm sure he tried everything when he realized it was slowly killing him to stay protected.
Maddog is finally out of that enviroment and I know the possibility of him detoxing his entire body from those years of exposure is going to be very costly.
Sad part is even his Medicare coverage is not going to pay for the type detoxing he needs to clean up his toxic body.
I guess you could call me an activists. I'm mad at CDC, NIH, OSHA, FDA, EPA for lying to Americans for all these years.
They allowed neighborhoods to be built on toxic waste dumps??????????? Children and adults are dying from stuff like this. Our gov put Katrina victims in toxic campers/trailors.
Really?????
Gryphon, please don't usually protect yourself. Protect yourself always from danger. Nobody else is going to take care of you like you can.
Just food for thought.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
2roads-I am sorry this happened to your daughter. As a teacher myself I cannot understand why this teacher would allow such a thing to happen. And how can you require this "cleaning" for a grade?
I make my students where goggles when using beakers and flasks even though they may not be using dangerous chemicals. Safety should always be a priority.
Teachers like this one give the rest of us a bad name. Sure hope your daughter is fine!
Hiker53
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 10177 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
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posted
i've never had children, but i would be over the moon if i had a child and they were treated like this.
any ingestion of something like that can be dangerous.
i have broken several old glass thermometers and even that scares me. one was in my mouth at the time.
keep an eye on her and detox.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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2roads
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posted
I realize now why she did it.
She has a history of safety issues per other students in the school.
But, my daughter and her boyfriend approached the house vice-principal (4 houses in the HS, one Vice per house) and complained about this teacher assigning clean up for a finals grade.
He ratted them out to the art teacher because she pulled them asside and said if they have any issues they should go to her directly. Today, her boyfriend also shaved down a railroad tie, but not with a metal shaver like my daughter, but a scratch pad. OBTW, he has severe asthma.
They were the only ones in their class assigned to the railroad ties.
I am getting them chlorella now and not sure if it will interfere with antibiotics that should not be taken with food.
Thanks for all the responses.
I called the Peds office too. They just asked if she had a steel allergy. Asked if she had a cough or runny nose. If not, she was probably okay from what they would guess.
I just ordered her new contacts. She had them in at the time. She said she has no more to replace the ones with from yesterday. She won't wear her glasses, and the order will take a week.
Someone please remind me that God will repay this outlandish behavior in spades to this wicked woman.
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by hiker53: As a teacher myself I cannot understand why this teacher would allow such a thing to happen. And how can you require this "cleaning" for a grade?
- This former teacher was wondering the exact same thing.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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2roads
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posted
I cannot change the health issue w/r/to my kids, but I can try to change it for others.
I also cannot let my own kids know that when you speak up you get helplessly smashed. I must smash back the best way I can to demonstrate maybe good will prevail over evil.
Despite all the health anguish, there is a political and moral mission I must now embark on.
Please prey that this women, who is the head of the art dept., is told to step down. I imagine she's tenured in some way, although not sure how that works at the high school level.
You guys know?
Any way, she must go!
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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Dogsandcats
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Thank you for updating us. I am not surprised that the school protects their own. BUT....the do not know that you are a MOM...MOM ON a MISSION! Keep going up the ladder until someone listens. How about a letter to the local newspaper? Keep copies of everything you write and every in person chat.
I am glad the two kids seem ok. But somebody has to make sure the proper protective gear is worn. what grade is your daughter in?
I will keep you all in my prayers....go get 'um!
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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2roads
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I wish I had you with me!
She's a junior,
Where did the time go?
Hugs
Posts: 2214 | From West Chester, PA | Registered: Aug 2003
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Dogsandcats
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We would make a team....all of us this board are toughened up from going through this horrid disease.
My sis and I call each other TOB Tough old broads.....
My baby is headed off to college.....where did the time go indeed.
Keep me posted!
-------------------- God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.
Billy Graham Posts: 1967 | From California | Registered: Oct 2010
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