7 Sep
2004
7 Sep
'04
4:53 p.m.
From: "Vintage Computer Festival"
<vcf(a)siconic.com>
On Tue, 7 Sep 2004, Joe R. wrote:
Hi
I suspect the hazmat team over reacted just a little.
Mercury in elemental form is not all that dangerous ( or
most of us old timers would be dead or vegetables by now ).
It is most dangerous as salts or as long term exposure
to vapor.
We had a diffusion pump fracture in a lab once with
mercury in it. It did require that we had to remove the
linoleum flooring but we didn't all strip and hose
ourselves down. That is just plain silly.
This is typical over/under reaction of today's world on hazardous
materials. We fail to put things into perspective. We
also fail to consider all of the consequences of the
choices we make as well. Look at how we handle asbestos.
Look at how California handled MTBE. Look at how people
see using hydrogen to fuel cars. The list goes on.
Dwight
Speaking of that. A few years ago they had a
plastic bottle of mercury
sitting over at the surplus disposal at Patrik AFB (part of Kennedy Space
Center). The bottle had been sitting for a long time and gotten brittle.
Someone tried to pick it up and it shattered and spilled mercury
everywhere. They made everyone stay exactly where they were and called the
haz mat crew. They came and made everyone strip, yeah, naked! Male and
female. And then made them walk out into the parking lot where they sprayed
them down with firehoses (in front of the rapidly gathering crowd!) So
this is what you have to look forward to Sellam!
Excellent! I'll be sure to invite over the Swedish Bikini Team before I
spill any.
Tickets to the spectacle will go sale shortly.