Larry The Fiber Guy

Sometime in 2009-2010, we were given bottles of Isopropyl Alcohol from our boss that had a fancy purple paper label with yellow writing.  This was different from the normal clear bottle with a purple painted label. 

Immediately, within the first use, my fingertips and other areas of my hands started turning white.  As I continued to work, the skin on my fingers started to peel everyday, and eventually crack, bleed, and go numb.  As a fiber splicer, the last thing you need, is your fingertips to go numb, lol.

Anyhow, I recognized these symptoms immediately as I have a form of Dermatitis.  Back when I was 15 years old, during highschool, I worked at a yacht club, part time to pay bills, and that company used an industrial grade cleaning solution that did the same thing..... white fingers, cracked skin, eventual bleeding, and numbness.

Being a military dependent, I had full access to the hospital and a dermatologist diagnosed me right away.

"The whitening of the skin is called defatting, Larry.  It's extreme dehydration of the skin.  When that happens, your skin loses it's protective moisture and after prolonged use, you will eventually have sensitive skin to chemicals and various soaps, and eventually after more continued use, you acquire skin disorders which you have now, and sadly, there is no cure.  You now have sensitive skin of the hands, for the rest of your life.  Try to wear gloves that go all the way up to your elbow when using any products that can cause defatting."

Ok, back to nowadays.......

Anywho, I discuss the issue with the boss, and he says, "It's just you Larry.  No one else is having problems with the alcohol."

So I say ok, go back to work, and while working on the same location with the other fiber techs, realized that all of us were having the same defatting issues, with our fingertips.  Mine was more severe as I already developed Dermatitis at 15, but regardless, it was a major hazard to all of us.  After realizing the risks involved, we decided to discard the bottles given to us, and buy our own alcohol. 

1-2 Years later, I am splicing with the boss in Colorado.  We are doing a fiber transport change management on a 24ct.  Now, keep in mind, in terms of speed, generally, I have spliced faster than my boss for virtually every single change management since mid 2009.  That is not saying much as I am younger, and splice more on a daily routine basis.  He is the boss, afterall.  This night however, as soon as we start splicing, my fingertips turned white, and eventually go completely numb.

I am thinking to myself, OMG, how is this happening?  This can't happen right now, I have 24 fibers to burn in an hour or 2.  WTF is this?  Then it hits me.....

When I was asked to go to Colorado, the boss gave me the alcohol from his splice kit.  I didn't bring splice tools to avoid security issues through the airport.  The boss had the alcohol and tools for me and I realized he used the old fancy purple.  So I become furious and unable to quickly splice.  The boss splices his location and comes to my location and he and the coordinator are chatting and laughing the entire time, and I just want to explode.  My fingers are burning, I can't feel them.  It's 50-60 degrees outside, and a rain storm is headed our way, but I am still smiling, and the customer still seems happy.

Eventually, we finish the job in 3 hours and close our ticket in plenty of time.  In the mean time, I can't feel my fingertips.  Upon our departure, I mention to the boss, hey man, I think you used that old purple labeled alcohol with the yellow writing.  That stuff that makes our fingers turn white.  I mentioned before, I can't use that stuff.  It's super dangerous on the skin and I have dermatitis from using stuff like that before.  My fingers got white and numb tonight which is why it took so long.  It's called defatting.  You got to get rid of that stuff, you can't give it to us in unmarked bottles.

"I don't know what you're talking about Larry.  All Isopropyl Alcohols are the same, there is no difference.  If you're skin is turning white, it's just you and it's your problem."

"Well, man, I am telling you, it makes all of our skin turn white, it dehydrates the skin, it's going to give all of you skin problems like what I have.  It's why we threw it out years ago when you gave it to us for the BC Ring."

"I never gave you any different alcohol, Larry.  I don't know where you got it from if it was different than what I gave you.  You shouldn't be throwing anything out, if you don't like what I give you, give it back."

"Well, I got rid of it and bought my own alcohol.  I tried to talk to you about it.  If you give it to me again, I am going to throw it out.  I wouldn't dare give it back to you because what happened tonight is just going to happen again, and someone is going to get hurt.  It's not worth the risk, we need to get rid of it.  You should clear the alcohol out of your kit to keep it safe for those who work around you and use your alcohol.  You are going to get sued one day.  And it's a safety violation for hazardous chemicals and no safety sheet and unmarked?"

"It's just you Larry.  I can't believe you wasted $20 by throwing it out.  And I only use one type of isopropyl alcohol, I don't what you're talking about with a purple label.

So, when I fly back home, I text message a picture of the clear bottle, and say this bottle is safe, only use this one.  The one with a purple paper label, don't get that stuff, that's the dangerous one.

I get a text back saying, "I don't know what bottle with purple label you are talking about.  You must have gotten that on your own someplace.  Don't throw out our materials."

So obviously I am like whatever, he doesn't get it.  The next day... I go to the office... and guess what's on the F'N shelf smiling at me in the face.......... 

DON'T USE CHEMICALS THAT COMPANIES GIVE YOU, IN UNMARKED BOTTLES, WITHOUT FULLY UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS.


BE SAFE OUT THERE, AND MAKE SURE YOU READ YOUR WARNING LABELS.

If you work for a boss like this, your safety is not his concern.  He will believe and hear only what suits him.
File an anonymous complaint with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. 

 BTW, IT IS ILLEGAL TO EXPOSE HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS TO EMPLOYEES, WITHOUT THE PROPER HAZARD SAFETY DATA SHEET OR DATA BOOK AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (IE:GLOVES).  IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE WORK AND/OR SUE THE EMPLOYER FOR DAMAGES AND/OR RETALIATION SHOULD YOUR REFUSAL INCUR SUCH.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO VERIFY:
The California Occupational Safety and Health Act (CAL/OSHA)