Now that the weather gets colder...............

[Chris Ryser]

I am bringing back a discussion that has not come up in a long time...........the long term damages done by hot lens dye neutralizer in a unventilated lab enviironment. The ventilation should go to the outside and NOT into a central air conditioned system.

Hundreds of Thousands of Optical Stores and Optical Labs Endanger Employees Health by Emitting Toxic Fumes Inside Their Locations World Wide

Hot glycol ether fumes are ingested on a daily basis in optical businesses, without owners or health authorities being aware of it.
(PRWEB) July 26, 2005 -- Most optical stores and prescription laboratories (estimating about 80% in North America) are doing lens tinting operations by means of conventional lens tinting units, which use a chemical heat transfer media to heat the dyes and the dye remover chemicals (neutralizer).

Specially the dye removers are made with ether or ethylene glycols that are heated to near the boiling point, therefore emitting very toxic fumes, endangering employees to liver and kidney damage as well as brain cells. Customers to these stores and residents of a building that has central air conditioning are exposed to these fumes. (This presents no problem if a ventilation hood is placed over the tinting unit and the fumes vented outside into fresh air.) These tinting units are on hot mode from early morning to closing time for fast access and tinting.

The largest offenders are some of the well known optical chain stores in the USA and Canada which advertise 1 hour service and are located in central air conditioned buildings or shopping malls, because they can not vent the fumes outside.

Some of these optical chains, are not only emitting fumes from daily heated tinting units but also from lens hard coating machines that emit fumes of butyl alcohol and other toxic chemicals into the central air conditioning systems.

This is all due to optical chemical manufacturers and suppliers that hand out MSDS sheets that do not mention the danger of toxic fumes when these chemicals are heated. Without heat they would not work. OSHA and other health governing agencies do not seem to be aware of these conditions or they would have made these workplaces safe for the employees, customers and residents of these buildings.

OMS Opto Chemicals has recently developed a non toxic water based tint remover that will not emit any toxic fumes and does work as fast or faster than the conventional glycol products, and furthermore it can be used for every type of lens without damaging any surfaces. This product has been formulated purely from surfactants (soap family) with water as its carrier. Any evaporation can be replaced with plain tap water until it stops working and a new batch has to be used.

For enquiries contact OMS, Opto Chemicals at http://optochemicals.com

A solution at:
http://optochemicals.com/products/in...ralizer_SF.htm

[optical24/7]

Now that the weather gets colder......


With that title, I thought we were goin' to talk about deer huntin'!


:cheers:

[chip anderson]

Speak for yourself. Our Winter doesn't start til late November or December, sometimes January.

Eat your heart out.


Chip

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Speak for yourself. Our Winter doesn't start til late November or December, sometimes January.

Eat your heart out.


Chip

Here in Tucson we have 2 seasons . . . Hot, and Less Hot. ;-) Though it does get a bit chilly at night.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Here in Tucson we have 2 seasons . . . Hot, and Less Hot. ;-) Though it does get a bit chilly at night.

I have a friend that used to live in Phoenix. He'd call us in January complaining about how hot it was and how sunburned he got playing golf yesterday.
Then, of course we'd call him in July,
"What? It's 110 degrees? Oh yeah, it's a DRY heat so it only feels like what? 110 degrees?":D

[Kyle]

Speaking of our lovely friends at the Overtly Salacious Harbingers Association, has anyone ever performed or seen a comprehensive study on the relative composition/dangers of what we deal with on a daily basis - you'll know what I'm talking about: when a former lab buddy of mine was handed one of "those" frames, he'd belt out "SOMEBODY PASS THE CRACKERS CUZ WE HAVE CHEEEEEEEESE!!!"

I've always wondered why we don't autoclave screwdrivers/pliers. If any bodily fluid supposedly falls within the boundaries of potentially pathogen-carrying, why is OUR neck of the OSHA compliance woods passed by as though it were unpopulated? Do they not realize what it is we're actually handling? I mean, I DO have a red beard AND have a stepmother but c'mon!!!

k

[renee1111]

Chris, does this neutralizer work on Poly lenses too?

[Chris Ryser]

Chris, does this neutralizer work on Poly lenses too?

renee..............it actually works on poly lenses as well on high index lenses besides your regular CR39;

Furthermore when you are going to discard it you can flush it down the sink or toilette.

This product is very green, environment friendly and works faster than than the neutralizers you are using.

[renee1111]

That sounds like a great product! I may just need to pick-up a bottle or two...