CA glue - adverse effects / liability issue?

[Thos. D. Carpenter]

Thank you, Mr. Simon,  for the thorough response.          Tom Carpenter
    -----Original Message-----
From: BSimon1234@AOL.COM <BSimon1234@AOL.COM>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Sunday, May 09, 1999 5:55 AM
Subject: CA glue - adverse effects / liability issue?


>Thomas Carpenter writes;
>
><<I`m thinking of trying the CA application.
>....if applying 1/2 to 1 oz. won`t the odor by overwhelming?
>....How long will it linger?
>....Will it be unsafe to inhale for a time?>>
>
>
>I have a lot of experience with, and interest in,  the above questions.
>
>Experience A
>---- I treated a grand with CA glue, tapped the pins, pitch raised, tuned,
>was there for 4 hours. Twelve hours later I easily could have gone to the
>hospital, but I thought I had just gotten a severe case of the Flu. My eyes
>were tearing, my nose was running, I was uncontrollably coughing, my lungs
>were burning, and I had trouble breathing. I was knocked flat for two full
>days, and canceled three days of work.
>
>Experience B
>----I did an internet search regarding CA glues, and got into some medical
>databases and the Material Safety Data sheets (MSDS) for the  chemicals
which
>comprise the CA glue. These are ethyl cyanoacrylate (95-100%),  and
>hydroquinones (0-1%). Amongst other hazards, the MSDS’s say “vapor highly
>irritating to eyes and mucus membranes above 0.2 ppm exposure. Prolonged
and
>repeated overexposure to vapors may produce symptoms of non-allergic asthma
>in sensitive individuals.” AND - lucky us, you can become sensitized to the
>chemicals after repeated overexposure!  ( I understand that the “odorless”
>stuff is just as bad, just a different ester, but I am not sure of this.)
>
>Experience C
>----I tipped an upright and treated it, windows open, big fan blowing
across
>block, me wearing new organic vapor canisters in mask. Treated it as fast
as
>I could, 10 minutes, stood it up and left. Didn’t take the mask off until
>outside. I was knocked flat for a day, same symptoms as in experience A
>above.
>
>Experience D
>----13 days later (the people went on vacation) I returned to this upright
>and pitch raised and tuned it  normally, without a mask.  House and piano
had
>been closed up. Later I felt mild respiratory symptoms for several hours.
>Proving that I  personally am highly allergic,  or sensitive, to the stuff.
>
>BIG QUESTION --- So what happens if you treat a piano and run like a
chicken
>thief away from the fuming chemicals in the piano? - The customer doesn’t!
>This upright’s owners, a couple in their 70’s, were frail. Where does it
>leave me, or them, if 6 hours after I leave they call the paramedics
because
>one of them is in respiratory distress? Do they sue? Am I negligent? Am I
>liable?
>
>They sell CA glue in tiny little bottles and tubes, as it is normally used
as
>a spot here, a dab there.  Now, out of the blue, tuners are pouring ounces
of
>the stuff into pianos and the piano sits there fuming off for days! Piano
>technicians, once the height of innocuous people, are in people’s homes
>acting like toxic waste dumpers!
>
>MY SOLUTION?
>The CA treatment is so darn effective, I would really hate to stop using
it.
>
>- I have a small oil-less air compressor that can feed outside air through
>30 foot of tubing directly into my mask. Good for me, useless to the
>customer. (not used yet)
>
>- I just bought 30 feet of 2” swimming pool vacuum cleaning hose, so that I
>might set a shop vac outside and suck air from a flimsy plastic sheet or
>cardboard hood which I can set up over the pinblock.  (not used yet)  I
like
>this approach because if accelerator is used, the “fuming” should be of
short
>duration, and the fumes are evacuated from the house, reducing my exposure,
>the customers exposure,  and my liability.
>
>- Move it out! Bring the piano to my shop, treat it with a huge airflow,
>protecting myself, then days later work on it and move it back, and charge
>the customer for the ride.  About zero  possibility of adversely affecting
>the customer or me.
>
>
>HAS ANYONE ON THIS LIST NOTICED OR HEARD ABOUT ANY NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO
>THE HEALTH OF THE CUSTOMER OR TECHNICIAN from doing CA treatments? If so, I
>would really like to hear about it.
>
>
>So, Mr. Carpenter, you asked good questions.  I will watch for the feedback
>of others.
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Bill  Simon
>Phoenix