Toxic Fumes...At Work?

[Greenday]

You know, being a chemist, being exposed to toxic fumes is something you get accustomed to. Ammonia? Bleh. You get the idea. But I never thought, that while sitting at my cubicle in an office, I'd have to deal with toxic fumes that bad.

This afternoon while sitting at my desk, I took a whiff of the air and immediately my co-worker nearest to me and I looked at each other and asked what that smell was? Then we figured it out, smelled similar to burning diesel fuel. Grossness. It kept getting worse so in my vast experience I came up with a great idea. Let's open the windows and ventilate the place so we don't suffocate on the fumes. Worked pretty well. Started to smell a lot better. When I went down the hall to get some candy, I recommended it to them too and it started to smell better.

So, off I go, sitting at my cubicle munching on my candy when the smell comes back again. I look up and see my boss. He's telling us to get out of the building and go home ASAP. Good call. Didn't have to tell me twice, I logged off my computer and got the hell out of there. The base's firemen were climbing the stairs, going to tell everyone to get out and probably test the air for various chemicals (I'd be carbon monoxide was moderately high). I was about to head down a long hallway to go out the entrance by my parking lot when I decided to just turn around and go through the exit five feet away. A cop outside the doors laughed and agreed with my decision.

I gotta say, the fumes were getting bad. Started to cough after a little bit from the stench.

[Trayol]

Wow, that must have reeked. Glad you are okay, with no permanent damage.

At the dairy store, one of the blenders has been on the verge of dying for several weeks. Last night, someone used it too much consecutively and it started to smoke and stink. Mostly stink. It took an hour after it was unplugged and put away for the smell to finally dissipate.

[MercenaryMuffin]

Ha, that reminds me of working with all the chemicals in the Army. Mostly the cleaning stuff...ALWAYS hazardous stuff, and you almost never had any warning about it. We're talking stuff that made your skin burn when it got on you, made you feel light-headed when you smelled it...and this just the regular cleaning supply closet. Walking in there should have required a gas mask, no joke.
And don't even get me started on the grey, clingy...goop...that was found festering under an old buffer pad. I think it tried to bite someone.

[Difdi]

One of the places I used to work at (thankfully no longer) was evacuated once because some moron mopped the floor with Lysol, washed the sink with Clorox, and then dumped the mop bucket down the sink.

The stupidest part of it was that the place used Lysol for cleaning everything; The moron had actually brought some Clorox from home because he preferred it for washing sinks. There was a reason we didn't keep bleach around...

[WhiteRose]

lysol is a base? i didn't know that....

[Greenday]

According to the MSDS for the spray, its pH is 10.

Smell came back today, luckily I had a meeting on the first floor and when I got back, the smell was gone.

[Andara Bledin]

Did they ever tell you what it was you were smelling?

^-.-^

[Greenday]

No, but I'm pretty sure it's exhaust fumes from the construction vehicle outside.

[Primer]

One of my earliest jobs was at a local fried chicken place. We were TOLD to mix ammonia and bleach in the closing mop water. We didn't know any better back then. Gee, maybe that explains some things about me today!

[bainsidhe]

Our factory was once evacuated due to a gas leak in the front (gas explosion, actually-the sidewalk went flying). As people were exiting, management kept telling everyone NO SMOKING. Because you just know there'd be one person.

[JLRodgers]

Our factory was once evacuated due to a gas leak in the front (gas explosion, actually-the sidewalk went flying). As people were exiting, management kept telling everyone NO SMOKING. Because you just know there'd be one person.

Yep.... I drove by an ethanol plant -- sigs saying "no smoking" all over the place, some so big you can read them a block away -- and there was a guy smoking in front of one. (including some about not letting cars idle, vehicles not allowed beyond some points, etc)