View Full Version : Who's Sick after NJ Regional?
NeedMoreEngines
08-03-2006, 13:57
Due in part to the deteriorating cardboard-like floor stuff at the NJ Regional, I've been sick since Friday during the competition. A lot of my team members are sick and so is my family.
We basically inhaled bits and peices of the floor dust for 3 days straight, and by Saturday night I was spent out. I'm sure everyone at Trenton knows what I'm talking about.
Has anybody else had the problems/experience?
sorry if someone already posted the same topic.
Elgin Clock
08-03-2006, 14:33
I know for a fact that a letter is in the works and either has been or will be e-mailed to FIRST with this topic at hand.
I didn't personally get sick, but the material the floor was made from should be adressed in the future.
The field crew spent a considerable amount of time cleaning every field element before it was packed up and I'm sure it's not 100% clean.
KenWittlief
08-03-2006, 14:35
that stuff would be masonite? over the ice rink below the floor?
they use something similar at the Canadian Regional in Toronto.
Vince lau
08-03-2006, 14:44
that stuff would be masonite? over the ice rink below the floor?
they use something similar at the Canadian Regional in Toronto.
if i remember correctly the ones at the Toronto regional has a layer of carpet on top of it
Is it the floor, or simply the fact that the flu is everywhere right now? http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2005-2006/images/usmap08.jpg
Conor Ryan
08-03-2006, 15:17
What was on the floor of the arena was 3 layers (2 in some places) The base layer was ice, on top of that in some places there was a heavy duty plastic tarp covering, and on top of that was a layered cardboard. The cardboard quickly wears out after they have a 63 team pit on top of it. After several hours of usage you get a thin dust all over the place (you can actually dust off all the robots) I spoke with Paul Kloberg about it at competition and he said that Sovereign Bank Arena is supposed to have a new floor some time between now and next year, hopefully this one will be better.
I wouldn't say that the venue caused your sickness, it probably was just 3 days of being pretty close to 3000 people, during a part of the year when people tend to be sick.
Feel Better!
that stuff would be masonite? over the ice rink below the floor?
they use something similar at the Canadian Regional in Toronto.
Oh jeez, if it was masonite, no wonder you guys are sick:
http://www.australianhardboards.com.au/assets/pdf/Masonite_MSDS.pdf
Greg Perkins
08-03-2006, 15:28
after a few days at BAE, I got the FLU on sunday. It's now wednesday, and I'm just starting to get better...Doesn't seem like it's all NJ.
KenWittlief
08-03-2006, 15:32
I wouldn't say that the venue caused your sickness, it probably was just 3 days of being pretty close to 3000 people, during a part of the year when people tend to be sick.
that and the incredible stress to your system from being engaged in a 3 day / 4 day trip like a FIRST regional.
Lack of sleep
poor eating / nourishment
high adrenaline levels
pressure to perform under adverse conditions
excessive noise
all these things will drop your immune system ability to ward off illness.
Alex Minot
08-03-2006, 15:46
I contracted a terrible cold at Trenton Regional and now have to suffer it while taking the HSPA's!
Ricky Q.
08-03-2006, 15:48
Hopefully they are getting something like this:
http://www.stageright.com/3rdLevel.php?c=4&p=19&l3=1
This is what we use at the Kohl Center at the University of Wisconsin over the ice for concerts and basketball. Its great stuff.
KenWittlief
08-03-2006, 15:52
"Polar Floor! Its so easy to install, even a girl can do it!"
(Dont shoot me - its not my website!) [Ken hides under desk anyway]
It is Homasote 'ICE DECK'. MSDS here:http://www.homasote.com/msds.pdf
Per manufacturer, the material is made from ground up newspaper and held together with a wax-type bond.
I have had a sore/dry throat and nausea since Friday(but it is getting better), and my daughter has been to doctor(and out of school), but we believe she has cold/flue.
Well, not sure if it was Sovereign Bank Arena/FIRST related or whatnot..but I've gotten the flu, which really sucks because I have to make up the HSPA (standardized exams for juniors in NJ) next week. :ahh:
Unless it is a dust-related illnesss or started Sunday or later, I would have trouble relating it to the regional because in general diseases are contracted long before they actually appear (I think...) I personally got sick yesterday, but it was my fault - I decided to spend 10 hours on a project, which turned out well but tired me out.
wait wait. freeze. (no pun intended about the ice.. haha)
is that stuff that was over the ice toxic in any way shape or form? I'm picturing asbestos (spelling?) type stuff here.. .I'm paranoid, yes, but if you saw my HS you would be too.
Nuttyman54
08-03-2006, 18:29
i doubt it was asbestos, but all the dust MAY have violated OSHA standards...
KenWittlief
08-03-2006, 18:29
no, its mostly recycled cardboard
well... unless you are allergic to frozen cardboard
Wayne C.
08-03-2006, 18:34
kids under stress + poor eating habits + even worse food+ walking around a cold ice rink all day + contact with 100s of kids from all over the world = robo flu
Maybe the virus going around is the real "FIRST fever"
WC :cool:
Maybe the virus going around is the real "FIRST fever"
SO TRUE.
i'm not home with the flu, but i am definitely feeling sickly, and it's getting worse.
it's probably just the lack of sleep and the unhealthy food and the stress...
i doubt it's the cardboard.
i doubt it was asbestos, but all the dust MAY have violated OSHA standards...
i know it's not asbestos, but i'm worried that it's something similar..
and wait, what's OSHA? ohio state health admin? that's my guess
Personally, giving my first chairman's presentation put me under a lot of stress... Getting the material together and doing logistics work for outreach has been my life for the past 12 weeks and that alone took a lot out of me... to top it off, excessive cheering, lack of sleep, and stress in general was my explanation for my sudden cold. Could have been something at the arena, who knows. At least seniors get to come in late on HSPA days at HHS :cool:
Greg Perkins
08-03-2006, 19:47
i know it's not asbestos, but i'm worried that it's something similar..
and wait, what's OSHA? ohio state health admin? that's my guess
OSHA stands for "Occupational Safety and Health Association"
Nuttyman54
08-03-2006, 19:55
All workplaces are required to adhere to OSHA rules or they risk being shut down.
DonRotolo
08-03-2006, 20:08
i know it's not asbestos, but i'm worried that it's something similar..
and wait, what's OSHA? ohio state health admin? that's my guess
There is nothing to be concerned about.
Asbestos is so dangerous because it is inorganic - it never decays. Further, the special crystalline structure of some forms of asbestos make it embed itself into tissue, so coughing and other body functions that would rid you of foreign matter do not work.
The material is paper, with water-resistant glue. You can literally eat it. Not very tasty or nutritious, but not even slightly toxic. The only danger might be from a large piece of it hitting you.
Here, and in general, avoid jumping to conclusions without research. This will serve you well in life.
On the other hand, I was unhappy with the mess it made of my pants, jacket, and anything else that touched the ground. Not to mention, those few pieces that were sliding around nearly an inch - someone might have tripped (though nobody did).
And to those who got sick: Did you wash your hands??
Don
Jay H 237
08-03-2006, 20:14
that and the incredible stress to your system from being engaged in a 3 day / 4 day trip like a FIRST regional.
Lack of sleep
poor eating / nourishment
high adrenaline levels
pressure to perform under adverse conditions
excessive noise
all these things will drop your immune system ability to ward off illness.
I think Ken hit the nail on the head here.
If you're having the flu symptoms then you caught a bug. The dust may have just irritated your throat and only made you feel worse. Those with asthma would be affected the most. Going back to the post about asbestos or something similar you have to remember that even the people who worked with asbestos years ago didn't get sick right away.................it took years. It just doesn't make sense that the dust was the cause of the sickness, rather it was just a factor contributing to the discomfort already associated with a bug.
My .02
Nuttyman54
08-03-2006, 20:22
There is nothing to be concerned about.
Here, and in general, avoid jumping to conclusions without research. This will serve you well in life.
Don
I don't know if the link (http://www.homasote.com/msds.pdf) is to the correct product, but It does say the OSHA requires a resperiator if too much of the stuff is in dust form...
HOWEVER, this is probably much less of a factor than alll the things that Ken Wittlief mentioned.
ScoutingNerd175
08-03-2006, 21:03
My entire team (basically) got sick during and after nationals. It was icky. Reminded me of the days I spent working with kids at my theatre. When I go to my high school I get exposed to all the illnesses going around Enfield. When I go to regionals, I get exposed to all the illnesses going around 53 school districts in the area... on that note I think I need to wash my hands again.
Rick TYler
08-03-2006, 23:03
I don't know if the link (http://www.homasote.com/msds.pdf) is to the correct product, but It does say the OSHA requires a resperiator if too much of the stuff is in dust form...
HOWEVER, this is probably much less of a factor than alll the things that Ken Wittlief mentioned.
I wasn't there, but it is extremely unlikely to have been Homasote. Unless it was really soft and kind of crumbly... Someone else up there in the thread suggeste Masonite, which is more likely. Homasote is an old product that isn't used much anymore.
But, yes indeedy, long term exposure to heavy concentrations of wood dust can be dangerous (mostly nasal and sinus problems), but a couple of days in the presence of Masonite dust isn't going to cause permanent problems for anyone, and won't cause real short-term problems for anyone who doesn't have allergies or asthma.
And OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Bharat Nain
08-03-2006, 23:12
I don't know what it was..but it got me sick. NJ Regional does that every year...:ahh:
I wasn't there, but it is extremely unlikely to have been Homasote. Unless it was really soft and kind of crumbly... Someone else up there in the thread suggeste Masonite, which is more likely. Homasote is an old product that isn't used much anymore.
But, yes indeedy, long term exposure to heavy concentrations of wood dust can be dangerous (mostly nasal and sinus problems), but a couple of days in the presence of Masonite dust isn't going to cause permanent problems for anyone, and won't cause real short-term problems for anyone who doesn't have allergies or asthma.
And OSHA stands for Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
It was a Homasote product called Ice Deck. I spoke to Homasote yesterday. http://www.homasote.com/id.html
No asbestos content, it is made of recycled newspaper. My concern is the amount of airborne dust. I still have a dry throat.
It is commonly used to cover ice, however, it should have been covered with carpet or a wood floor to keep it from deteriorating.
that and the incredible stress to your system from being engaged in a 3 day / 4 day trip like a FIRST regional.
Try 6, one day getting there, 3 days competing, and two days coming back due to a snowstorm in the mountains. I'm not counting the food poisening I encountered the day I finally got back.
Rick TYler
08-03-2006, 23:25
It was a Homasote product called Ice Deck. I spoke to Homasote yesterday. http://www.homasote.com/id.html
The Homasote I've seen has a very crumbly surface, which is why I shot my virtual mouth off. It's a lousy wear surface, and I'm not surprised it disintegrated. I made the mistake of cutting some with a 12-inch miter saw one time -- little paper dust everywhere. It's as bad as MDF dust.
galewind
09-03-2006, 11:05
I got sick, too. Started off as having no voice, moved to heavy chest cold, then achy-flu-like symptoms.
I attributed it to a low immune system due to stress and overworking before the regional, combined with catching a bug from one of the 3000 people there.
That floor stuff, though likely not a contributor, was pretty bad. It wasn't even properly secured!!! It got mashed against itself pretty hard. Our pit corner station didn't even have full covering! I almost slipped on ice once when I mis-stepped. Thank God the boards were there.
felipe.tonello
09-03-2006, 14:29
I got sick too..
It's too cold there!!
30 F... brrrrrr :eek:
Here the normal temperature is like 90 F heheheh.. :cool:
But the good thing is I saw snowww... a little bit but I saw... very nice!! :D
NeedMoreEngines
10-03-2006, 08:26
Well yeah I know I caught something from someone, but the floor was the beginnning of it. Saturday and Sunday I was coughing so hard and coughing up stuff that looked like all the dust that had gathered in my lungs.
to that person who said there was a letter going out...THANK YOU
Alex Burman
10-03-2006, 08:34
I contracted a terrible cold at Trenton Regional and now have to suffer it while taking the HSPA's!
me too. Thankfully i just finished the science field test and now I'm all done
Corey Balint
10-03-2006, 15:37
About half of our team is down with some sickness, we've had kids out all week because of it. Ive had a small little cough/sniffle all week, but it seems to have developed more now. UGH. :(
A bunch of us who were at BAE also got sick last week in time for UTC, and so the germs spread. Yes, I was careful about washing my hands frequently, etc. For fun, someone ought to spread out a bunch of petri dishes or something all over a regional and see what you bring home with you. Or not. :ahh:
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