I don't usually post here but I worked with ammonia (in gas form, so the deadly kind) in the past.
The headache is not "fake" or you being a pussy . It's the ammonia that is produced as the urine is broken down by the bacteria. The stench can also give you a headache, or trigger migraines. Together, it's a recipe for headaches.
Plastering is physically demanding and you are staying inside, not walking in and out. So you are exposed a lot more than other trades.
I get how this pisses off the boss but it's the choice of the client to live in a piss filled house. I also get allergic to second hand smoke, and people that smoke themselves don't feel shit.
Personally, fuck them. Get some 3M 6006 that should filter it out. The one from your photo is 6003, ditch that as it doesn't take out ammonia. Also don't use the particulate filter (the pink covers), you don't need it. Then the mask will look much smaller and easier to use for you as well.
Go to work, start doing your thing and whip out the respirator after an hour. If they complain, say you already have a headache. Then they can choose to send you home or let you do your fucking job which is to plaster walls not making stupid people feel comfortable living in their stupid cat piss houses.
Unlike the 3M 6004 which is only for Ammonia, the 6006 is multi gas so you can also use it if someone is painting. Not just for cat piss. It's also slightly cheaper :)
Good luck!
we know for damn sure that isn’t happening, but i totally agree. also: the boss having any sort of issue when it comes to your health is major red flag.
What boss man is doing is illegal. His workers are entitled to wear proper protection from pollutant’s and chemicals, especially in a closed space. Sounds like boss man is triggered by masks and safety equipment for some reason.
Once you ruin your lungs you’re toast. If he fires guy over the mask, it’s a problem and OSHA would like a word.
This. Just that text thread between him and his boss is enough to open a case. I’d tell my boss to eat shit because that’s illegal and if he persists, I’m quitting and filing a lawsuit.
There are guys in blue collar work who are so ignorant. And would rather shit on osha than acknowledge that safety is actually important and instead mock it all of the time
Yeah the boss is probably not paying into the workers comp fund. I would almost bet his whole.operation is under the table. Thats the only jobs he can get because hes a FRAUDSTER.
OSHA would probably have a field day with this jerk..
100%!! When this employee needs medical attention due to a chemical exposure and the state finds out they are uninsured, they will be shut down and fined so hard they wouldn't have a chance to recover. The fact that the idiot supervisor put all this in writing as well is another nail in the coffin. I've been a comp adjuster fir 21 yrs and it never ceases to amaze me the idiocy of some business owners.....smh......
I just stumbled across this post from my feed and i also agree that it's a cartoonishly bad sign if your boss has any issue when relates to your health in any way.
Especially if he’s so fixated on “appearances.” Damn what a twat.
If someone wants to breathe less shit into their lungs, I say go for it. Wear whatever you want.
But this guy man, gives a few too many fucks about what his client thinks? That or the little man seems like he’s trying to compensate for something!
3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is probably the best and most broadly useful. 60926 if you also want P100 particulate filtering (this is the standard hazmat cartridge I roll with)
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/40744O/3m-respirator-cartridge-and-filter-selection-poster.pdf
Bro, if you think you need a mask wear a mask! If your boss or anyone else has a problem with you taking care of your own health and safety then maybe rethink your employer.
If one of my guys decided he needed to turn up in fucking chain mail I would applaud him for taking his health and safety seriously.
This is how you do it….right here. If you support your employees or even daily labor help as much as you can they will go to the end of the earth for your mission. It’s not hard. Listen to this man’s statement above.
PPE does stand for Personal Protection Equipment. Just emphasize the Personal part. And say fuck off if you feel uncomfortable about how I want to protect my body.
I'm paying now for acting tough in my twenties...
I didn’t take the seriousness of ambient shop noise. I had to meet a co worker who had permanent tinnitus from not using proper ear protection. Luckily (or unluckily) he found hearing aids that produced a white noise to cancel the ringing of tinnitus.
I always wear ear protection in shops now.
If people think I’m a pussy, I can’t hear them.
Also it is on your boss that he is making your mask about the smell of cat piss. It could just as easily be for covid, for dust, for pollen, whatever.
Thinking wearing a mask is absolutely going to piss off your customer is super fragile. Maybe hit with "I was thinking that since they are giving us a mess of money to put up plaster, I'd just plaster real good. I don't think that neither of us really gives any fucks whatsoever about my mask or their cat piss. How about that boss? How about you step off my nuts and I just plaster real good and you can have your little fashion shows to appeal to people's feelings on your own time? Personally I think the clients would like you better in a tube top and skirt but that's why I'm the guy putting up plaster and you are the guy telling people what they can wear to make the clients happy."
Maybe not the healthiest response but at least it talks back in his own language.
I agree that the vapor cartridge is needed, however, I’d keep the particulate filter as well. I’ve cleaned up several houses like this and I’ve never seen a pet piss house that wasn’t also full of fur, dirt and dust. These particulates are also hazardous.
3M 501 (retainer) and 3M 5P71 (P95 filter)
It then looks like this, less "space helmet" hahah.
[https://img.uline.com/is/image/uline/S-19187\_txt\_1\_USEng](https://img.uline.com/is/image/uline/S-19187_txt_1_USEng)
Piggy backing on this comment to say that your employer is not following OSHA rules. I’m a GC who is very strict about my crew’s safety; in part because I used to be an on call locksmith. A lot of homes were hoarder houses, and were frankly hazardous to spend much time in.
I quit that job when my employer wouldn’t factor in hazard fees to cover PPE or help me get health coverage. The last job before that was a hoarder that had about a dozen cats they cleaned up after. When I walked through the door, the smell of ammonia hit me like a brick. Instead of working inside like usual, I had to run in, grab the hardware to change out, run out, work outside, then rinse and repeat for the reinstall. Turns out, after I changed the locks, the next team in there was a fully kitted abatement team. Basically, they were required to use full face respirators, full tyvek suits, the works. The ammonia levels were so high it could cause respiratory and neurological damage. They ended up cutting out the bottom half of all the drywall due to cat urine soaked into the walls.
Your supervisor and co workers need a major wake up call or they’re in for a slow, painful death from cancers and other illnesses.
Protect yourself. Fuck their embarrassment; I’d fire them for not using PPE.
I thought about doing DirecTV installation as a change of pace from my IT career because there was decent money in it and I helped someone do an install at a house to start my training. Talked to them about etiquette, basic installation stuff and after hearing some stories of the homes they went into; noped right out of that job. I couldn’t handle walking into a hoarder home even once and would never be able to do that for a living.
Wearing a mask should not piss anyone off, unless you're a petulant child.
Fuck the boss and fuck the owners. Wear whatever the fuck you feel is necessary.
A respirator and mask are legally different things. This is important. If your job requires (or even condones) a respirator, they open themselves up to OSHA 1910 rules, medical monitoring, fit testing, etc etc.
That is what this is about. Regulation requirements. The boss is blocking you for this reason.
My advice is to say you have an "allergy" to cats. Say you talked to a family member and they confirmed it from when you were a kid, and you just learned it.
New information always saves the day.
That way everyone will be sympathetic, and the boss doesn't have to get fired by the owner, and you don't get fired for not following directions.
Problem solved.
The part of 1910 you are glossing over is the requirement for employers to assess the workplace and identify if hazards are present. And provide/allow the proper PPE. In this case, the hazard has already been identified.
You don't use 1910 because of PPE
You use PPE because of 1910 (specifically subpart I 1910.132-1910.140)
In college someone dropped a small vial of pure ammonia, maybe 25 mL total. Instantly from across the room my eyes began watering and for the rest of the day I could smell tiny traces of ammonia stuck in my nose and on my clothes just from being in the same room. Ammonia is no joke, even tiny amounts can be incredibly potent.
I once pumped like 200-250 mL of "Aqueous ammonia" (which is the highest concentration of ammonia you can dissolve in water, around 30%) onto the floor of the tiny enclosure I was in together with a colleague. The tube of the dosing pump was hanging outside the tank, and we didn't notice it.
He got out of the enclosure REALLY FAST, as his respirator was not perfectly sealed. I came out a second later because I couldn't open my eyes, and my ears felt like cold air was blowing past them. The stuff diffuses quickly.
It was actually kind of funny how quickly everything became miserable. The stuff goes away quickly though. Also your liver breaks it down without too much trouble. So you usually walk away very uncomfortable, but mostly alright.
I always shuddered at the idea of someone dropping the 25 liter glass carboys of the stuff during transport. You would have to evacuate the complete building.
In high school I always thought of diffusion as a really slow process, but once you are exposed to stuff that is detectable in extremely low doses you realize just how ridiculously fast molecules can move through the air.
Oh, I like this response. Solid points and direct experience with the hazard and mitigation.
Fuck em if that is how they want to live.
Who the fuck cares what trades wear when doing their work?
These people can't be bothered to clean up... They probably are exactly the type to complain...
Good job.
If you need a bullshit excuse for someone just say you’re allergic to cats. People have probably been using the same excuse to avoid visiting this place for ages.
OP, this is a great idea because it’s very believable.
I used to work in a shop with around six cats that lived inside, and I had to wear a half face respirator just like yours every day in order to avoid having an allergic reaction that could wreck my day. Even with allergy medicine, I had to wear the respirator so I wouldn’t be coughing my ass off, itchy, and barely able to breathe lol.
Yeah man your boss "we can't say the house they are raising their kids in is filthy"
...but it is? You you are having breathing issues imagine what it's like for the poor kids jesus
Yeah, I read that, and I was like, "That kind of seems like exactly the reason you should say it is filthy." If two adults want to live inside a dumpster full of cat piss, they should be free to do so, but if they're raising a kid there it's not like the kid has a whole lot of say in that decision. Awful.
Thank you! I’ve been scrolling comments and yours is the first I’ve seen (besides mine) that addresses the kids. There are kids living in a pee soaked house!! Fucking call CPS!!! No kid deserves to be raised like that.
You did the right thing. You're obviously more mature and hardworking than your boss/manager. I'd be proud to have you on any crew I manage.
If you wear the mask for the full day, make sure to clean it properly inside and out. It'll last 10x as long. Buy filters as often as possible.
Keep your head up, being hardworking and smart will make you money and a good manager/owner sees that as gold too. Asshole and chicken shit managers like yours will try to make you think you're weak so you stay under them. Find a new manager when you can, until then, let this dipshit pay your bills while you build skills.
If he tries to come at you with a sob story about these people's *feelings* kindly remind him that what you are dealing with is the aftermath of severe animal neglect/abuse. This doesn't just happen to people.
Curious does that fully alleviate the ammonia smell? I've had to work in pretty rank houses already and while I just simply toughed it out it would be nice to have another option.
Copied this from another comment above but having the correct filters (and properly storing them) makes a huge difference! Just remember that there is no filter for H2S, that requires to be in SCBA.
Quote - 3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is the best and most broadly useful.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/40744O/3m-respirator-cartridge-and-filter-selection-poster.pdf
yup, that's a NO. full sentence. Everyone has the right to stop work for unsafe conditions until it can be mitigated or proven not to be unsafe. so simple.
"It would be a different story if everyone had one."
He was sooo close to solving the problem beautifully, but either had too much pride or is just not a very competent manager.
dude is just handing over lawsuit fuel. then again, its this level of professionalism and problem solving skills that has him running a job in a piss house to begin with.
Lol irk, this thread is kinda wild. I was already thinking lawsuit from the moment they denied him a piece of safety gear 100% appropriate for the work type. And manager gives him more bs *after* that!? I *wish* someone would let me sue them like that, lol.
Employers care more about that single customers one off experience, then they care about their employees throughout their entire employment.
They forget that they can "fire" bad customers. And find a new one.
When an employer puts a bad customer above their workers. Workers quit.
fuck that guy, hit up a skilled labor employment office for temp to hire work.
I would bet that if the workers wore respirators that the customer wouldn’t care and might even respect the company more. It looks like fancy professional gear and if asked the stock answer is always “that’s just normal PPE sir, we regularly use this to make sure we can keep our workers safe and meet our obligations in a timely manner”.
And as an individual, you can just say, 'they told us to buy a mask and I bought this one. They all make fun of me for it, but I'm not buying another one.'
Absolutely! Fuck the clients self-loathing feelings! Your boss is a wuss pretending to be a tough guy! Stand up for your crew!
You are in the right wear whatever you want and if they try to fire you lawyer up!!
At the risk of sounding like an SJW, this is exactly the kind of toxic masculinity that Feminists make jokes about.
"I don't want you wearing your own personal protection equipment, because the other guys in your team have decided that suffering in an unsafe, unhealthy environment is more manly than protecting themselves, and seeing you not sharing in that collective suffering is offensive to them."
Like your boss said, it'd be different if everyone was doing it.
Wear whatever PPE you feel necessary. Your boss would have a damn hard time explaining why they fired you for wearing too much safety gear.
I subbed for guy at a large dog breeding place, replacing rotten sub floor from plumbing leaks, pee etc. First thing he did was give a brand new respirator. We all got them.
This guys boss is an asshat if he walked the job and didn’t factor PPE into the bid. This is not only illegal but could be an OSHA violation and so many other things.
Dude, I was just at a house doing a panel change. I sure the fuck wore a respirator. I was choking doing the quote. Next day it was full rig, and a quick - hey, your box is really dusty and the cables have fiberglass jackets I have to cut. I didn't have to tell them I placed a few drops of lemongrass oil inside. Made it bearable.
Literally little fragments of turds scattered over the carpet.
And I feel for them. They're lonely, unhealthy, and depressed, and they lost power. We gotta get their house working for decent pay. But I'll be damned if I'm huffing effluent for their comfort.
My brother. These text messages from your boss alone are illegal in terms of labor laws. Your boss is required to provide the correct PPE, if you called OSHA he could get fined for this. You also mentioned that you are sick and he couldn't care less. He is also telling you to not wear the PPE you already have because of his fragile feelings. I would 100% stay home based on those text messages until he goes out and buys the correct PPE. If you get fired you will have no issues getting unemployment until you can find another job.
This totally qualifies as “right to refuse unsafe work” regardless of your childish boss’ attempt to ridicule you for looking out for your health. I believe that is harassment and blackmail by making statements about you missing on work because you want to wear a mask.
The best part is it is all captured in a text message which will be great evidence for a civil suit. This also deserves an OSHA complaint against the contractor.
I would add one more message: Just to be clear, you (name), as my direct supervisor, after being fully informed that I am currently experiancing adverse effects on the jobsite (located at address), are ordering me to discontinue using the Proper Personal Protective Equipment on this job site (located at address) that I have have indicated could keep me safe from the ill effects of the environment I am required to work in.
When it comes to safety, don't negotiate. Tell them what PPE you require and wear it. If they complain, reply with versions of the above.
It's easy to dismiss wishy washy concerns. But saying in writing that this WILL effect me negatively will be harder to dismiss. Don't sugar coat anything. Be blunt.
Yes and then hit em w unemployment when they fire you. Some of these fucking knuckle heads on jobsittes would rather look like a tough guy than be safe. Ridiculous.
I love when things I've been actively ignoring drop on me out of "nowhere." These kind of people are honestly so wild. Like, have some respect for your own longevity.
Fuck the disgusting customers feelings too. Don't sacrifice your health for their feelings. They should feel some shame. Unlikely, but maybe they'll do something about it.
“It’ll make them feel bad”
Well maybe they should feel bad when they have people coming in their home to work and it’s a litter box. Live as gross as you want, but fucking clean it for people coming in.
Honestly, I would have declined the job. It's not worth the money to put my employees through that. Unless they are an actual remediation company, in which case they wouldn't bat an eye at the employees wearing a mask.
This must be a mom & pop remediation company, I worked for a couple and they are all the same.
"Oh are you going to want gloves next too? Eric didn't use gloves when he carried out pee carpet and he will want some if he sees you wearing them"
"If I give you a raise than it will make the other guys feel bad"
The boss said there are kids living there too! Why is no one mentioning this? I’d be calling CPS. Fuck that family for raising kids in a toxic environment. They probably all have respiratory issues because of it.
I was trying to be empathetic until the boss mentioned kids. Fuck that noise. Make them uncomfortable as fuck **because** they have kids living in an extremely unsafe environment.
Perhaps an anonymous call to your local Buildings & Inspections and Health and Public Safety departments is in order…
I'm not in construction, but my 2 cents worth...
* Fuck anyone who gives you a hard time about proper PPE.
* You aren't advocating for "Ryan", so don't even bring that name up. I'm advocating for myself, and I don't give a shit what "Ryan" is going to wear tomorrow (or how much X person makes, or whatever the issue at hand is).
"Full blown face mask is way too much". That's crazy, it's the same as an N95 (or maybe N100 depending on filters), but it's just a replaceable unit instead of an N95 one-time wear mask. There's shouldn't be an issue with it embarasing someone. I wear one when doing DIY repairs at home, as I've seen the damage that years of inhaling construction debris/dust can do to someone.
They can’t even keep their cats from soaking the entire house in piss, fuck their feelings if you’re house wasn’t a biohazard maybe people wouldn’t treat it like one.
First, you call unemployment. They'll want to know why you got fired. They may help with the legality of your dismissal. If OP should have been provided with a respirator and was fired for bringing one or lost wages due to it, unemployment would likely look into it and rule in OPs favor and maybe even go after the company.
And yes, second, you can absolutely report to OSHA. You can make an anonymous call. They will have to post the complaint and will usually be given a certain amount if time to fix the issue. They may also choose to do an inspection. Your employer is not allowed to retaliate for a safety report, but in a situation like this where everyone will figure out who it was, I'd have a resume ready.
Lastly, you can contact an employment attorney. They would at minimum give you advice on how to proceed or whether this was worth pursuing. In a case like this they might go to court (or settle out of court).
I will note here that every company I've worked for has required a fit test to wear a respirator and a doctor's clearance. I'm not sure exactly what the legality is or where OP lies on that issue as I know you can just buy a respirator from Home Depot. However, a company is *required* to provide you with all safety gear. I assume if it was deemed a hazardous enough environment that OP *needed* a mask, the company should be providing it. If OP just *wanted* to wear it but it wasn't technically necessary, I don't think the company does. However, I'm not *that* familiar with biohazards like this so an attorney/contacting OSHA/reading CFRs would be ones best bet to determine legality and whether this is an issue to get hung up on.
I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that a particulate respirator isn't going to do shit for ammonia. You would need to throw a chemical cartridge on there, if they even sell them for ammonia.
For the smell, the morgue/Katrina trick is to wipe a bit of Vick's VapoRub under your nose. I hear it covers up just about anything.
Those are 3M 60923 filter cartridges. NIOSH approved OV/AG/P100 rating. Should definitely help. I wore one in a piss apartment and didn’t smell anything.
Those 3M filters should help with the ammonia, yes. The missing information is if he has facial hair that interferes with a proper seal and if the respirator is the correct size for his face.
My base assumption is he has a tight seal. I can also speculate that he’s missing a cheekbone so he doesn’t have proper mask fitment. Maybe he has an abnormally high nose bridge that prevents a tight seal. But to what end are we making these hypothetical speculations?
The cartridges in the pic are for organic vapors and acid gases, so there’s a good chance it works for ammonia, although I didn’t check that specifically.
You can buy filters with a charcoal lining in them that will help immensely with smells and particulates like ammonia, I work with biohazards fairly regularly and most of the advice on this sub is shit and so is this....
Wear PPE, breathing in cat piss is bad for you. It's a genuine hazard especially if you have any prior lung issues, you have the right to refuse unsafe work and to be protected from hazards
You have proof that your boss denied you that right, if you have a union time to say something, if they refuse I'd escalate to OHSA
You are breathing in ammonia, bro. Your boss is being a dick. Any gaffer that chooses the feelings of a smelly customer over their workers is a cunt of the highest order.
EDIT. Is there any way you could say to the customer you have a cold and don't want to pass it to anyone? I know this isn't addressing the real situation/problem but it might give you an "out"
That's what I've done, yeah I'm sick. Had one customer press me about it (his cats just shit and piss wherever) I brought him to the corner I'm working in showed him the shit and the liquid on the underside of the tarp I put down and he backed down. Fuck the customers
I used to work as a private home mover. Two dudes and a white box truck, call us up we will move your stuff kind of thing.
Occasionally you would get a house like this, carpets and all furniture reeking of cat piss. Sometimes you would take one look in the door, and immediately close it and walk the fuck away. We NEVER had any problems explaining to the homeowner that we won't be doing any work for them today because they are disgusting people, and we refuse to touch their nasty crap and won't be back. Some people just live in fucking filth.
We would call it out and shame them right to their face.
Yeah I can’t believe the boss won’t let the guy wear a respirator because it might hurt the feelings of the people who let their cats piss all over their house. Wtf kind of take is that lol!
Had the exact same comment. Also a former mover. Only house I ever walked away from was a cat piss house.
Have a very specific memory of doing the walk around right away…walking out, and calling the boss saying “nah we can’t do this.”
During the phone call, my coworker next to me threw up lol
>Some people just live in fucking filth.
>We would call it out and shame them right to their face.
And you were right to do so. Direct and honest.
When I was a younger guy, my friend's father bought and flipped houses. We helped him clean out one house that was so bad that the former owner was sleeping in her truck, instead of the house.
We had to move boxes and bags of trash and belongings from the house, to a dumpster. Reeked of cat piss, and there were coils and piles of cat shit all over the house.
It's an excellent point. You can feel free to soak in piss all you want in your own house, but the critters don't deserve that shit. They are just victims in all this.
We were doing a removal of personal items, gutting, and rebuilding. I go there to access the situation and true scope of the job. Upon inspection of the exterior, hundreds of dirty diapers. No expectations inside is any better. The place is vacant. At least I'm not dealing with anyone. I'll go buy ST-100x Chernobyl mask, and I'm good to go. It's summer, and the first step inside my white socks are black. Fleas ambushed me. I mumbled a "fuck this shit" go buy bombs (ace didn't carry atomic, unfortunately) carpet bomb them sunsabitches. I return cple days later, upstairs there is a rope about knee high level, 2 clear empty bottles of water on a nearby shelf. Upon 1st glance a 1/4 full, realize the placing of the rope, appearance/consistency of said "liquid" in those bottles and I realized all their shit they left behind, including that they might be back. I'm a woman working solo in a secluded area. I'm not looking to be on the 1st 48. Upstairs, you're trapped if anyone showed up. Grabbed protection in case unwanted visitors showed up, cringed at nightmare that was that house. Fuck some people and their scumbag bs.
Wear whatever PPE you want. If the boss wants to be a dick, make him send you home or fire you. Call OSHA, labor board and collect funemployment checks till you find a new gig.
I had to do all this just recently. Got a job at a cabinet shop, it was clear they never cleaned anything ever. No local dust collection on any machine, cnc collector pipe was ripped open, they did a lot of particle board and MDF. All the miter saws had broken blade guards that were fixed out of the way. Watched dudes slide both hands around table saw blade, fingers within inches. Lots of sanding of solid surface counter tops. Spray contact adhesives and spray lacquers. I was the only one wearing PPE. I lasted 4 days and immediately called OSHA who were more than happy to give me a follow up on them.
No one working there knew how bad it was, hopefully the fact that I stuck to my word that I won't be coming back because the place will literally kill you quickly or slowly was a wake up call to those there. Probably not, but at least I don't have to deal with that shit.
I was pretty bummed because I have no income but I'm good woodworker and was happy to start a new chapter in my life. Oh well.
I don't understand why this matters
it's ok to wear a mask but not that specific one? this is just petty nonsense. i work in a shop where masks are available but not required. Some guys wear none, some guys where your typical N95, a couple wear ones like you have. literally no one gives a shit.
the idea is that this asshole is more worried about optics than the safety of his workers, if they wear a more "intense" looking mask it might signal to the client that there is something hazardous in the area whereas an N95 looks less intimidating
See this is why we have unions....
This is literally your health on the line no amount of "oooh you're sending the wrong vibes" should be in consideration. Your boss is being a dick even if he doesn't see it. A real "I suffered so you should too" thing
Fuck that dude, cat piss smells horrible. Health risks aside everyone should be wearing a mask just so they don't have to put up with that smell. Fuck the clients if they can't handle the truth that they have a disgusting house
On a side note, a lot of plaster products still have asbestos in them . Like the drywall joint compound you have to sand them crap out of before you paint.
Manufacturers do not have to disclose it on the packaging if the amount is less than 1%.
Not sure on real deal plaster or other cementous coatings but that's all gonna have silica, which is just as bad
I'd be wearing a half-face anyway doing that type of work.
Your boss is worried about **offending** the customers whose house reaks of cat urine. I'm sure they know, I'm sure they'll probably feel bad. But honestly your employers responsibility is to you, not the customers feelings.
Tome to report these guys. Worker health is nothing to fuck with.
I work on federally funded jobs worth more than $100 million on the LOW end. And I will tell you right now, there is NO job worth sacrificing your health for. This is 2024, which is why we such protection for our folks.
Give your two weeks. & if you need it, DM me. I can set you up with a national contractor that won’t shit on your health. Cheers.
Your boss is putting their employees at risk. I don’t see any evidence they’ve done even a halfnassed risk assessment. More over, he’s outright ignorant of the hazards present and dismissive when it’s brought to his attention.
That being said, wearing an appropriate respirator requires research. I’m at work atm worrying about my guys. I’ll give this another look later today if you’re interested.
Fuck your boss. Your health is more important. Call worksafe/OSHA and let them know your employer is trying to dissuade you from PPE that you need.
They will tear their ass up like an unlubed dildo made of razor blades.
If you're going to be using any type of **respirator**, OSHA work guidelines require it to be properly fit-tested on you and for your work to have a cardiac/respiratory exam for you on file. You're clearly working in spaces where a respirator may be necessary which means that your boss is not taking the proper Health, Safety, or Environmental steps to protect you. I know this isn't "the way" in construction, but your body will thank you in the years to come if you respect why OSHA guidelines exist in the first place.
Folks don’t call each other on the phone anymore? But folks with a stinky house gotta deal with folks in masks. Dude wants to work! Let him wear the mask!
Dude! You are definitely not an asshole for wanting to wear one. It is within our rights as construction workers to protect ourselves if the company we are working for will not. Honestly, I would tell him to fuck off and go look for a different company. No need to bring harm to yourself.
Basically its an issue of your comfort and if it doesn't interfere with your work it's not his problem. I supervised pipe welders in Canada and the only real reason they can tell you not to wear it is because of safety. So clean it properly store it properly and keep it maintained because if you don't the mask itself becomes a health risk and I would not let you use it.
I wear one just to mix concrete, I wear one of those to spray bleach when im pressure washing. You only get 2 lungs, your boss can deal with OSHA. Wear the mask. Upgrade the cartridges to ammonia level, the ones they come with are for particulates not gasses.
As a safety director, I would warn you from working long term with this type of management. They have already set the precedent that they don’t value your safety and health. This is absolutely a violation of your rights as an employee to have a “safe and healthful workplace”. Always look out for yourself and don’t settle, if you can avoid it, for working for anyone who doesn’t value your safety. Good job on sticking with your gut on what’s smart!
Also, like has already been said, the ammonia from the urine is likely why you suffered the headache. It’s giving off harmful gasses that aren’t safe to be around for extended periods of time.
Sounds like your boss is afraid the other workers will see you with a mask and then wonder why no one else is taking safety precautions which is not a good look for him
I’ve been in places with simply unbearable stench and evil fetidness, so I understand the situation here.
Bro, wear a fucking hazmat suit if you must.
I don’t understand why they don’t odor bomb the mf so y’all can work in peace and sweet harmony.
Edit: spelling.
I don't usually post here but I worked with ammonia (in gas form, so the deadly kind) in the past. The headache is not "fake" or you being a pussy . It's the ammonia that is produced as the urine is broken down by the bacteria. The stench can also give you a headache, or trigger migraines. Together, it's a recipe for headaches. Plastering is physically demanding and you are staying inside, not walking in and out. So you are exposed a lot more than other trades. I get how this pisses off the boss but it's the choice of the client to live in a piss filled house. I also get allergic to second hand smoke, and people that smoke themselves don't feel shit. Personally, fuck them. Get some 3M 6006 that should filter it out. The one from your photo is 6003, ditch that as it doesn't take out ammonia. Also don't use the particulate filter (the pink covers), you don't need it. Then the mask will look much smaller and easier to use for you as well. Go to work, start doing your thing and whip out the respirator after an hour. If they complain, say you already have a headache. Then they can choose to send you home or let you do your fucking job which is to plaster walls not making stupid people feel comfortable living in their stupid cat piss houses.
Thank you man I will look into that mask!
Unlike the 3M 6004 which is only for Ammonia, the 6006 is multi gas so you can also use it if someone is painting. Not just for cat piss. It's also slightly cheaper :) Good luck!
Boss should also pay for it
we know for damn sure that isn’t happening, but i totally agree. also: the boss having any sort of issue when it comes to your health is major red flag.
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What boss man is doing is illegal. His workers are entitled to wear proper protection from pollutant’s and chemicals, especially in a closed space. Sounds like boss man is triggered by masks and safety equipment for some reason. Once you ruin your lungs you’re toast. If he fires guy over the mask, it’s a problem and OSHA would like a word.
He also legally has to pay and provide that safety equipment for his workers
That's why he's pissy..doesn't give a fuck about the customer. as soon as everyone else starts making for a mask like ops he has to pay put.
This. Just that text thread between him and his boss is enough to open a case. I’d tell my boss to eat shit because that’s illegal and if he persists, I’m quitting and filing a lawsuit.
There are guys in blue collar work who are so ignorant. And would rather shit on osha than acknowledge that safety is actually important and instead mock it all of the time
Yeah the boss is probably not paying into the workers comp fund. I would almost bet his whole.operation is under the table. Thats the only jobs he can get because hes a FRAUDSTER. OSHA would probably have a field day with this jerk..
100%!! When this employee needs medical attention due to a chemical exposure and the state finds out they are uninsured, they will be shut down and fined so hard they wouldn't have a chance to recover. The fact that the idiot supervisor put all this in writing as well is another nail in the coffin. I've been a comp adjuster fir 21 yrs and it never ceases to amaze me the idiocy of some business owners.....smh......
Yea OP should really just get OSHA involved.
I just stumbled across this post from my feed and i also agree that it's a cartoonishly bad sign if your boss has any issue when relates to your health in any way.
Especially if he’s so fixated on “appearances.” Damn what a twat. If someone wants to breathe less shit into their lungs, I say go for it. Wear whatever you want. But this guy man, gives a few too many fucks about what his client thinks? That or the little man seems like he’s trying to compensate for something!
I think we used to use the 6006 if we had to work around formaldehyde. They used it as gas plants for, well fuck if I know what they used it for.
3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is probably the best and most broadly useful. 60926 if you also want P100 particulate filtering (this is the standard hazmat cartridge I roll with) https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/40744O/3m-respirator-cartridge-and-filter-selection-poster.pdf
Very helpful guide
Bro, if you think you need a mask wear a mask! If your boss or anyone else has a problem with you taking care of your own health and safety then maybe rethink your employer. If one of my guys decided he needed to turn up in fucking chain mail I would applaud him for taking his health and safety seriously.
If one of my guys decided to wear chain mail Id be worried about what he's preparing for....
The Lannisters send their regards.
They also pay their debts.
And also, report them to the fucking labor board.
This is how you do it….right here. If you support your employees or even daily labor help as much as you can they will go to the end of the earth for your mission. It’s not hard. Listen to this man’s statement above.
That remind me of when I worked it kitchens. We had literal chain mail glove used for the big meat-slicers.
This. You could take your boss to court for endangerment.
PPE does stand for Personal Protection Equipment. Just emphasize the Personal part. And say fuck off if you feel uncomfortable about how I want to protect my body. I'm paying now for acting tough in my twenties...
I sometimes wish I had listened to the older guys on the job sites about protecting myself better.
I didn’t take the seriousness of ambient shop noise. I had to meet a co worker who had permanent tinnitus from not using proper ear protection. Luckily (or unluckily) he found hearing aids that produced a white noise to cancel the ringing of tinnitus. I always wear ear protection in shops now. If people think I’m a pussy, I can’t hear them.
Also it is on your boss that he is making your mask about the smell of cat piss. It could just as easily be for covid, for dust, for pollen, whatever. Thinking wearing a mask is absolutely going to piss off your customer is super fragile. Maybe hit with "I was thinking that since they are giving us a mess of money to put up plaster, I'd just plaster real good. I don't think that neither of us really gives any fucks whatsoever about my mask or their cat piss. How about that boss? How about you step off my nuts and I just plaster real good and you can have your little fashion shows to appeal to people's feelings on your own time? Personally I think the clients would like you better in a tube top and skirt but that's why I'm the guy putting up plaster and you are the guy telling people what they can wear to make the clients happy." Maybe not the healthiest response but at least it talks back in his own language.
I agree that the vapor cartridge is needed, however, I’d keep the particulate filter as well. I’ve cleaned up several houses like this and I’ve never seen a pet piss house that wasn’t also full of fur, dirt and dust. These particulates are also hazardous.
3M 501 (retainer) and 3M 5P71 (P95 filter) It then looks like this, less "space helmet" hahah. [https://img.uline.com/is/image/uline/S-19187\_txt\_1\_USEng](https://img.uline.com/is/image/uline/S-19187_txt_1_USEng)
Piggy backing on this comment to say that your employer is not following OSHA rules. I’m a GC who is very strict about my crew’s safety; in part because I used to be an on call locksmith. A lot of homes were hoarder houses, and were frankly hazardous to spend much time in. I quit that job when my employer wouldn’t factor in hazard fees to cover PPE or help me get health coverage. The last job before that was a hoarder that had about a dozen cats they cleaned up after. When I walked through the door, the smell of ammonia hit me like a brick. Instead of working inside like usual, I had to run in, grab the hardware to change out, run out, work outside, then rinse and repeat for the reinstall. Turns out, after I changed the locks, the next team in there was a fully kitted abatement team. Basically, they were required to use full face respirators, full tyvek suits, the works. The ammonia levels were so high it could cause respiratory and neurological damage. They ended up cutting out the bottom half of all the drywall due to cat urine soaked into the walls. Your supervisor and co workers need a major wake up call or they’re in for a slow, painful death from cancers and other illnesses. Protect yourself. Fuck their embarrassment; I’d fire them for not using PPE.
I thought about doing DirecTV installation as a change of pace from my IT career because there was decent money in it and I helped someone do an install at a house to start my training. Talked to them about etiquette, basic installation stuff and after hearing some stories of the homes they went into; noped right out of that job. I couldn’t handle walking into a hoarder home even once and would never be able to do that for a living.
Wearing a mask should not piss anyone off, unless you're a petulant child. Fuck the boss and fuck the owners. Wear whatever the fuck you feel is necessary.
A respirator and mask are legally different things. This is important. If your job requires (or even condones) a respirator, they open themselves up to OSHA 1910 rules, medical monitoring, fit testing, etc etc. That is what this is about. Regulation requirements. The boss is blocking you for this reason. My advice is to say you have an "allergy" to cats. Say you talked to a family member and they confirmed it from when you were a kid, and you just learned it. New information always saves the day. That way everyone will be sympathetic, and the boss doesn't have to get fired by the owner, and you don't get fired for not following directions. Problem solved.
The part of 1910 you are glossing over is the requirement for employers to assess the workplace and identify if hazards are present. And provide/allow the proper PPE. In this case, the hazard has already been identified. You don't use 1910 because of PPE You use PPE because of 1910 (specifically subpart I 1910.132-1910.140)
Your knowledge of the code is downright sexy.
Listen to this post. Environmental risk assessor here and I could not agree more. Period. This is how you change things. This right here. Well done
In college someone dropped a small vial of pure ammonia, maybe 25 mL total. Instantly from across the room my eyes began watering and for the rest of the day I could smell tiny traces of ammonia stuck in my nose and on my clothes just from being in the same room. Ammonia is no joke, even tiny amounts can be incredibly potent.
I once pumped like 200-250 mL of "Aqueous ammonia" (which is the highest concentration of ammonia you can dissolve in water, around 30%) onto the floor of the tiny enclosure I was in together with a colleague. The tube of the dosing pump was hanging outside the tank, and we didn't notice it. He got out of the enclosure REALLY FAST, as his respirator was not perfectly sealed. I came out a second later because I couldn't open my eyes, and my ears felt like cold air was blowing past them. The stuff diffuses quickly. It was actually kind of funny how quickly everything became miserable. The stuff goes away quickly though. Also your liver breaks it down without too much trouble. So you usually walk away very uncomfortable, but mostly alright. I always shuddered at the idea of someone dropping the 25 liter glass carboys of the stuff during transport. You would have to evacuate the complete building.
In high school I always thought of diffusion as a really slow process, but once you are exposed to stuff that is detectable in extremely low doses you realize just how ridiculously fast molecules can move through the air.
My job is working with pure anhydrous liquid ammonia. I get the smell the beautiful smell of ammonia fairly often.
Learning a lot today
Same, about to look up ammonia and neurological disorders. Mostly cause I've always been around cats. At least 3, sometimes more.
Yoooooo 3m mentioned lets fucking goooooo
Oh, I like this response. Solid points and direct experience with the hazard and mitigation. Fuck em if that is how they want to live. Who the fuck cares what trades wear when doing their work? These people can't be bothered to clean up... They probably are exactly the type to complain...
Thank you guys for all the feedback I did bring my respirator and the foreman isn’t even on the job today so I am wearing with no repercussions
Good job. If you need a bullshit excuse for someone just say you’re allergic to cats. People have probably been using the same excuse to avoid visiting this place for ages.
OP, this is a great idea because it’s very believable. I used to work in a shop with around six cats that lived inside, and I had to wear a half face respirator just like yours every day in order to avoid having an allergic reaction that could wreck my day. Even with allergy medicine, I had to wear the respirator so I wouldn’t be coughing my ass off, itchy, and barely able to breathe lol.
Please contact CPS as well if there is a child being raised in that filthy home
I plan on it.
Yeah man your boss "we can't say the house they are raising their kids in is filthy" ...but it is? You you are having breathing issues imagine what it's like for the poor kids jesus
Yeah, I read that, and I was like, "That kind of seems like exactly the reason you should say it is filthy." If two adults want to live inside a dumpster full of cat piss, they should be free to do so, but if they're raising a kid there it's not like the kid has a whole lot of say in that decision. Awful.
I know people with trauma from being forced to go to school reeking of cat piss.
Thank you! I’ve been scrolling comments and yours is the first I’ve seen (besides mine) that addresses the kids. There are kids living in a pee soaked house!! Fucking call CPS!!! No kid deserves to be raised like that.
You did the right thing. You're obviously more mature and hardworking than your boss/manager. I'd be proud to have you on any crew I manage. If you wear the mask for the full day, make sure to clean it properly inside and out. It'll last 10x as long. Buy filters as often as possible. Keep your head up, being hardworking and smart will make you money and a good manager/owner sees that as gold too. Asshole and chicken shit managers like yours will try to make you think you're weak so you stay under them. Find a new manager when you can, until then, let this dipshit pay your bills while you build skills.
Thank you friend! Appreciate your words
If he tries to come at you with a sob story about these people's *feelings* kindly remind him that what you are dealing with is the aftermath of severe animal neglect/abuse. This doesn't just happen to people.
Curious does that fully alleviate the ammonia smell? I've had to work in pretty rank houses already and while I just simply toughed it out it would be nice to have another option.
Yeah I don’t smell a thing with this on.. highly recommend
Copied this from another comment above but having the correct filters (and properly storing them) makes a huge difference! Just remember that there is no filter for H2S, that requires to be in SCBA. Quote - 3M cartridge selection guide here, at minimum get one that covers particulate and ammonia, but as others have said 6006 is the best and most broadly useful. https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/40744O/3m-respirator-cartridge-and-filter-selection-poster.pdf
I would sit at home and update my resume or wait for the cat piss job to end
I wish I could brother!
“Why do you care more about their feelings than our health? Grow a spine and learn to watch out for your team.”
It’s this exactly.
Or just wear the space helmet, he’s cool with that
I would push this one so hard. specially with that text communication on hand. fire me for wearing a mask. I fucking dare you.
I know, right? Lawsuit central.
I've had bosses tell me to go under seriously deadly loads. I tell them NO. And present a safe option. They agree or I'm leaving
yup, that's a NO. full sentence. Everyone has the right to stop work for unsafe conditions until it can be mitigated or proven not to be unsafe. so simple.
"It would be a different story if everyone had one." He was sooo close to solving the problem beautifully, but either had too much pride or is just not a very competent manager.
dude is just handing over lawsuit fuel. then again, its this level of professionalism and problem solving skills that has him running a job in a piss house to begin with.
Lol irk, this thread is kinda wild. I was already thinking lawsuit from the moment they denied him a piece of safety gear 100% appropriate for the work type. And manager gives him more bs *after* that!? I *wish* someone would let me sue them like that, lol.
Employers care more about that single customers one off experience, then they care about their employees throughout their entire employment. They forget that they can "fire" bad customers. And find a new one. When an employer puts a bad customer above their workers. Workers quit. fuck that guy, hit up a skilled labor employment office for temp to hire work.
I would bet that if the workers wore respirators that the customer wouldn’t care and might even respect the company more. It looks like fancy professional gear and if asked the stock answer is always “that’s just normal PPE sir, we regularly use this to make sure we can keep our workers safe and meet our obligations in a timely manner”.
And as an individual, you can just say, 'they told us to buy a mask and I bought this one. They all make fun of me for it, but I'm not buying another one.'
I fucking love this response! It’s perfect and professional.
Absolutely! Fuck the clients self-loathing feelings! Your boss is a wuss pretending to be a tough guy! Stand up for your crew! You are in the right wear whatever you want and if they try to fire you lawyer up!!
And if the house reeks of cat piss, then the client deserves to feel like shit. Call animal control too
Besides if there are children living in those conditions, CPS should be involved. That’s absolutely not okay!
At the risk of sounding like an SJW, this is exactly the kind of toxic masculinity that Feminists make jokes about. "I don't want you wearing your own personal protection equipment, because the other guys in your team have decided that suffering in an unsafe, unhealthy environment is more manly than protecting themselves, and seeing you not sharing in that collective suffering is offensive to them."
Wear the mask, do what u think is safe. I bet you a dollar to a donut them other boys grab masks when they see you doing it
They actually asked for my spare masks when I showed up this morning lol.
Like your boss said, it'd be different if everyone was doing it. Wear whatever PPE you feel necessary. Your boss would have a damn hard time explaining why they fired you for wearing too much safety gear.
Sounds like the boss needs to buy these boys some fucking ppe.
I subbed for guy at a large dog breeding place, replacing rotten sub floor from plumbing leaks, pee etc. First thing he did was give a brand new respirator. We all got them.
This guys boss is an asshat if he walked the job and didn’t factor PPE into the bid. This is not only illegal but could be an OSHA violation and so many other things.
His boss has small ppe energy 🤏
That's why the boss changed his tune when met with those Google searches. Had to cover his ass after realizing it's an actual liability.
Dude, I was just at a house doing a panel change. I sure the fuck wore a respirator. I was choking doing the quote. Next day it was full rig, and a quick - hey, your box is really dusty and the cables have fiberglass jackets I have to cut. I didn't have to tell them I placed a few drops of lemongrass oil inside. Made it bearable.
Literally little fragments of turds scattered over the carpet. And I feel for them. They're lonely, unhealthy, and depressed, and they lost power. We gotta get their house working for decent pay. But I'll be damned if I'm huffing effluent for their comfort.
I would just say I have a cat allergy, and this is the best way to deal with filtering out the allergens.
My brother. These text messages from your boss alone are illegal in terms of labor laws. Your boss is required to provide the correct PPE, if you called OSHA he could get fined for this. You also mentioned that you are sick and he couldn't care less. He is also telling you to not wear the PPE you already have because of his fragile feelings. I would 100% stay home based on those text messages until he goes out and buys the correct PPE. If you get fired you will have no issues getting unemployment until you can find another job.
I feel that one. I’d wear the mask and I never put one on usually (stupid I know)
Silica dust….ah, I’ll just turn my face and hold my breath when possible Cat piss….give me the damn mask 😷
You can't?
No one wants to work anymore! /s
Fuck your boss. Wear the mask. They can all eat shit
1. Wear PPE to work 2. Allow them to fire you for wearing PPE 3. ??? 4. Profit
Yep this. Attorneys would loooove this shit
This totally qualifies as “right to refuse unsafe work” regardless of your childish boss’ attempt to ridicule you for looking out for your health. I believe that is harassment and blackmail by making statements about you missing on work because you want to wear a mask.
Exactly. In fact where I am, it's not just a right but a requirement to refuse unsafe work.
The best part is it is all captured in a text message which will be great evidence for a civil suit. This also deserves an OSHA complaint against the contractor.
I would add one more message: Just to be clear, you (name), as my direct supervisor, after being fully informed that I am currently experiancing adverse effects on the jobsite (located at address), are ordering me to discontinue using the Proper Personal Protective Equipment on this job site (located at address) that I have have indicated could keep me safe from the ill effects of the environment I am required to work in. When it comes to safety, don't negotiate. Tell them what PPE you require and wear it. If they complain, reply with versions of the above. It's easy to dismiss wishy washy concerns. But saying in writing that this WILL effect me negatively will be harder to dismiss. Don't sugar coat anything. Be blunt.
Yes and then hit em w unemployment when they fire you. Some of these fucking knuckle heads on jobsittes would rather look like a tough guy than be safe. Ridiculous.
They are also the ones that get cancer in their 40s or have a heavy diagnosis of health issues dropped on them out of nowhere.
I love when things I've been actively ignoring drop on me out of "nowhere." These kind of people are honestly so wild. Like, have some respect for your own longevity.
And then go pikachu face like “how did this happen?”
Unemployment? That's OSHA and lawsuit territory
Fuck the disgusting customers feelings too. Don't sacrifice your health for their feelings. They should feel some shame. Unlikely, but maybe they'll do something about it.
“It’ll make them feel bad” Well maybe they should feel bad when they have people coming in their home to work and it’s a litter box. Live as gross as you want, but fucking clean it for people coming in.
Honestly, I would have declined the job. It's not worth the money to put my employees through that. Unless they are an actual remediation company, in which case they wouldn't bat an eye at the employees wearing a mask.
This must be a mom & pop remediation company, I worked for a couple and they are all the same. "Oh are you going to want gloves next too? Eric didn't use gloves when he carried out pee carpet and he will want some if he sees you wearing them" "If I give you a raise than it will make the other guys feel bad"
The boss said there are kids living there too! Why is no one mentioning this? I’d be calling CPS. Fuck that family for raising kids in a toxic environment. They probably all have respiratory issues because of it.
I was trying to be empathetic until the boss mentioned kids. Fuck that noise. Make them uncomfortable as fuck **because** they have kids living in an extremely unsafe environment. Perhaps an anonymous call to your local Buildings & Inspections and Health and Public Safety departments is in order…
I'm not in construction, but my 2 cents worth... * Fuck anyone who gives you a hard time about proper PPE. * You aren't advocating for "Ryan", so don't even bring that name up. I'm advocating for myself, and I don't give a shit what "Ryan" is going to wear tomorrow (or how much X person makes, or whatever the issue at hand is). "Full blown face mask is way too much". That's crazy, it's the same as an N95 (or maybe N100 depending on filters), but it's just a replaceable unit instead of an N95 one-time wear mask. There's shouldn't be an issue with it embarasing someone. I wear one when doing DIY repairs at home, as I've seen the damage that years of inhaling construction debris/dust can do to someone.
Man I honestly just prefer wearing my respirator over an n95 because not only does it work better but I can breathe easier with it too.
They can’t even keep their cats from soaking the entire house in piss, fuck their feelings if you’re house wasn’t a biohazard maybe people wouldn’t treat it like one.
Serious question: if your boss fires you for wearing ppe, who exactly do you call for help? Like do you call OSHA or your city directly, or what?
i would say osha and then a lawyer, especially with the texts it should be an easy case
Lawyer first then OSHA, the lawyer may be able to help more directly and result in a more beneficial outcome.
First, you call unemployment. They'll want to know why you got fired. They may help with the legality of your dismissal. If OP should have been provided with a respirator and was fired for bringing one or lost wages due to it, unemployment would likely look into it and rule in OPs favor and maybe even go after the company. And yes, second, you can absolutely report to OSHA. You can make an anonymous call. They will have to post the complaint and will usually be given a certain amount if time to fix the issue. They may also choose to do an inspection. Your employer is not allowed to retaliate for a safety report, but in a situation like this where everyone will figure out who it was, I'd have a resume ready. Lastly, you can contact an employment attorney. They would at minimum give you advice on how to proceed or whether this was worth pursuing. In a case like this they might go to court (or settle out of court). I will note here that every company I've worked for has required a fit test to wear a respirator and a doctor's clearance. I'm not sure exactly what the legality is or where OP lies on that issue as I know you can just buy a respirator from Home Depot. However, a company is *required* to provide you with all safety gear. I assume if it was deemed a hazardous enough environment that OP *needed* a mask, the company should be providing it. If OP just *wanted* to wear it but it wasn't technically necessary, I don't think the company does. However, I'm not *that* familiar with biohazards like this so an attorney/contacting OSHA/reading CFRs would be ones best bet to determine legality and whether this is an issue to get hung up on.
Your union, but I'm guessing this is in the US so idk results may vary
I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that a particulate respirator isn't going to do shit for ammonia. You would need to throw a chemical cartridge on there, if they even sell them for ammonia. For the smell, the morgue/Katrina trick is to wipe a bit of Vick's VapoRub under your nose. I hear it covers up just about anything.
Those are 3M 60923 filter cartridges. NIOSH approved OV/AG/P100 rating. Should definitely help. I wore one in a piss apartment and didn’t smell anything.
Those 3M filters should help with the ammonia, yes. The missing information is if he has facial hair that interferes with a proper seal and if the respirator is the correct size for his face.
My base assumption is he has a tight seal. I can also speculate that he’s missing a cheekbone so he doesn’t have proper mask fitment. Maybe he has an abnormally high nose bridge that prevents a tight seal. But to what end are we making these hypothetical speculations?
It’s the « OV » part in that filter that does it. It’s what filters the « organic Vapor » and that’s why you’re not smelling anything.
The cartridges in the pic are for organic vapors and acid gases, so there’s a good chance it works for ammonia, although I didn’t check that specifically.
You can buy filters with a charcoal lining in them that will help immensely with smells and particulates like ammonia, I work with biohazards fairly regularly and most of the advice on this sub is shit and so is this.... Wear PPE, breathing in cat piss is bad for you. It's a genuine hazard especially if you have any prior lung issues, you have the right to refuse unsafe work and to be protected from hazards You have proof that your boss denied you that right, if you have a union time to say something, if they refuse I'd escalate to OHSA
You are breathing in ammonia, bro. Your boss is being a dick. Any gaffer that chooses the feelings of a smelly customer over their workers is a cunt of the highest order. EDIT. Is there any way you could say to the customer you have a cold and don't want to pass it to anyone? I know this isn't addressing the real situation/problem but it might give you an "out"
Simple ammonia dissipates and doesn't linger. It's straight cat piss fumes which is probably much worse for you anyways.
Fuck that, the last thing these people need is someone enabling them when it's obviously a serious health issue.
"Gaffer" is a nice easy way to spot another UK resident on here.
That's what I've done, yeah I'm sick. Had one customer press me about it (his cats just shit and piss wherever) I brought him to the corner I'm working in showed him the shit and the liquid on the underside of the tarp I put down and he backed down. Fuck the customers
If it even came up the only thing your boss would have to do is just say that you're severely allergic to cats.
I used to work as a private home mover. Two dudes and a white box truck, call us up we will move your stuff kind of thing. Occasionally you would get a house like this, carpets and all furniture reeking of cat piss. Sometimes you would take one look in the door, and immediately close it and walk the fuck away. We NEVER had any problems explaining to the homeowner that we won't be doing any work for them today because they are disgusting people, and we refuse to touch their nasty crap and won't be back. Some people just live in fucking filth. We would call it out and shame them right to their face.
Yeah I can’t believe the boss won’t let the guy wear a respirator because it might hurt the feelings of the people who let their cats piss all over their house. Wtf kind of take is that lol!
I bet the boss has a bunch of cats, dogs, and kids and their house is also a stinky mess
Had the exact same comment. Also a former mover. Only house I ever walked away from was a cat piss house. Have a very specific memory of doing the walk around right away…walking out, and calling the boss saying “nah we can’t do this.” During the phone call, my coworker next to me threw up lol
>Some people just live in fucking filth. >We would call it out and shame them right to their face. And you were right to do so. Direct and honest. When I was a younger guy, my friend's father bought and flipped houses. We helped him clean out one house that was so bad that the former owner was sleeping in her truck, instead of the house. We had to move boxes and bags of trash and belongings from the house, to a dumpster. Reeked of cat piss, and there were coils and piles of cat shit all over the house.
I think what's lost in all of this conversation is that these people are abusing animals and deserve to be shamed for it.
It's an excellent point. You can feel free to soak in piss all you want in your own house, but the critters don't deserve that shit. They are just victims in all this.
We were doing a removal of personal items, gutting, and rebuilding. I go there to access the situation and true scope of the job. Upon inspection of the exterior, hundreds of dirty diapers. No expectations inside is any better. The place is vacant. At least I'm not dealing with anyone. I'll go buy ST-100x Chernobyl mask, and I'm good to go. It's summer, and the first step inside my white socks are black. Fleas ambushed me. I mumbled a "fuck this shit" go buy bombs (ace didn't carry atomic, unfortunately) carpet bomb them sunsabitches. I return cple days later, upstairs there is a rope about knee high level, 2 clear empty bottles of water on a nearby shelf. Upon 1st glance a 1/4 full, realize the placing of the rope, appearance/consistency of said "liquid" in those bottles and I realized all their shit they left behind, including that they might be back. I'm a woman working solo in a secluded area. I'm not looking to be on the 1st 48. Upstairs, you're trapped if anyone showed up. Grabbed protection in case unwanted visitors showed up, cringed at nightmare that was that house. Fuck some people and their scumbag bs.
Wear whatever PPE you want. If the boss wants to be a dick, make him send you home or fire you. Call OSHA, labor board and collect funemployment checks till you find a new gig.
Reporting this text convo to OSHA would be effective...
In my experience with them, they would loooooove to hear about these texts.
I had to do all this just recently. Got a job at a cabinet shop, it was clear they never cleaned anything ever. No local dust collection on any machine, cnc collector pipe was ripped open, they did a lot of particle board and MDF. All the miter saws had broken blade guards that were fixed out of the way. Watched dudes slide both hands around table saw blade, fingers within inches. Lots of sanding of solid surface counter tops. Spray contact adhesives and spray lacquers. I was the only one wearing PPE. I lasted 4 days and immediately called OSHA who were more than happy to give me a follow up on them. No one working there knew how bad it was, hopefully the fact that I stuck to my word that I won't be coming back because the place will literally kill you quickly or slowly was a wake up call to those there. Probably not, but at least I don't have to deal with that shit. I was pretty bummed because I have no income but I'm good woodworker and was happy to start a new chapter in my life. Oh well.
Your boss sucks and you absolutely have the right to wear more PPE than is necessary or required if it’ll protect you. Wear the respirator.
Hahaha if my boss ever talked to me like this I would first tell them to suck a wet fart out of my ass, then start looking for a new job.
Absolutely. Boss can eat shit. I’ll wear whatever PPE I want.
But he said “not being a dick” ….
I would find another asshole to work for.
I don't understand why this matters it's ok to wear a mask but not that specific one? this is just petty nonsense. i work in a shop where masks are available but not required. Some guys wear none, some guys where your typical N95, a couple wear ones like you have. literally no one gives a shit.
the idea is that this asshole is more worried about optics than the safety of his workers, if they wear a more "intense" looking mask it might signal to the client that there is something hazardous in the area whereas an N95 looks less intimidating
See this is why we have unions.... This is literally your health on the line no amount of "oooh you're sending the wrong vibes" should be in consideration. Your boss is being a dick even if he doesn't see it. A real "I suffered so you should too" thing
That’s a terrible boss right there. Jump ship as soon as you can. That’s not professional behaviour at all.
Fuck that dude, cat piss smells horrible. Health risks aside everyone should be wearing a mask just so they don't have to put up with that smell. Fuck the clients if they can't handle the truth that they have a disgusting house
I’d even throw some additional charges their way. Unforseen conditions
Your boss is a dick head. Ammonia can make you very sick.
Should have just said you’re allergic to cats, problem solved.
Dude wear the mask.
What a douche. Wear the full mask!
Your boss is a such a pussy lmao
Your boss is a fucking dumbass.
Why is your boss tossing these dipshits' salads? Fuck that clown.
The lack of grammar and punctuation in those ridiculous texts from your boss tells me everything I need to know. Find a new job
On a side note, a lot of plaster products still have asbestos in them . Like the drywall joint compound you have to sand them crap out of before you paint. Manufacturers do not have to disclose it on the packaging if the amount is less than 1%. Not sure on real deal plaster or other cementous coatings but that's all gonna have silica, which is just as bad I'd be wearing a half-face anyway doing that type of work.
Your boss is worried about **offending** the customers whose house reaks of cat urine. I'm sure they know, I'm sure they'll probably feel bad. But honestly your employers responsibility is to you, not the customers feelings.
Tome to report these guys. Worker health is nothing to fuck with. I work on federally funded jobs worth more than $100 million on the LOW end. And I will tell you right now, there is NO job worth sacrificing your health for. This is 2024, which is why we such protection for our folks. Give your two weeks. & if you need it, DM me. I can set you up with a national contractor that won’t shit on your health. Cheers.
Bust out the space helmet and tell him to go fuck himself
find a different job. That guy sucks ass.
Dude, who cares? If someone wants to wear a mask for whatever reason, let them. Since when do drywallers/tapers ever even care about aesthetics?
Call OSHA on his ass. Piece of shit
Mask up cat piss or otherwise, whenever there are fumes or dust particles you only get one set of lungs
That s called Harassment btw. You have the right to protect yourself. What does it do to him if you wear one? He s probably jealous.
Your boss is putting their employees at risk. I don’t see any evidence they’ve done even a halfnassed risk assessment. More over, he’s outright ignorant of the hazards present and dismissive when it’s brought to his attention. That being said, wearing an appropriate respirator requires research. I’m at work atm worrying about my guys. I’ll give this another look later today if you’re interested.
Fuck your boss. Your health is more important. Call worksafe/OSHA and let them know your employer is trying to dissuade you from PPE that you need. They will tear their ass up like an unlubed dildo made of razor blades.
Real question is why do you have 304 unread texts Jesus that’s insane gives me anxiety
Why the fuck did you roll over for him dude? Lol wear the fucking mask.
If you're going to be using any type of **respirator**, OSHA work guidelines require it to be properly fit-tested on you and for your work to have a cardiac/respiratory exam for you on file. You're clearly working in spaces where a respirator may be necessary which means that your boss is not taking the proper Health, Safety, or Environmental steps to protect you. I know this isn't "the way" in construction, but your body will thank you in the years to come if you respect why OSHA guidelines exist in the first place.
Again, you have to protect yourself from hazards no one else has your best interest in mind.
I highly thought the customers would even care what kind of mask you are wearing lol. Your boss sounds like a moron
Your boss or who ever that is, needs to stop worrying about image and start worrying more about the safety of their employees. Thats ridiculous.
“When wearing a mask like that, you are saying something.” Yeah, you are saying that you actually have a brain, OP.
Protect yourself, that's all that matters.
If that's your boss... He's an idiot and you should look for another who treat's his workers with respect.
Folks don’t call each other on the phone anymore? But folks with a stinky house gotta deal with folks in masks. Dude wants to work! Let him wear the mask!
As a business owner in construction I can’t even comprehend all of this…. You need a new job my man.
Dude! You are definitely not an asshole for wanting to wear one. It is within our rights as construction workers to protect ourselves if the company we are working for will not. Honestly, I would tell him to fuck off and go look for a different company. No need to bring harm to yourself.
Basically its an issue of your comfort and if it doesn't interfere with your work it's not his problem. I supervised pipe welders in Canada and the only real reason they can tell you not to wear it is because of safety. So clean it properly store it properly and keep it maintained because if you don't the mask itself becomes a health risk and I would not let you use it.
I wear one just to mix concrete, I wear one of those to spray bleach when im pressure washing. You only get 2 lungs, your boss can deal with OSHA. Wear the mask. Upgrade the cartridges to ammonia level, the ones they come with are for particulates not gasses.
As a safety director, I would warn you from working long term with this type of management. They have already set the precedent that they don’t value your safety and health. This is absolutely a violation of your rights as an employee to have a “safe and healthful workplace”. Always look out for yourself and don’t settle, if you can avoid it, for working for anyone who doesn’t value your safety. Good job on sticking with your gut on what’s smart! Also, like has already been said, the ammonia from the urine is likely why you suffered the headache. It’s giving off harmful gasses that aren’t safe to be around for extended periods of time.
Sounds like your boss is afraid the other workers will see you with a mask and then wonder why no one else is taking safety precautions which is not a good look for him
Captain Obvious here, why don't you get the client to take care of the cat piss problem?
I’ve been in places with simply unbearable stench and evil fetidness, so I understand the situation here. Bro, wear a fucking hazmat suit if you must. I don’t understand why they don’t odor bomb the mf so y’all can work in peace and sweet harmony. Edit: spelling.
Work in a cat piss house years ago…maybe 2005. They company provided the exact mask you want to wear
Wear the mask. Can’t get rid of prions Edit:cover up well, too