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Black molds / Pesticides

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frozzybear

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?
Portland, Oregon

I drive a truck (semi) for a local manufacture and live in this truck 5 days and 3 nights a week. After complaining about a foul odor for over two years, that was also making me ill during the weeks and then during the weekends I would feel better. My employer finally found the black molds under the sleeper berth beneath the carpets, it was totaly infested.
They then pulled the carpeting and no other porous materials, such as the plywood flooring which was also blackened with the molds, dried the area with a comercial type dryer, then sprayed the entire sleeper berth including the bed with a pesticide (which I was told at the time was an industrial lysol) the truck was allowed to air out for about 3 hours and then I was sent out for a 200 mile run spending four and a half hours in this environment. Needless to say, I became ill from that pesticide and experienced terrible burning of my eyes, and airways, headaches and dizziness. The following morning I called the human recourses dept and asked them to find out exactly what was used to treat the molds as it was having very adverse effects on me, they agreed and said they would call me back. 20 minutes later they called and advised me to park the truck and get out of it!
Come to find out, the company maintence dept (who performed the mold clean up) didn't even know what they were using, and there was no MSDS (manufacture's safety data sheets) on the premises , which are mandatory in the work place and also a requirement with OSHA. Long story short, I still suffered from headaches and still had a residual taste or sensation of that pesticide in my lungs and glands after a week so I decided I had better get some medical diagnoses. And seems it was work related I had to open a workers comp claim. Due to a lack of findings from the medical diagnoses (I think the Dr just saw insurance dollars?) Workers comp imediately denied my claim mostly due to the Drs report, but mainly because they don't want anything to do with an envrionmental and chemical exposure. My own research has revealed that either one of these exposure can have adverse effects Months or even years later. And I still have the headaches, loss of memory, and a sensativity to chemicals that in the past have never bothered me before. And all of those things are hard to establish a conection and then to prove, I understand that more than anyone. But I am still in the process of contesting workers comp denial in my case, and still have a hearing schedualed soon. I have saved every piece of evidence and documented every event having to do with this case, including pictures and having the molds analyzed by a university. Workers comp did offer me a $1,000.00 to settle, but I refused stressing my health was worth a whole lot more than that, and I also fired an attorney who advised me to take the money and sign. So now I am even without an attorney... I have worked for this company for 10 years and since all of this has come down they are trying to find faults in me they could terminate my job with, like more drug tests than usuall. I want out of this company more than they want me out, but I want some justification for thier negligence towards my health and welfare, and not to just be swept under the rug like they did no wrong, such as thier trying to do. Any suggestions ?
Gary in Oregon
 


Alaska landlord

Senior Member
Find yourself and attorney that deals with work related illness. You need a shark!
Have him set you up with an appointment with a specialist that will test your motor functions and memory. It would have been helpful if your blood would have been tested for toxins.There may still be time I would move ASAP on this. Also, document everytime you are ordered to take a urine test as it may be used as evidence of retaliation.
good luck.
 

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