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simnia
05-07-2007, 10:59 AM
You know those signs they have around Downtown Disney and elsewhere that say something like "WARNING: This area contains a substance known by the state of California to be hazardous to health..."? What substance are they talking about? Cigarette smoke? Falling flecks of wheel rubber? I think there's a sign to that effect on a monorail pylon in Downtown Disney. They get you all worried, then don't even tell you what or where the substance is so that you might be able to protect yourself from it!

The old man
05-07-2007, 11:13 AM
Our state is famous for its over-warnings. Everything from plates & dishes to furniture is hazardous to your health. If there was anything truly wrong it would be prohibited by law.

Bytebear
05-07-2007, 11:23 AM
California has a law that anything "harmful" must be stated. When I rented an apartment a few years ago, the cupboards had the same warning. They are becomming so comonplace as to lose their effectiveness. But they are giving sleazy lawyers a lot of work suing businesses that don't post the warnings.

The material may be household cleaners, bug spray, plant fertilizer. Anything that "may" harm you.

adriennek
05-07-2007, 11:43 AM
Probably cigarette smoke.

My husband is a chemist. One time there was a TOXIC spill on a freeway and the cleanup crew wore HAZMAT suits.

Ready for what it was?

Limestone. :|

Doc was shouting at the TV: IT'S CHALK! IT'S JUST CHALK PEOPLE!

Adrienne

Pirate Princess
05-07-2007, 02:02 PM
Whenever I see it, it usually refers to asbestos...

Drince88
05-07-2007, 02:11 PM
Whenever I see it, it usually refers to asbestos...

I'm not a California expert - but I do know that asbestos is only a real danger when it's friable, and there can be asbestos in a lot of things that's not friable; for instance, flooring and roofing materials. I'd guess that they need the label if there's asbestos around, regardless of if it's friable or not.

beansf
05-07-2007, 02:49 PM
We have these same signs in our apartment building referring to the garage area. So I assumed they were talking about carbon monoxide or something, but the area is very well ventilated, so I don't fret about it.

avalosn
05-07-2007, 04:06 PM
Probably cigarette smoke.

My husband is a chemist. One time there was a TOXIC spill on a freeway and the cleanup crew wore HAZMAT suits.

Ready for what it was?

Limestone. :|

Doc was shouting at the TV: IT'S CHALK! IT'S JUST CHALK PEOPLE!

Hey, I actually remember when that spill happened!!!!

lofosho
05-07-2007, 04:25 PM
lead is a common one too

simnia
05-07-2007, 04:46 PM
It could even be fireworks:


Fireworks produce smoke and dust that contain heavy metals, sulfur-coal compounds and some low concentration toxic chemicals. These by-products of fireworks combustion will vary depending on the mix of ingredients of a particular firework. (Green color, for instance, is produced by adding barium, a non toxic metal, but toxic in some cases, albeit one that does not accumulate in the body. Barium is also used as Barium Sulfate in X-ray photographing of the human body, hospitals all over the world uses hundreds of tons an then wash it out with the wastewater. Barium Sulfate is also used in the making of white paper (baryte paper)) These variables include the amount of gunpowder used, type of oxidizer, colors produced and launch method.

Pollutants from fireworks raise concerns because of potential health risks associated with hazardous by-products. For most people the effects of exposure to low levels of toxins from many sources over long periods are unknown. For persons with asthma or multiple chemical sensitivity the smoke from fireworks may aggravate existing health problems. Environmental pollution is also a concern because heavy metals and other chemicals from fireworks can contaminate water supplies and because fireworks combustion gases might contribute to such things as acid rain which can cause vegetation and even property damage.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks

MrTomMorrow
05-07-2007, 06:12 PM
Maybe fumes from the trams nearby?

WaltDisneyJr.
05-07-2007, 07:58 PM
Anything that contains traces of products harmful to you are listed, even if they have no real threat.

disney jones
05-07-2007, 08:03 PM
this is from Proposition 65 (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html), also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. :geek:

it contains an 18-page list of chemicals (http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/files/P65single042007.pdf), and includes aspirin, alcoholic beverages, diesel exhaust, cigarette smoke, steroidal estrogen, and nickels. :rolleyes:

i agree it's pretty meaningless as pretty much every business has that sign in front now.

santoanderson
05-07-2007, 08:03 PM
Hmmm, whenever I think about the Autopia I can't help but remember the sweet smell of no-lead petrol. Then a couple weeks ago while gassing up at Costco, a new sign pointed out that if I stood too close to the pump, breathing in the fumes, I might get testicular cancer.
So the fumes combined with the tiny cars is a double whammy for the down there cancer. No more Autopia for me.

disney jones
05-07-2007, 08:21 PM
i think an article on some web site called MousePlanet (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=dl060220xx) summarized this issue rather nicely a little over a year ago.

zombie pirate
05-08-2007, 04:44 AM
This is probilly a term mostly aimed at tobacco products, and old building materials. It has gotten a lot better, but I remember as a kid back in the 70s riding up to Disneyland from San Diego. Along with actually seeing groves of orange trees in Orange County, was the thick cloud of smog that allways seemed to hang around the Los Angeles area.

Malcon10t
05-08-2007, 06:16 AM
One of my favorite labels... In a hospital, I noticed this on an IV bag. It said the contents were dangerous if you got it on skin, if you did get it on the skin or eyes, to flush well with water and check with a doctor. What was in the bag? Water.

jswtsang
05-08-2007, 06:36 AM
ha malcon10t! That's hilarious! I also remember before I lived here I lived in MA. I bought a tube of E6000 which is a silicone like glue for crafting. I read a rather ominous label and at the bottom it said "In the state of california". I got a good laugh b/c it made it sound like the product was only hazardous if used in CA. There were quite a few fumes coming off of it so I used it in a well ventilated area, but I just kept thinking how poor Californians would succumb to the fumes...

jt

VickiC
05-08-2007, 06:50 AM
One of my favorite labels... In a hospital, I noticed this on an IV bag. It said the contents were dangerous if you got it on skin, if you did get it on the skin or eyes, to flush well with water and check with a doctor. What was in the bag? Water.

But rember that other medications are often added to IV bags, so they probalby have to prepare for that.

Are you sure it was just water and not salt water? Adding straight water to someones veins is probably not reccomended!

Koukla
05-08-2007, 06:55 AM
My guess is that since you've seen the sign on a monorail pylon in DTD, that it's referring to the exhaust from the monorail itself. You'll note the sign says, "This area contains" rather than, "This area may contain." The former is a definite, whereas the latter is a variable such as tobacco smoke, which may or may not be present.

Koukla
05-08-2007, 06:57 AM
But rember that other medications are often added to IV bags, so they probalby have to prepare for that.

Are you sure it was just water and not salt water? Adding straight water to someones veins is probably not reccomended!

Great minds think alike. ;) I'd prefer my IV bags to not contain regular water, thank you very much! :eek: A little saline/morphine cocktail, however, and. . . woo hoo!

Malcon10t
05-08-2007, 07:39 AM
But rember that other medications are often added to IV bags, so they probalby have to prepare for that.

Are you sure it was just water and not salt water? Adding straight water to someones veins is probably not reccomended!It was sterilized water. We used it for irrigating wounds. I probably used the wrong term calling it an IV bag, but thats what they looked like. I just thought it was funny they had that warning, and we would use it on people's wounds.

Koukla
05-08-2007, 07:42 AM
It was sterilized water. We used it for irrigating wounds. I probably used the wrong term calling it an IV bag, but thats what they looked like. I just thought it was funny they had that warning, and we would use it on people's wounds.

Ooops, sorry! I thought you were talking about the *inject stuff into your veins* type of IV, too. And I was thinking the only time I ever didn't mind an IV was when it contained morphine.

Another Dimension
05-08-2007, 01:27 PM
Hmmm, whenever I think about the Autopia I can't help but remember the sweet smell of no-lead petrol. Then a couple weeks ago while gassing up at Costco, a new sign pointed out that if I stood too close to the pump, breathing in the fumes, I might get testicular cancer.
So the fumes combined with the tiny cars is a double whammy for the down there cancer. No more Autopia for me.

WDI owns the patent on 'electric amusement vehicles'..

Autopia exists how it does today, in 2007... just so Disney could milk Chevron of tens of millions of dollars.

Disneyland not having an electric Autopia by 2007 is a joke.
A greedy joke, but an unfunny joke nonetheless.
:(

Lani
05-08-2007, 02:01 PM
Yup, Disney Jones has it on the button -- it's Prop 65. And the link he provided to our Disneyland Park Update from 2006 has a nice little write-up about the signs in the parks.