Posted on 01/07/2009 10:11:09 AM PST by BGHater
The new blue uniforms issued to Transportation Security Administration officers at hundreds of airports nationwide may have a snazzy look, but they have become a major irritant for some of those employees.
The new uniforms are causing rashes and other irritations among transportation security officers who screen passengers at airports, according to the union representing the workers.
"We're hearing from hundreds of TSOs that this is an issue," said Emily Ryan, a spokeswoman for the American Federation of Government Employees. Most of the complaints have been for skin rashes, but they have also included runny or bloody noses, lightheadeness, red eyes, and swollen and cracked lips, union officials say.
The union blames formaldehyde, which is a chemical byproduct of the permanent-press finish applied by clothing manufacturers to prevent mildew and stains.
A spokesman for TSA said that the problem is not serious or widespread, and that few workers have complained. The agency said that tests done on the uniforms have not found unacceptable levels of formaldehyde or any other chemical.
"So far, a handful of officers have reported minor irritations," said Christopher White, a TSA spokesman.
In response to the complaints, the manufacturer, VF Solutions of Nashville, used an independent laboratory to test shirts worn by complaining officers as well as previously unworn uniforms. "Each and every uniform tested was found to be well under acceptable limits for a number of substances known to cause irritation, including formaldehyde," the TSA said in a statement.
Neal Waters, vice president of public safety for VF Solutions, said the formaldehyde present on the TSA shirts and pants was well below the industry standard of 75 parts per million. "There wasn't enough present to even register on the tests," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Made in China - Hecho en Chino”
"Issuing boxy, uncomfortable, toxin laden, uniforms since 1988!"
Kind of an aside, but did anyone catch that DHS show on ABC last night?
Not bad, but I can't see John Q. Public watching 13 weeks of that, although I guess if you see it everyday it's not that interesting.
So, TSA, the buck-toothed, retarded foundling of DHS gets two measly spots on the entire show. Scene one is some overweight, badge-heavy screener telling some woman she can't bring her water on the plane and the reason is top secret or something. Beautiful.
Scene number two is some guy getting all weepy and maudlin over his screening job, about how the public is his responsibility. I don't know about his agency, but if the reaction to that is anything like what I've seen in mind, he can expect to find a vulgarity beginning with the letter P dug into his locker with a knife courtesy of his co-workers.
Those guys just can't catch a break.
T, list worthy? maybe a stretch.
Owl_Eagle
“When the stock market crashed,
Franklin Roosevelt got on the television
and didn’t just talk about
the princes of greed, he said,
‘Look, here’s what happened.’"
-Slow Joe Biden
Most public contact with the TSA is pretty negative. They’ll get about as much public sympathy as striking professional athletes.
wash before wearing, morons.
Good. Then we're not the only ones who are irritated.
Dunno what they did with all the misfits they had manning the lines, but wherever they hid them, it must be a very large place.
See, for example, Rao S, Shenoy SD, Davis S, Nayak S. "Detection of formaldehyde in textiles by chromotropic acid method." Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2004;70:342-4. Available from: http://www.ijdvl.com/text.asp?2004/70/6/342/13474
"It is generally recommended that these clothes should be washed before wearing to reduce the level of free formaldehyde.[4] But in our study the majority of the textiles did not show a reduction in their formaldehyde content despite two washes, implying that wearing washed clothes may not be entirely safe."Reference 4 is "Textile and shoe dermatitis." In: Fischer's contact dermatitis, 5th Ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2001. p. 279-315.
Didn't think so.
IMHO the only thing they are good at is creating logjams at airports and inconveniencing millions of air travelers nationwide. They are VERY good at that for sure. What a waste of money and time.
There ya go. I have sooooo much sympathy.
Nothing like being prepared. Are they expecting a big terrorist attack on TSA employees?
LOL
Now, are the mildew and stains from the shipping of the uniforms or poor hygiene on the part of TSA employees?
LOL. I wonder if we could secretly switch them to the ones that poof cyan pepper in the groin area about once every sixty seconds.
;-p
wearing clothes is dangerous? why didnt someone tell me before i got fat?
And - at what cost??
seems like a poor time for such expenditures!
I have actually noticed the same thing-much quieter and more professional bearing.
Casual questioning, and the big mouths screaming instruciton shave virtually gone
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