The owner of the Longhorn Custom Bodyart Studio in Oshawa says the shop’s sterilizer had a screw misaligned and as a result reached only 128 degrees C instead of the required 132. The regional health department urged patrons to get checkups, which have proved reassuring, with no indication that anyone caught anything. Oshawa resident Kaleb Beaulieu has nonetheless filed an intended class action demanding $C10 million, saying that tests take a while to prove conclusively negative and that in the mean time he lives in fear. (Carola Vyhnak, “Tattoo studio faces $10M lawsuit”, Toronto Star, Aug. 22; Rosalyn Solomon, “More tattoo clients sue”, Toronto Sun, Aug. 23).
Canadian tattoo studio
The owner of the Longhorn Custom Bodyart Studio in Oshawa says the shop’s sterilizer had a screw misaligned and as a result reached only 128 degrees C instead of the required 132. The regional health department urged patrons to get checkups, which have proved reassuring, with no indication that anyone caught anything. Oshawa resident Kaleb […]
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Well, let’s assume that all bio-threats are biological entities. Furthermore, let’s assume that any and all threats from body-art tools come as a result of bio-agents (HIV, hepatitis, etc…), and let’s also assume that all bio-agent entities are carbon-based life forms. Given that science has confirmed that such life forms simply can not sustain viability beyond 170 degree F, and in this case, it’s well over 200 degree F, I’d say I live in constant fear that I’m going to contract AIDS because I know that I drive past an AIDS clinic on my way to work and thus, I should sue them.
Walt, this is one for the hall of fame.
My observation is that almost everybody, most noteworthy Mario Cuomo, Ed Koch and Christine Todd Whitman, are unable to handle numbers. To them one in a billion is the same as one in ten. We had the unfortunate closing of the Shoreham Nuclear Plant, the acceptance of Gulf War Syndrome, and the moronic PBC decision to dredge the Hudson river. Mr. Rodgers’ comment above is right on point: 128 being less than 132 doesn’t make 128 dangerous per se.
By the way, did anyone think about how much lead was in the toys from China. My friend said that he looked at old toys that were used by his children, and never saw any pealing from plastic toys. He claims that the plastic actually binds with paint making the lead content in the paint irrelevant. For those who work with words, not numbers, the term “toxic toys” is just too good not to use.
It isn’t mentioned in the articles, but I assume the needles this place uses for tattooing/piercing are one-use disposables… this is standard practice in the US, anyhow. This alone doesn’t eliminate the risk of catching something, but makes it even more remote.
Sure, there are extremophile bacteria that can live above 100c (often under high pressure conditions that mean it’s below the boiling point of water), but of all of those, how many can cause diseases in humans who have the relatively frigid body temp hovering around 37C?