The accident involved a high concentration of hydrofluoric acid used for
etching glass. The worker was killed.


Eric Hammarberg
Associate Director of Preservation
Senior Project Director
LZA Technology
641 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011-2014
Telephone: 212.741.1300 extension: 1016
Mobile: 917.439.3537
Fax: 212.989.2040
email:  [log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Follett [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 8:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: White


In a message dated 6/13/01 7:42:58 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:



According to the story the driver was not found....



I believe it was sometime last year that a NYC sanitation worker was injured

on encountering a gallon of muriatic acid that they had unkowingly thrown
into the rear of the garbage truck. When they went to compact the load the
plastic container burst. I'm not sure if the worker survived, or not, at
this
point.

Muriatic acid is often used for cleaning of masonry, particularly to remove
excess mortar stains. Though it is generally not accepted in mainstream
histo
presto in NY. I remember using it quite often with the stonemasons that I
learned from in building of fireplaces and stone patios. It sometimes turns
up in restoration work, at least in NYC, and quickly identifies contractors
that are not very sophisticated or knowledgeable in histo presto. I have no
context to say that it is not used in histo presto in other areas than NYC.

I am always curious as to differences in understanding of preservation
technique and practices between geographic locations (city to city, country
to country) or between urban and rural.

I can say that what goes for good histo presto in the Montauk community is
not what will work in NYC.

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