Casino Workers Get MCS from Pesticides
Two dozen employees at a casino got multiple chemical sensitivities
(MCS) after frequent spraying of their work area. The casino fired the sick workers.
Keywords: pesticide, chemical sensitivity,
MCS, controversy, hostile physicians, workers compensation
The incident
The April 16, 1990 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle published a brief story that about fifty employees at a casino suddenly got sick. About 19 people were treated at a hospital. The employees complained of symptoms like a combined flu and hangover, with dizziness, nausea, disorientation, inability to think clearly, etc.
The authorities took blood and urine samples from the employees, but found nothing. They took air samples in the casino and tested the carpeting, but found nothing unusual. They ruled out a viral infection. The cause was a mystery.
Two years later
The San Francisco
Examiner published a major article about four employees whose lives were
permanently ruined by the casino incident. All four were card dealers in the same section of the large
casino by Lake Tahoe.
Their symptoms were
typical for MCS, including problems concentrating, respiratory problems,
dizziness and intolerance to a wide range of chemical products. Some also had seizures.
They all lost their jobs
because of their illnesses. A
total of 24 employees had to leave, of which only three received compensation
from the casino. The rest were
given a raw deal, even people whoÕd worked for the casino for a dozen
years. Some subsisted on public
assistance or help from friends and family.
The relations between the
employees and the casino were now frosty.
The employees believed what happened was a botched pesticide
application. The casino was having
problems with roaches and had sprayed the areas around the card pits every
other week. The casino denied any
wrongdoing and hired a consulting firm that blamed the problem on Òstress,Ó and
Òfear of the unknownÓ as major factors.
The medical community was
divided. Two physicians supported
the pesticide theory and tried to help the sick workers. But others were dismissive. One of the sick workers was told at the
local hospital that ÒShaking is not going to kill you. Get dressed and get out of here.Ó
Fifteen ex-employees
tried to sue the casino, but their case was thrown out by the judge. Another lawsuit, by nine other
employees and one customer, was still pending.
The ex-employees had
already tried filing federal workers compensation claims, but they were all
rejected after a report by two physicians failed to support their case.
Sources
Mysterious Ailment Hits Casino Workers, Mark Evans, San Francisco Chronicle, April 6, 1990.
Casino hit by mystery illness, Eric Brazil, The San Francisco Examiner, April 5, 1992.
We were unable to obtain permission to reprint the Examiner article, which provides photos and much more detail, including names of the employees, physicians, etc. The article is not available on the paperÕs website.
More historic articles
See www.eiwellspring.org/history.html