Dear Everyone

We had visits from numerous manufacturers over the summer. Most are amazed that our sales people are not on commission. "How do you incentivize them?", they asked. When you telephone our staff for product recommendations, they try and give you the best product advice to solve your problem, regardless of cost. Their reward is from knowing they have done their honest best to help someone. They feel good about that. We do have corporate team profit sharing at the end of the year, so if we make any extra money, everyone wins. So, if you are thinking about buying a product, call us, we will talk to you!

If you want to work for AllergyBuyersClub.com part-time or wish to offer this as a corporate benefit to your employees in the workplace, please contact us for more details. Gary, our Marketing Director, has several different ways you can participate with us. For a quick look at the program click on this link below.

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/af/index.html

Mercia

Editors note: This is the kind of testing done by our staff. The AllerAir 6000 provides the highest filtration efficiency and sterilization power in the AllerAir line of air purifier products we offer.

The top of the unit can be removed by undoing 4 Philip screws. They were rather tight but once removed the top came off easily. There will normally be no need to remove this cover except to service the fan or repair any electrical problem.

In order to access the filters on the unit all work is done from the bottom of the unit.

The unit consists of a pre-filter, gas filter, gas filter wrap, HEPA filter, and a UV light.

1. Pre-filter
Very easy access requires no screws to be undone. Simply turning the unit upside down will allow you to pull the filter out to vacuum and clean. It is a typical cotton and polyester material filter that will only remove particles 5 microns and larger. The filter is located inside of the gas filter cylinder.

2. Gas Filter
To access this filter you will need to remove the bottom lid, which consists of four Philip screws. They were very tight and once removed you needed to tap the lid with a screwdriver to loosen it. Once removed, removal of the gas filter was very easy. The gas filter had a dust filter wrap around it to keep in the dust that might occur from the carbon in the filter. The top and bottom of the gas filter has two gaskets that are very spongy and create a tight seal. We weighed the filter and it weighed 20.5 pounds so this would meet the rated 18 pounds of carbon as stated on our website but contradicts what the manufacturer stated to us which was the 6000's now come with 21 pounds of carbon. The filter would probably weigh around 24.5 pounds if there were 21 pounds of carbon in it.

3. HEPA Filter
The HEPA filter is a cylinder that sits outside of the gas filter cylinder. It was very easy to remove and it had a spongy tight sealing gasket on the top and the bottom of the filter. The filter material was a good quality paper material and the pleating was done properly to increase the surface area for filtration.

4. UV Light
In order to access the UV light you need to remove a middle shelf that sits above the filters which consists of three Philip screws. They were easy to remove and the shelf lifted right out. So, access to the UV light involved removing the bottom plate and a middle plate. The UV light was a 10-watt straight bulb and the way it was attached and the wiring appeared to be of good quality installation. We were concerned about the positioning of the UV light based on what a representative from Allerair had told us. It had been explained to us that the benefit of the UV light was to bathe the particles trapped in the HEPA filter. However, the UV light was positioned above the middle plate below the top section of the air cleaner where the fan and outflow was. From our observation, we could not see how the UV light could be exposed to any of the particulates in the HEPA filter. The only application of the UV light was to address those particles that had made it through the HEPA filter and had moved up through the sides of the middle shelf and into the area where the UV light was and from there it moved to the top and back into the room. But the manufacturer's representative had stated that the movement of the particulates were at such a high speed as to not allow the UV light to do anything to the DNA and RNA of the particulate. In order for the UV light to break down the DNA and RNA of the particulate, you need to be close enough to the light, the light needs to be intense enough (dosage), and the exposure time needs to be adequate. He stated that the exposure time would not be close enough to provide any benefit. Therefore, the design of this machine appears to contradict what he stated to us.

We were not able to perform a particle count test because our laser diode particle counter needs to be recalibrated. We will perform the particle count test at a later date.

On August 16, 2002, we performed a particle count test and we came up with the following results:

The particles going into the Allerair were 1,341,170. We took 10 readings in the room and averaged them to get this number.

LOW SPEED: We took 10 readings and they averaged out to 102,481. Our particle count efficiency was 1- (102,481 divided by 1,341,170) = 92.36% efficiency at 0.3 microns and larger in size.

HIGH SPEED: We took 10 readings and they averaged out to 96,890. Our particle count efficiency was 1- (96,890 divided by 1,341,170) = 92.78% efficiency at 0.3 microns and larger in size.

TURBO SPEED: We took 10 readings and they averaged out to 103,640. Our particle count efficiency was 1- (103,640 divided by 1,341,170) = 92.27% efficiency at 0.3 microns and larger in size.

Overall, this is an excellent result, but we were disappointed it was not even higher results based on the fact that we felt the HEPA filter was of a good quality and the seal appeared very tight so we did not think there would be any leakage whatsoever. However, this particle count efficiency would still place it up there with the best of the machines we have tested.

In order to give you some perspective we have tested some nationally known best selling air cleaners not sold on our site and their efficiency is between 15 and 40%.

The AllerAir 6000 Vocarb -UV Air Purifier (VOC & Ultraviolet) can be found at:
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/al40voc.html
$899.95

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With the oppressive heat of this summer scarcely behind us, it seems a bit premature to suggest you should be thinking about Hypodown comforters for the depths of winter.

For those of you who are allergic to feathers but long for the puffiness of real down, then Hypodown is a wonderful choice for allergy sufferers. I personally use an Oversize King but if I had to do it again I would try for a regular King size because of the difficulty of finding a duvet cover. In fact, I had to make a custom duvet cover which is expensive and more trouble than I would ideally want to go to protect my comforter. Since I have extolled on the virtues of Hypodown recently, I will not do so again but refer you to what we said before.

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/acr/acr_32.shtml#sleep

We are currently drooling over samples of Siberian and Eiderdown comforters and will be offering them to you soon. Quite honestly, we are checking through what washing procedures are used for these comforters and seeing whether are most feather allergic staff have a reaction to them.

Being a member of staff at AllergyBuyersClub.com and testing products can be a bit brutal. Allergic to cats? Want to know to know if an air purifier works? We put you and an air purifier into the cats favorite room. With comforters our poor staff have to bury their heads into a sea of feathers. If they survive then so will you. Plenty of products have been tested and failed these rough and ready tests of ours! Early results of these Siberian and Eiderdown tests are showing those with skin allergies do not react well, they get itchy and are happier with our silk filled comforters, however those with respiratory and feather allergies are not having an adverse reaction.

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/comforters.html

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When Are Allergies And Asthma A True Disability?

Introduction by Murray Grossan MD

When is allergy a disability? When is asthma a cause of worker's compensation claim and disability?. Here is an article by an "expert" to explain how these critical subjects are decided.

More persons than ever are being declared disabled due to asthma and allergy. For instance, a nurse who develops latex - rubber - allergy may be disabled. Or a chromium worker who develops asthma as a result of this exposure. Or a nursery worker who developed a life threatening anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting. How these cases are evaluated is the subject of this article by an Dr Bruce Growick who is trained in making these evaluations.

Dr Growick is often called upon to review the background and cause of the potential disability, and to give legal and other testimony in these cases.

He is a consultant to insurance companies and attorneys in these matters.

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Use of Vocational Experts in Disability Determination
Bruce Growick, Ph.D.

The process of determining 'disability' in America today has become clearly more complex over the last few years. In workers' compensation, social security, pension/disability funds, and personal injury, the medical status of the individual alone is no longer sufficient for determining disability. Other factors, such as an individual's age, education, past work experience, and access to the labor market, must now also be taken into consideration.

Broader Criteria

For many years, the medical condition represented by the Guides for Permanent Impairment by the American Medical Association was the sole source for determining disability. If an individual's physical and/or mental condition was serious enough as determined by the percentage of impairment, then a finding of Disabled was granted. However, other factors are now being considered relevant in determining an individual's ability to return-to-work and whether they are disabled.

In particular, the vocational opportunities available to an injured individual, as a function of other factors such as age and education, must also be taken into consideration. If a person possesses enough residual functional capacity and work-related skills necessary to perform a job adequately, then a determination of Not Disabled is warranted. Likewise, if an individual after injury or illness cannot perform any work due to their medical limitations and their age, education, work history and available employment, then a determination of disability is indicated.

Using the AMA Guides for Permanent Impairment as the only criterion for disability has given way to a more inclusive process. Disability determination is now based on personal and social factors that affect employability as well. This broadening of the decision-making process has been beneficial yet difficult. It is difficult because, like any new process that broadens its mandate, there are more factors and professionals that need to be considered. Where the disability determination process used to be the sole providence of the medical doctor, now the facts and opinions of vocational experts must be considered.

Expert Interpretation

The vocational expert is a professional who has studied and understands the relationship between the functional limitations of illness and/or disability, and the physical and mental demands of work. No longer is it permissible to determine disability solely based on the percentage of impairment as dictated by the AMA Guides. Ideally, the physical and psychological limitations that are imposed by an accident and/or disease must now be translated into the loss of specific vocational opportunity. And, that vocational loss must be interpreted in terms of the whole world of work per the U.S. Department of Labor, the availability of jobs within different geographic areas, and the average wage that those jobs command.

The vocational expert is the professional who is retained to provide such information to the court. They are usually asked to provide an opinion on the overall employability of the individual, taking into account not only their physical and psychological limitations, but also their age, education and past relevant work. These latter factors are tremendously important to the overall employability of the individual being considered for permanent and total disability.

Historically, the Federal Social Security Administration was the first entity to consider these other factors in their disability determination process, and to use the vocational expert. The Social Security Administration requires that in making a determination of disability a vocational expert is necessary to provide an opinion on the nature of a person's past work, and their ability to perform it or any other work in substantial numbers in a certain geographical area. The vocational expert describes a person's work history according to skill and exertional level per the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, and provides an opinion on whether the individual, given the functional limitations of the medical condition, can perform the essential functions of a job adequately. Furthermore, the vocational expert needs to articulate whether a substantial number of those jobs exist in the national economy.

In Workers' Compensation in my state, the vocational expert is used on a regular basis in a similar manner. The Stephenson decision by the Ohio State Supreme Court in the 1980's mandated that the Ohio Industrial Commission must consider an individual's personal and social factors in determining permanency and totality of disability. As a result, the Industrial Commission uses the vocational expert not only to define past relevant work according to skill and exertion, but also to indicate which jobs an individual can perform given their functional limitations, age, education, and work experience. The decisions of the Industrial Commission in workers' compensation in Ohio are now considered more fair and equitable.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, pension and disability funds have also begun to use the vocational expert to assist in the process of determining extent of disability. Currently, the Ohio Police and Firemen's Pension and Disability Fund uses the vocational expert, in conjunction with medical advisors, to help in determining the vocational affect of disability for its members who apply for disability retirement. It appears that a fairer and more prudent disability rating is achieved when the vocational factors, as well as the medical aspects of an individual, are considered.

Civil Litigation

In the context of civil tort proceedings, such as personal injury, medical malpractice, or product liability, the vocational expert is also being used more often. In this venue, the vocational expert is being asked not only to provide an opinion on the availability of jobs for an individual with a disability or illness, but also on the affects of the disability on lifetime earning capacity. The concept of 'loss of earning capacity' is very important in civil proceedings because it helps to quantify the extent of the disability, and places a dollar amount on the projected loss. In this situation, the vocational expert indicates which jobs an individual can perform, and what they can earn doing it. The loss of earning capacity is a function of what jobs a person can do, and what they can earn over their working life. Vocational experts provide a very useful purpose to the court because they demonstrate the relationship between an individual's residual abilities, the world of work (i.e., employability), and earning capacity.

The role of the vocational expert in the legal arena over the last few years has increased as attorneys realize that the vocational expert can help bridge the gap between medical limitations, and the physical and mental requirements of work. The vocational expert helps to determine what jobs an individual can perform, how many of those jobs exist, and what they pay. In fact, at my university, more of our coursework in the field of rehabilitation covers the role and functions of the vocational expert in litigation, and more of our graduates are becoming employed in this area. The scope of practice and the acceptance of the vocational expert in the courts will certainly increase as lawyers continue to use us for assisting in the process of disability determination.

Contact Dr Growick at growick.1@osu.edu

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