Hidden dangers

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Guys this a warning to all of you, I have been in this trade 48 years. Back in the 60's we worked with asbestos, cutting it, and removing it from pipes where it had been used as lagging. We didn't use masks and if you had a repair on a pipeline that you could do insitu. you would just hack away at the lagging with a chipping hammer till you exposed the part you wanted to repair and weld it. Later on I moved to a phosphate fertiliser company on maint. same again with the lagging but we had a new thing to contend with - sulphuric acid is used to make phosphate into fert. Eventually after we had been on strike about it, after many years of being told it was perfectly safe by the company chemists, we got an independant observer in, he got one whiff and fell over which we got a laugh out of but he got in a scientist who did a series of tests and found that 20 minutes of continuous exposure to these fumes could cause "chronic and irreversible lung tissue damage"Fast forward to now and I am having to undergo tests for lung disease, I have constant wheezing and if I get a cold I am really hit hard.What really pisses me off is that this company employed 3 chemists in that plant alone, it is a well established process world wide and after this they provided us with charcoal impregnated paper masks which totally cut out the fumes. All this could have been prevented by people "in the know" but it was a cost, a very small cost but still a cost.For your own good guys get some charcoal impregnated paper masks, 3M make them I know .One more thing, any welding fume is bad news, add galv. to the list. Please help yourselves, you can't always rely on your employer.CliveLast edited by clive; 07-20-2010 at 11:22 PM.Reason: punctuation/eye strain
Reply:You cant rely on your employer. I totally agree. And the welding rods you welded with were so nice to use, except the asbestos in the flux.UA Local 598
Reply:Originally Posted by WHughesYou cant rely on your employer. I totally agree. And the welding rods you welded with were so nice to use, except the asbestos in the flux.
Reply:I wear a respirator when I weld/heat stuff, but some experienced welders I know like to poke fun at the mask.  They tell me not to worry about it.  It is less comfy, but once you get into the groove you forget that you have it on.  The silly things cost a few bucks at cyberweld with the P100 filters which I think catches just about all the nasty stuff we are likely to be exposed to.If I have to spend my own money on them then I think that is a small price to pay to avoid crippling disease in my 50-60's.I think one of the major impediments to adequate PPE is the machismo that permeates the profession.Hobart LX235Victor 250 Oxy-Acetylene Rig (welding and cutting)Bobcat 773F-350, 1999, 4x4, 16' 10K# trailerOutdoor Wood Burner - 10 cords/year
Reply:The P100 filters trap stuff like asbestos - from the 3M site:3M™ P100 Particulate Filter RespiratorHalf face or full facepiece versions. U.S. government-approved, maintenance-free, low maintenance or replaceable filter styles. P100 rated filter provides 99.97% filter efficiency against oil and non-oil, certain dusts, fumes, mists, radionuclides and asbestos-containing dusts and mists.Hobart LX235Victor 250 Oxy-Acetylene Rig (welding and cutting)Bobcat 773F-350, 1999, 4x4, 16' 10K# trailerOutdoor Wood Burner - 10 cords/year
Reply:last week on this old house i watched a guy taker a sawzall to a lathe and plaster wall in a 80 year old house. no mask, no containment nada..tell me there aint asbestos in 80 year old plaster..
Reply:Maybe no asbestos in the old plaster, but drywall and plaster dust will cause permanent damage.  My brother runs his own business in residential construction and tells me that the drywall guys are pretty much done by their 40's-50's because of the drywall dust.Fine particulates are murder on lung tissue - you can get away with limited exposure, but even a one time extreme exposure is likely to cause permanent damage that will not be evident until a few decades later.Do you really want to trade your welding oxygen for medical oxygen?Hobart LX235Victor 250 Oxy-Acetylene Rig (welding and cutting)Bobcat 773F-350, 1999, 4x4, 16' 10K# trailerOutdoor Wood Burner - 10 cords/year
Reply:Might as well be smoking non filtered lucky strikes....well any cigarette for that matter.
Reply:I went out and got a pack of 10 masks, cheap insurance against getting any worse.Clive
Reply:For people with lung problems, or when working in a nasty environment, there is one step up in protection from the usual respirators, the Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR).  The Triton that I have uses a battery pack and a fan on my belt, blowing air through the "100" filters, and then into my helmet.  (This is not my welding helmet, I use it mostly when I need to do a lot of grinding).These are generally rated at least 10 times as effective as a conventional respirator.  This probably goes double for those of us with facial hair, as respirators don't seal so well with hair.http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/i...comp/papr.htmlThere are also systems with a long hose, and a 110VAC air pump.   If you put the pump intake outside the shop, the air coming in is going to be clean, regardless of the filter.  I know a lady welder who had lots of problems with fumes until she bought one of these systems.Anyway, something to consider when working in an especially nasty environment, or if one is sensitive to any kind of particles.     I remember one guy wearing one specifically because he had lung problems.Note that this may not be the best choice for organic fumes, but I believe that you can use organic filters if needed.  Not for use in very toxic or explosive environments.  But good for basic dust, etc.PAPR systems start at $200, and can go for $1000 or more.  You can buy PAPR systems integrated into a welding helmet.RichardSculptures in copper and other metalshttp://www.fergusonsculpture.comSyncrowave 200 Millermatic 211Readywelder spoolgunHypertherm 600 plasma cutterThermal Arc GMS300 Victor OA torchHomemade Blacksmith propane forge