Inhalation Hazards, Safety and you. (Text Heavy)

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Dinosaur

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I know I'm fairly new here, but I have a bit of experience using fiberglass and painting (I have a background in surfing, repairing surfboards and spray-painting said surfboards). I posted this already in another thread, but I feel the need for it to be here in the Noob sub-forum after reading a lot of the questions some had about respirator types, and how they should be used in conjunction with certain hobby-related activities. Fiberglass and paints are dangerous to be inhaling and can be sited for the causes of some asthmas, lung conditions and some cancers. Heres the post in its entirety:

I know this is a bit of a necro post to be adding to but I feel like there are noobs who aren't familiar with paints and aggregates (such as sanding dust, fiberglass dust, or airborne aerosols).

For those of you with little or no knowledge on the subject, you should be looking to purchase the following type of mask:
3M-6200-Half-Face-Respirator.jpe
like this here
or anything similar to it. I've had it for a couple of years and never had issues with it.

If you are looking for the correct filters, you will want to buy the black-labelled "Organic Vapor" filters and retainer ring for the pre-filter. all of this together be useful for sanding fiberglass and resin.

All of those tens listed above come out to $42.88 without shipping. It is likely that you could find packages online or in hardware stores for a bit cheaper. You shouldn't be putting a price on your lungs anyway. Lets continue.

-Silicon mask forms better to your skin, and while a bit heavy, will last if you take care of it.
-When you get your mask make sure your face fits properly in it. If it doesn't search around or ask around for one that may fit your face better.
-If you have facial hair, guys, you might want to shave it or at least trim it down. Otherwise you aren't getting a proper seal and may be letting particulates or dust into your lungs, negating the usefulness of the mask.
-Girls, if you have long hair keep it back and out of the way. Probably want to wear a beanie or hat to keep the paint or dust out of your hair.
-DO NOT USE DUST MASKS TO PAINT, RESIN, OR SAND FIBERGLASS. I will gladly reiterate this again.
-DO NOT USE DUST MASKS TO PAINT, RESIN, OR SAND FIBERGLASS. Dust masks do not have the ability to properly filter out the particulates in the air.

According to DuPont, the pioneer in chemicals, fiberglass dust is "Smaller fibers, generally less than 3.5 microns in length, can be inhaled and deposited in the lung where they can accumulate and cause fibrotic changes, while larger fibers cause skin irritation due to mechanical action. It is both the inhalation and dermal hazards that give fiberglass a greater hazard potential than nuisance dust and require appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure.". In other words, really really bad for your lungs and skin, especially over time. Paint inhalation hazards are due to the solvents in the paint, and the actual pigment or "paint". Both can cause complications, possibly cancer later in life.

I know this is a wall of text, but you need to read it to keep yourself safe. I know it seems overly-dramatic, but coming from a son of a former ship-builder/welder and boat-builder who now has mesotheloma, there is no point taking up this hobby to die a very painful death from it.

Heres another source: http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediaw...SevTSeSSSSSS--&fn=CartFilterReplace_Broch.pdf

If you have any questions relating to filters/Respirators AFTER reading all of this, just PM me.
 
I didn't realize this isn't linked in the noob reading list, nor stickied, as far as I can see... There is a brief reference in the "Complete noob list" but not this in-depth informative one. Good catch, it may be obvious and second nature to us experienced salts, but a lot of people think open air, a flu mask, or "being tough" will be enough. It's no joking matter, and a good mask is more important (and probably more useful) to a tool set than a hammer. Even if someone thinks they can tough out the fumes, getting your first dremel blast of dust in the face or having a cheap ceiling crumble on you when you're installing something, you know that mask has paid for itself.

I recently sold a piano, and found a closet door behind it when we moved it out. Opened the closet to find out it was under the bathroom and a pipe had burst. The entire thing was pitch black with mold and I had to clear it out, one of my least favorite experiences, and I was soooooo thankful for that respirator.
 
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