How to (almost) kill yourself with brake cleaner

[Mugwest]

man-- talk about a contact Buzz... as i was reading this thread just now with a sinking feeling in my guts at all the stupid hazmat abuse i've done (both for pay and voluntarily), i took a swig of beer and instantly felt clammy, cold-sweaty and sick.

All the same 'old days' acetone and brake cleaner abuse applies. I only started using blue nitrile gloves a few years ago, and sporadically at that.

The damage has been done

prolly a moot point but i'll be minimizing those exposures from now on

excellent reminders here folks

don't forget that most of these agents will end up in the water table eventually. Hopefully they are not long-lived in solution, but that's just shit-in-one-hand wishing. Ask the Indicator Frog

[KTM640Dakar]

Arc Welding Safety

Arc welding is a safe process when sufficient measures are taken to protect the welder from potential hazards and when proper operating practices are followed. Major hazards welders can encounter if these dangers are overlooked include fumes and gases, arc rays and sparks, and electric shock. Listed below are some informative websites and data resources.

Publications from Lincoln Electric

• Arc Welding Safety Brochure - E205 View pdf (English) View pdf (Español)
• Arc Welding Safety Poster - E201 View pdf
• A Guide to Welding Fume Control - MC08-67 View pdf

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Hexavalent Chromium Compliance What are the requirements of the new Hexavalent Chromium Standard? How has compliance with the "new" regulation changed from compliance with the "old" regulations? Why did OSHA change the Permissible Exposure Limit for Hexavalent Chromium? Who has to comply with the new Hexavalent Chromium Standards? How can Lincoln Electric help me comply with the new Hexavalent Chromium Standard? How do I find out if chromium is present in any of the Lincoln consumables I use? How do I determine the welders' and nearby workers' potential exposure to hexavalent chromium? Can my welders wear respirators to comply with the Hexavalent Chromium standard?
• Welding Fume Control What are some Welding Fume Control Solutions? What engineering controls are available to help me comply with exposure based OSHA regulations? How do I use the "Maximum Fume Exposure Guideline" given on Lincoln Electric's MSDSs? How does OSHA specify and enforce "adequate" ventilation? Where can I find help to perform employee exposure monitoring? What are the requirements for temporarily ventilating a confined space? What are the environmental regulations for exhausting welding fume outside a building?
• Ventilation System Operation How do filters work? Can I recirculate filtered welding exhaust to save energy costs? How do I determine the regulatory requirements for proper disposal of a spent exhaust system filter? How do you handle and dispose of ventilation system filter and collection bin debris?

Lincoln Electric Material Safety Data Sheets

• Material Safety Data Sheets On-Line
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Publications from the American Welding Society

• Safety and Health Fact Sheets - American Welding Society
• Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes Document - AWS/ANSI Z49.1

Fume Extraction Equipment

• Environmental Equipment Selection Guide - MC05-138 View pdf
• Miniflex® - E13.11 View pdf
• Mobiflex® 100-NF - E13.42 View pdf
• Mobiflex® 200-M - E13.12 View pdf
• Mobiflex® 400-MS - E13.13 View pdf
• Statiflex® 200-M - E13.14 View pdf
• Statiflex® 400-MS - E13.15 View pdf
• Extraction Arms - E13.16 View pdf
• X-Tractor® 1GC - E13.17 View pdf
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Safety & Health Topic: Hexavalent Chromium

• OSHA Safety & Health Topics: Hexavalent Chromium
• OSHA New Release: OSHA Issues Final Standard on Hexavalent Chromium
• OSHA Final Rule: Occupational Exposure To Hexavalent Chromium
• OSHA Small Entity Compliance Guide for Hexavalent Chromium Standard - View/download PDF
• OSHA Hexavalent Chromium Standards (MC09-12) - View/download PDF

Additional Welding & Safety Resources on the Web

• OSHA - Safety & Health Topics / Hexavalent Chromium
• NIOSH - Safety & Health Topics / Hexavalent Chromium
• AIHA - Industrial Hygienist Consultant Search
• AWS - Safety & Health Fact Sheets
• EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• NEMA - National Electrical Manufacturers Association
• NFPA - National Fire Protection Association

[Hatch]

Originally Posted by svejkovat

I don't really understand why helmets are not commonly made with an option to seal against the face with a fitting to accept compressed air.

Like this?
Weld-O-Vista

Good post, I didn't know the exacts of this. But I woulda figured heating up these solvents probably wouldnt be a good air freshener.

[thebigkr]

I run a household hazardous waste program and I'm here to say, if you think just because you can buy it at Kragen or Lowe's or Wally World it's safe, you are crazy. Some of the most toxic chemicals made are common in the home.

[Purcell69]

It is absolutely frightening to think about the things we have exposed ourselves to over the years. I can remember using MEK (methylethylketone) as a parts cleaner many years ago. From what I recall, this stuff is no longer available. I also ingested smoke from burning polyurethane paint (both parts, not mixed) about 20 years ago, and playing in the "rock dust" dad was using to landscape the yard when I was a kid. Rock dust, as it was called was asbestos. Glad I quit smoking!

-Joe

[Pike Bishop]

I remember my Dad bringing home big bottles of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) from the plant. Back in the old days, people would use that stuff to clean grease off their hands! Not recommended that you use it while smoking, though ... in the presence of combustion, it produces phosgene!

[Benesesso]

Throw away every cooking utensil except Cast iron and Pyrex!

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache...=us&lr=lang_en

Wonder what they use at McD's?

[Wesley J]

Great post. I've forwarded it on to everyone I know who may weld or work in their shop.

Makes me wonder about the years of using canned ether as a cleaner....

Wesley J

[ryanwilliamcantrell]

Wow. Scary.


Thanks for the heads-up.

[tenderfoot]

Originally Posted by svejkovat

Is it getting a bad rap? Nail salons have been soaking their customer's fingertips in it for many decades. And how many women have you known to exhibit signs of toxic psychosis leading to erratic pathological aggression?
.

Nuff said.

[idahoskiguy]

WOW.......thank you for posting.

A real wake up call.

[AtlantaViking]

As a general rule, when I see organic compounds (carbon based stuff) I get more cautious when they are halogenated (chlorine, bromine, fluorine...). The more halogens the worse. Thats not to say I don't use caution with acetone and alcohols (methanol can ruin your day too) but halogens are just plane scary.

I used to spray WD-40 (a good example, lots of others like it) with abandon. Organic chemistry was a great teacher - I'm alot more careful with it now and try to only use it outdoors and try like hell to not inhale it and wear gloves.

Great post - and thx for bringing it on.

[B.Curvin]

Thank you for the stories and link. I'm picking up a Miller Tig welder soon.

I planned on using Acetone as a parts and filler rod cleaner because that's what

my welding books suggest. Who knows what I might have grabbed in the garage

if I ran out though.






(I'll also quit washing my hands with Acetone )

I used to build racing sailboats ~20 years ago. We washed up with Acetone everyday.

Mercury in the garage as a kid etc etc. It's amazing most of us are here to tell the tale.

I had a mercury thermometer blow up in my face once.

[Jonex]

I used to work in a chemical plant and even with laminated Saranex suits and supplied air SCBA masks and such, day in and day out operations means exposure. You gotta take the suit off and there's stuff on it.

Sure, you can go through the trouble of a proper decon but when you're all by yourself and nobody answers the radio and your elbows are sloshing full of sweat and you're dizzy from heat exhaustion from being in a poopy suit for 5 hours, you just want the dang thing off.

I've been sprayed in the face with methyl tertiary butyl ether which gets into your fatty tissues and doesn't leave. I've hooked up a hose to a 50 psi 2" acetone or methanol or ether header and blasted down a whole room, my SCBA cartridge getting hot and smelling all kinds of iffy things right through it.

I had to pull over on the way home from work for a projectile vomiting episode that struck instantly. Happened to other guys, too. We don't know what we got into.

Nitrile gloves are for keeping your hands from looking dirty. They don't stop the wimpy acids and caustics we use in my cheese plant, so they aren't going to do much for acetone, MEK, etc. Better than nothing I guess.

Those cheesy 1/2 masks they have at the box store aren't good for crap. I was issued one at the chem plant and I wore it for fit testing and never again. You can't get a good consistent seal at the nose bridge.

I assume my Crohn's disease is likely from various exposures and cavalier attitudes to chemicals over the years.

Be safe guys. Use good gloves and ventilation.

Oh yeah - I was buying some epoxy paint the other day and they had MEK right on the shelf, next to the acetone.

[dentedvw]

I feel like projectile vomiting right now.

Cripes.