>From working with Hazardous Chemicals (Alcohols, to Freons, to Carcinogens,
to Nerve Gas), I agree with some of the recommendatons ofthe paint sales
rep.
1) Fulls Face vs. 1/2 mask. Gaseous vapors enter the body through many
routes. Your eyes are particulary vunerable. THere is a great opportunity
to scar your eyes from repeated exposure to volatile chemicals, that make
your eyes "numb" to paint fumes. (If you where contacts, you could "melt"
the contacts while they are in your eyes) I know a great many car painters
that never protected their eyes, and now poo-poo full face respirators
because they "don't feel it" anymore.
2) Charcoal canisters absorb many vapors, expecially H20. Leaving
respirators in an unsealed containers (i.e. not a Zip Loc baggie) does
prematurely wear out a set of chemical filters. Yes, the true test is
inhaliing above a KNOWN smelly source, and seeing is believing if you smell
it.
3) However, smelling it is not necessarily an indicator of bad filters. It
could be a poorly fit, or badly sealed mask, hence the need to keep your
mask clean and in good repair. THere are methods to check mask integrity,
sealability (which I won;t go into now, emailme if you want details) when
you fit up. I recommend to anyone using a chemical mask, get the proper
training on usage, from someone familiar with working with truly
hazardous/deadly chemicals. It is far too easy to ignore this potential
that exists to "save time" or convenience. You might avoid acute
exposure, but since many carcinogens, etc.are less than 30 years old,
chronic (long term) effects of repeated exposures are not documented nor
studied.
Please, as someone who worked with FOOLS and was a fool for 6 years, don't
paint without a respirator, and don't use a respirator w.o training w/a
certified expert. You might not truly know, but are you willing torisk
your life? You might have already. Thnk about it, like the GIs they
testing Agent orange, or the atomic bomb. theywere ok for quite awhile,
but then things got worse. Do you want that to happen to you? If nothing
else, don't trivialize the impact chemicals can have. You don't havethe
data to support one view over the other, don't advocate one over other.
I'd err to the side of caution, rather than err at all.
I acknowledge the morbid/severe point of view, but the tone of recent mails
on chemical exposure sounded rather flippant. Have you ever known anyone
who made surf-boards? Worked making Fiberglass molds? Generally they don't
stay in it too long.....I wonder why.
Scott R.Cypher
Project Manager
Center for Organzational Performance Improvement
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg,VA, 24061
(703)231-2773 SCypher@perform.vt.edu
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