I wonder sometimes about the things I read, but I don't think this one is bogus. It has some real science behind it. Do you ever wonder about all the things you've inhaled, or gotten on your skin working on stuff over the years? Will they come back to haunt? Lets hope not. I'm very carefull these days with most any chemical.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
the phosgene gas is nasty boys.. in welding school we discussed it a fair bit. it's not so much the heat that causes it but the UV from the welding.. TIG especially. I use Acetone for cleaning.. NOT brake clean. The Miller site has some great info for prepping welds. play safe. long sleeves no matter how hot it is outside, cover your neck too.. I've had some nasty sun burns on my neck from UV and Radiant heat.
I try to be careful too but fact is we are sometimes dealing with chemicals we don't know well. Plus dust, particulates, etc. In the work I've been doing these past two weeks, I have dust all over at the end of the day, including in my nose. Odds are some of this gets into the lungs and other organs.
On thing I don't get about this article though is this: if the guy knew he ingested phosgene, and he was aware of the potential impacts, plus he felt sick, why did he wait 9 days to seek treatment. I'd be at emergency right away.
I lost a very special Pontiac friend. He died of complications due to leukemia. He kept his cars in impeccable condition, always, always cleaning, polishing etc. He was a wealthy man and could afford the best health care available. When he was diagnosed, he consulted regularly with a man who was considered an expert on leukemia. This man told him it was very possible that use of all those chemicals over the years were the cause. I think of that still every time my hands are in grease, cleaners etc. The suffering he went through before he passed away should not have to be endured by anyone.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
My dad was a lithographer since age 18 and was constantly exposed to chemicals. It wasnt uncommon back then to clean the ink off your skin with varsol. He had colon cancer at 30,and brain anurisms at 44. It makes me wonder if all those chemicals had something to do with it. Not many of his co workers lived past 60.
You have to be careful! When I weld in my garage I crack the door open and turn on the exhaust fan at the other end of the shop. It sure helps get the smoke out. I do the same thing when using a paint spray bomb. Putting a ventilation fan in the garage was one of my better ideas!
I had my aluminum m21 case welded and the welder was very clear about NOT cleaning it with brake clean, Also I had heard that brake clean will cause kidney damage if using it to wash, or clean hands.. Yup we do have to be more careful with things we think are ok.
My dad was a lithographer since age 18 and was constantly exposed to chemicals. It wasnt uncommon back then to clean the ink off your skin with varsol. He had colon cancer at 30,and brain anurisms at 44. It makes me wonder if all those chemicals had something to do with it. Not many of his co workers lived past 60.
You have to be careful! When I weld in my garage I crack the door open and turn on the exhaust fan at the other end of the shop. It sure helps get the smoke out. I do the same thing when using a paint spray bomb. Putting a ventilation fan in the garage was one of my better ideas!
Todd
Agree, you need superior ventilation. I have a big body shop fan, not yet installed. It will be one of my near term projects before I get into any heavy restoration work.
Great post. I was gonna clean off some grease on an area i need to weld with some brake clean. That was on my agenda..not now i will just do it the ol fashioned way now. Thanks
I keep giving someone we know on here who has his own shop crap for soaking his hands in brake cleaner when he services brakes. He needs to wear gloves.
I had a neighbor (here we go again) that restored classic 1930s Packards plus he did a 1948 Chrysler Town & Country convertible, plus maybe even a Nash Metropolitan. He died of cancer back in 1994 while in his 60s. I never saw him smoke or drink, but I'll bet the exposure to all the nasty substances in cars caused it. Asbestos, lead, lots of VOCs and who knows what else. His youngest son now has the 1931 Packard Phaeton he restored back in the 1960s & redid later. It was featured in a movie in 2009 and was driven my another son of his in the movie.
Todd in my home shop the rubber gloves are a must to wear when working on anything. Once you get used to wearing them you will really start to like them. I got my first box as a car show prize and since then they are a shop staple. The cost is minimal when your health is involved.
At my paying job,, I make sure my guys are working safe...
At home ,, I take the appropiate steps ..most of the time.. that article is a wake up call ! I suffered from welding Galvenized metal when I was young and stupid , been pretty careful since then for the most part!
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later...rog
AADD supporting member !!
I'm a collector...not a builder!!Located in sunny central Saskatchewan at the lakehead!
Scary stuff, I've been working around aircraft and chemicals for 25 years, going inside Boeing 707 fuel tanks with only a air hose and fuel puddles still on the bottom... then coming out of there all dizzy, go for a cigarette and drinks later on ...cleaning parts with bare hands and varsol, keytone, xylene, toluene, patching panels with PRC...working with red hydraulic fluids and skydrol (affects nerve if over exposed) I pray I don't get cancer when I'm older ???
Yes, I use rubber gloves all the time. I also use good dust masks when grinding etc and safety glasses, shields etc. I'm a bit of a safety geek but it sure beats losing an eye or a lung!
You can get tested to see how much of that stuff is still in your system. Then again, you may not want to know...
pontorquer wrote:
Scary stuff, I've been working around aircraft and chemicals for 25 years, going inside Boeing 707 fuel tanks with only a air hose and fuel puddles still on the bottom... then coming out of there all dizzy, go for a cigarette and drinks later on ...cleaning parts with bare hands and varsol, keytone, xylene, toluene, patching panels with PRC...working with red hydraulic fluids and skydrol (affects nerve if over exposed) I pray I don't get cancer when I'm older ???
I have 2 boxes of the "laytex' gloves, BUT< I'm usually 3/4's of the way through the job, covered in grease or whatever when I remember "OH I should have put them on, too late now" Just can't get used to the idea of using them!!!!
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Some times I wake up GRUMPY, but today I let her sleep in !!!!!!!!BLACKSTOCK Ont.
Costco...1000 gloves for 9 bucks!!..and they make you feel like a pro when your wearin em..awsome. I remember the day when done workin on a car we washed our hands in gas or diesel fuel..with a cig hangin out the mouth. I later read-up and it gets into your nervous-system..and will kill you. the rubber gloves work but i noticed when you are workin on a gas line, or with any oil they break up..so gotta change them all the time..but in the end it's worth a few pennies...mabe it's too late for me now(hope not)..but the old guys washed in gas till..when they died.
Also i should have mentioned...they never had latex gloves back-n-the day, it became new to me when i seen a mechanic workin on my Cat at work..and i said "whats this?..you think your a doctor now?"..not relizing he learned that in school..not old school...im sure back in the 60's an 70's when i was younger..if i wore a pair..some joker would have asked if the panties came with em!..wear the gloves..its the new millenium....man.
yes..so true..i decided to wear cutting goggels..i changed the lens for welding..so i could get into a tight spot to weld..my face was all burnt red from the flash..well except for around my eyes...man that was just stupid!!..thought i new a better way?..nope. I am an enemie unto my ownself, when i think i can out invent whats allready been done.
thanks for the info . I printed it off and will share with my employees tomorrow. sometimes I am not so smart when it comes to this stuff.
I would like to live long enough to enjoy some retirement years with good health
THANKS
Markus
