Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

[Navigator_Victory]

So I read about wearing a 3m respirator before sanding/grinding down material.....all I was doing was cutting out some floor and I was using a rough or large tooth saw so the particles were not small....but,,,I could smell the fiberglass.....decided after about five minutes I should err on the safe side and put on a mask/respirator.....about an hour later I am trying to hack up a lung......and I was outdoors to boot....

I am thinking the thread that is sticked at the top by oops about tearing down and rebuilding a boat there should be at the very top....."DO NOT CUT SCRAPE SAND WITHOUT A RESPIRATOR".....I thought outdoors and just cutting it no problem.....I was wrong and I hope this helps at least one other person......now I am poisoned for life....probably have done worse to myself but,,,,,,this sucks...and it was only for a few minutes until I smelled the fiberglass and figured if I could smell it there could be particles......lesson learned.:facepalm:

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Yep, I've been known to put my respirator on before I even get the grinder out of the case. This is why everyone here stresses the importantance of it. Not those little cloth masks, a full respirator.

Hope you're okay now.

 

[Navigator_Victory]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

From what I have read it stays with you forever....but,,,,,I was not sanding or grinding and it was only for a few minutes so my guess I shave two or three years off my life.....hope to keep someone else from making same mistake

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

I'm sure it effects everyone differently, but it does effect everyone in some way and none are good. So many times we hear on this forum "I'm only grinding a little". There is no such thing.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Maybe all the smokers on here should learn from this too...what do you think is in those "filters"? Ummmm...lemmee think...FIBERGLASS! Doh! :facepalm: Just sayin.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Ive been saying this Same thing for YEARS here on Iboats..

In fact if you look at some of my older posts Ive gotten quite heated about safty equiptment..

Not just the respo..but the whole body..

Some people have very bad reactions to ( not fiberglass itself..but the polyester ).

Again .. look at my posts I say not just a respo..but a full face respo .. and full body protection..

Those doctors masks are a joke..

YD.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Maybe all the smokers on here should learn from this too...what do you think is in those "filters"? Ummmm...lemmee think...FIBERGLASS! Doh! :facepalm: Just sayin.

Cigarette filters are not made of fiberglass. They are cellulose acetate.

 

[lrcustom]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

OK Lets get this real.
I started my Sea Ray Last March. Thought I could cut and grind with little protection but by July I had a major Lung Infection. 3 months of healing and in Sept a relaps and when the Doctor discovered the fiberglass exposure......well guys I lost 25% of my lungs. I lost 7 months of the rebuild. I am only now getting my life back. This stuff does more than effect your lungs. So with a loud typed voice for all to hear.... EVEN WHEN YOU ARE JUST GOING TO CUT OR SAND A LITTLE BIT ----PUT ON THE FULL FACE RESPORATOR AND GET INTO A NICE TYVEK SUIT AND STAY ALIVE.

I hope I was clear on my rant.... The Yacht Dr said it above (he is a pro by the way) Those little dust mask are a joke.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Cigarette filters are not made of fiberglass. They are cellulose acetate.

Oh. Silly me. THAT makes it all better then! Carry on...

 

[mrallen007]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

To LR Custom and as well to you all... I've just started restoring my 85 VIP. I reached the point today where the next step is to cut out the old rotten stringers. I'm a pretty safety conscious guy and I have a respirator. I had not thought much about a suit though. Your posts help me to have a new respect for the job I'm about to get into.

So, to answer your question... Yes. You just helped to protect someone with your tips and suggestions.

Thanks for posting this. LR, I'll be praying for you brother. That's a tough deal.

God bless you all!

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

I am sort of split on this subject, but maybe not.

Because I have worked in the industry for over 40 years I may have a little different perspective on this than most people here, but I follow the same line of thought YD does.

Just put on the right equipment so that even if there is any chance of problems you're at least safer than you would be without it.

On the other side, since I have been in the industry working hands on for decades, at first in shops that didn't even have gloves or a respirator in the building, and then later when safety became more important, I can say that I have seen very few people have real issues with the products. I?m not saying people like the odor or itching, just that mild exposure (even intense exposure at times), doesn?t appear to be that bad.

People think that because you may be able to smell resin you are in real danger. Styrene, which is what you smell in the resin can be detected at very low levels, far below what is considered safe in the workplace, and if you?ve never been around it before it will be very noticeable and annoying, but not deadly.

Breathing the glass fibers?not good for you?but again from being around this stuff and other people that have been around this stuff for decades, I don?t see people that have been adversely affected.

The grinding odor?. again its not good for you if there?s actually a burning smell, the dust is handled just fine by a good paper filter. If there?s an odor, use a respirator.

There will always be people that will have a reaction with something even very innocent, like, soap, hand lotion, peanuts, milk, sunlight, perfume, wheat, seafood, etc. So to hear someone say that their symptoms are a direct result of contact with the products from this industry is difficult to dispute without a great deal of testing. But from being around many thousands of people over the decades that have worked in the industry day in and day out for years, I don?t see the problems you would expect from products that are very toxic or hazardous to just be around.

Back to the other side.
Does this mean you shouldn?t do everything you can to prevent contact?..no?.do everything you can to protect yourself?why wouldn?t a smart person do it.


Flip again.
Just don?t think that because you got some grinding dust on you, or you smelled something you thought was rather nasty, that you will have done irreversible damage and will die soon of a horrible disfiguring disease.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

One other thing I will bring up that goes hand in hand with the fiberglass, when doing your wood work, also wear a respirator, many of us cut and shape plywood of all types as well as various hardwoods and softwoods, plywood contains glues and other items than can lodge in your lungs and stay with you and the fine particle dust from cutting solid wood can cause some problems as well. I have a couple of good friends that worked in the cabinet business for several years, of course they as well as many thought that wood dust was inert, neither are smokers and never have been. They both now have chronic lung problems including emphysema.

I have been guilty as most have of saying, I am only going to do a little sanding! But when ever any type of dust is going to be present, the best course is to put that safety equipment on, we are all exposed to many types of particulates on an almost daily basis, but it is always prudent to take the easy precautions available to us.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Some peeps have bad reactions to styrene and other chems found in the boating industry. I remember kids getting hired on the glass line and dont come back after lunch there first day.

Other peeps have prior heath conditions that make it very hazardous to be in that environment. One guy ( mind you only wearing a dust mask and shorts..dont ask why ) sprayed half his boat with awlgrip outside..sat down for a breather and went into cardiac arrest..didnt make it.

A good friend of mine sanded the bottom of a boat wearing a dust mask for half the day. That night he was in the hospital ( docs couldnt find a solid reason so they attributed it to " anxiety attack " ).

So because I dont know your current health status..I allways recommend the highest saftey standards. Do you need a full face All the time..no..do you need a suit all the time..no.

Big question..do I wear all this stuff All the time..honestly..no. When Im sanding a little repair I dont pull out my full face and suit up. I Allways wear gloves no matter what ( I go through cases of them little guys lol ). I Allways wear ear muffs when using power/air tools. If I cant hold my breath while doing my little sand or little gel sprays..I Allways wear a respo.

So basically its up to you on what you want to protect and when.

YD.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Makes me like my tinny even better now!

 

[Lou C]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

This is why, when I did the deck replacement on my 88 FW, I had the glass shop do the worst of it. I had the good 3M particle respirator, with the big pink filters and used a tyvec suit and googles (DON'T FORGET YOUR EYES WHEN GRINDING) but after cutting out the old deck, I decided I did not want the exposure. Sure I wanted to do it all myself. But in the end, I am glad I did what I did. Yes it cost more that way, but it was worth it. I did enough of the job to know I would not re-hab another old boat and my next one will be 3-4 yrs old, composite, no more glass work.....

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Cigarette filters are not made of fiberglass. They are cellulose acetate.

Oh. Silly me. THAT makes it all better then! Carry on...

I'm not sure why you are getting bent out of shape. I never said it made it "Better". Obviously smoking is a bad habit. It still doesn't change the fact that there is no fiberglass in cigarette filters.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

I'm not sure why you are getting bent out of shape. I never said it made it "Better". Obviously smoking is a bad habit. It still doesn't change the fact that there is no fiberglass in cigarette filters.

Not bent. Whatever you believe is fine with me. Have a nice day!

 

[jonesg]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

" that fiberglass and smoking will take 10 yrs off your life"

Yeh, the LAST 10 yrs.

 

[seamorewaterVIP]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Thanks mods for taking all the whoha out of this thread it was taking away from the truth of it. Junk in you lungs is bad weather it is asbestos or fiberglass or wood dust. I want to live as long as I can so I protect my self any time there is dust involved. My tag line does not appply to this. When it come to safty do it right the first time or you might not be around to do It again!!!! Good thread for the newbs navigator.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Warning Fiberglass will make you hurt......Bad

Junk in you lungs is bad weather it is asbestos or fiberglass or wood dust. .

No comparison to asbestos.
Glass will be processed out of the lungs,
but asbestos is like mini fish hooks compared to straight pins of glass,
neither feels good but only one is permanent , progressive and fatal.