I don't know where to say this, But I have had two friends died recently from suffocation. Ironically, and I don't know if its related, But both were Big Advocates of POR 15 and seem to put it on everything metal.. their diagnose was there lungs were "stuck together " (think fish gills ) and continued to slowly "quit working " and suffocated them slowly losing their breathe, unable to talk near the end of their life . Like I stated, I don't know the total happenings, I know for sure, one used it under a Ford pickup on a creeper. Poor ventilation I am sure. Anyone hear of similar situation ? verde742
Por 15 is a moisture cured urethane (isocyanate). That means that it hardens due to moisture in the air or your lungs if you breath it in. They have warnings all over their tds that adequate ventilation is required and if it can't achieved to wear a respirator. They also warn that if you have existing lung issues or reactions to isocyanates to not use it. Using it under a vehicle without adequate respiration is a recipe for disaster. READ THE INFORMATION SHEETS AND SAFETY SHEETS OF EVERYTHING YOU USE.
Wow, always ware the correct mask for the job at hand. And have good ventilation. Sorry to hear about the untimely death of your friends.
A reminder that with anything we do on our hotrod or custom car or any other project we need to understand and take the proper safety precautions. Proper ventilation and respirator may have saved their lives. Bad habits and " I've always done it this way" can be harmful.
I screwed up when using it the first time (20+ years ago) during the winter in a closed garage with no mask. I was light headed for several days and got a mask and kept the overhead door open the next time I applied it. But the lung collapse deal is an absolute horror. Are there other paints that could do this?
I have no painting experience but sure do remember the first time I heard how dangerous isicianates are, was the mid eighties when I had my friend paint my Nova, I think it was when I asked him about using Imron on my car. He had painted in the late 60's but changed careers, years later decided to put a paint booth in his shop at home, he said he didn't want anything to do with Imron paint. He told me that a "fresh air suit" was required for that type of paint and that they were pretty expensive, said even if you use one many precautions need to be taken, said to be completely protected you need to make sure all hand and leg connections should be taped each time and he wasn't willing to go through all that.
Pretty much all modern or more accurately, post modern paints and solvents. The old enamel and lacquer painters who did not take this seriously died or were crippled very early. Without protection the newer stuff coats the lungs with plastic.
Crazy all the exposure the paint booth guys seen before respirators... I'm guilty of it, but learned my lesson when I was younger.
Used to work building fiberglass boats 20 years ago, we used a two component polyurethane foam to fill flotation tanks. A health check at the start was required, followed by another check a month or two later, if that was okay you got the go ahead for two years until the next check. I wasn't impressed by the reduction in lung capacity at the annual check after year one, I didn't work there for two years so no idea what the next time round would have said about more work with isocyanates. So, yeah. Respirators, ventilation, DO follow the warnings on the can. Even if you don't work with it every day that stuff sure isn't good for you.
How many times (as a kid) did old Earnest tell me to wash off my hands and arms in that 5 gallon can of GAS !? Sure cut the grease and oil though...... 6sally6
We all did stuff when we were young that we know now is dangerous to our health. Maybe my perspective on it is different now that I'm older but when you're a youngster you think nothing bad can happen to you, and then as you get older and see folks you know get cancer or have other issues, you realize that your health is the most important thing you can have. There's nothing lame or unmanly about using proper PPE for the stuff we do, and once you start, it's really not as cumbersome as you think. POR15 is some nasty stuff but it works. Let's respect the stuff we're using and read the tech sheets. I'm sorry about the OP's friends, and appreciate the sobering reminder to the rest of us. Let's be careful fellas
Condolences on the loss of your friends. It is never an easy time.... ... but, have the deaths been attributed to the use of POR 15 or are we just stabbing in the dark? It is probably unwise to jump to a conclusion here. There is no way to absolutely know, and there are so many other things that may lead to the same end. One thing I will say is, how many of us are guilty of not adhering to a product's safety recommendations? I mean fully following all of it. Be honest with yourself. Most probably don't even read them, because, as we all know, "it won't happen to me".
GEE verde742, sorry for loss of your friends. My stepdad told me of how getting in touch with a co-worker, wound into a conversation with his wife, about his lack of presence in his life after using that new kind of paint that needs a resperator. He came out of the garage a changed and lacking man. I've been in questionable air many times in life, especially when young and dumb. Now old and smart it's a little late can't do much without sitting down. On O2 5-liter 24/7 but yet still able the chase little goals and keep the family happy.
Like I stated, I don't know if THAT product was the cause of the demise of my friends, but sure makes me wonder. I have full can, un-opened, and I am fearful of using it. thanks for you peoples' input verde
@verde742 I understand your reluctance to use the product. I appreciate that you did state both times you can't pin the deaths on this. Jumping to conclusions is a coping mechanism and a trait that kept humans from dying out, but with knowledge, the danger can be avoided. Also thanks for bringing up safety for everyone again. Many of us have done things that were NOT safe. I have also washed parts and my hands in gas, sprayed without adequate protection and driven less than safe cars. The traditional ways in some cases stopped being used due to the human toll. Be careful out there people!
Some of the guys in the local factory washed their hands with MEK! Tried to enlighten them on the hazards. Even went back to the office an copied the haz mat sheets for all who would take them. MEK would take urathane of quickly!
I refuse to go near MEK, I worked for a shop where the boss SWAM in it. He would leave open pans of it, I could smell it when I walked in. I would find the gallon can with the cap off it. Insane. Good PSA on the POR15. I have used it sparingly and always outside.
That dude probably smoked 3 pack's of Lucky's a day, drank 2 pint's of Jack Daniel's at work, and had a 12 pack of Schlitz for dinner every night and still lived well into his 90's!
A guy I know has been diagnosed with pneumonia caused by paint fumes. He wore the proper respirator but unknown to him it came apart during painting. Dr. said it would go away in about six weeks.
When I got out of the Army in 68 I went back to college part time and worked at the White Sands Test Facility near Las Cruces, NM in the lab called "crew bay". We tested all of the flammable materials that went into the command module after the disastrous fire on the launch pad the year before. The test containers were aluminum, a drum shape about two feet in diameter and a couple of feet deep (hard to remember) but some of the test materials were nasty and left a heck of a mess in the test container. We had good ventilation and used the vacuum pumps to pump the smoke out but...we had to clean the mess up and we used MEK daily and I don't remember any rubber gloves, but no one said a thing about proper procedures. OSHA was a small town in Wisconsin back then. I only worked there about three years and I guess I was lucky I had no ill effects.
Thanks for the sorrows, and input, like I stated I don't know "for sure" that the irresponsible use of that product caused the death of my friends. It does seem possible, mainly because the two of them within a short time span, told me how great that product was (is) and both died an UN-expected death. I think the thing that might have saved me, I couldn't "find" the product locally. I probably would have just smeared it on my project.
There's often more than one cause. There are a lot of people who used to smoke for ages still around, there are a lot of people who worked with asbestos roofing (or something like that) still around, but if you try to find an old smoker who worked with asbestos chances are far bigger that you have to go to the cemetery.
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