Technical Respirators-Working on Surface Rust

Do not weld galvanized, repeat, do not weld galvanized.

 

Welding Galvanized is possible, but man is it dirty. One of my past jobs was welding for a local factory, we welded galvanized stuff super hot and fast. We wore respirators and had a downdraft table so it worked.

I made a lot of frames for big Trane air conditioners that year.

 

Yup, yucky stuff to weld.

 

In the early sixties I worked at a clutch rebuilder. We we used steel shot to clean the disks (asbestos) before the facings were removed and degreased with tri-clorethylene (a carcinogen). You could hardly see the end of the shop for the dust. No protection. We didn't know, but I'll bet industry did. Every time I get a cold I wonder if it's this is the time. Knew a painter that painted a car with Imron. Old time painter, most likely with only a dust mask. He ended up with nerve damage. My car.....
Norm

 

Agree completely. This is how I paint just about everything!

 

Back in the '70s I actually worked one whole shift at a place that manufactured steel and foam boat docks and that were galvanized. I do weld galvanized once in a blue moon but I would not do it if I didn't absolutely have to and I certainly would not do it for a living.

 

Spent 18 years(1980's-90's) spraying industrial paint.Welded on hanging tabs onto galvanized steel daily to hang parts to run through dip tanks to clean them.No mask.
I matched colors and bulk mixed paint,usually 10-30 gallons at a time so my days were spent around drums of MEK,MIBK,and others.Never wore a mask except when painting.Every yearly medical checkup showed good lungs.
Built up such a tolerance to the chemicals I didn't even notice the smell.Yes,I was young and stupid.
I was having a car painted and dropped by to see how it was going and damn near died.Soon as I got a whiff of the base/clear going on I couldn't breathe.My breathing system literally closed down and I had to be helped outside and away from the paint booth.Took a long time until I could even stand.Apparently I had developed some sort of tolerance for the chemicals at work but the introduction of new chemicals from automotive paint was something my body couldn't handle.
Quit my job the next week but the damage was done.I can't even get near primer and my breathe gets short.
Take it as a warning or laugh it off,whatever you want to do. I just turned 57 and it's been 17 years since I quit the paint shop.My breathe gets still gets short being around a freshly painted car even after 3-4 months of curing.
Take advantage of any and all respiratory filters and make sure they are the right ones for the job and USE them.
Sorry for the long ramble.

 

The last place I worked at did carbon fiber weaving for aerospace applications, and carbon fiber dust was always floating around. I have asthma, and wore a dust mask every night...I can only imagine what kind of damage that stuff will do over the long term to everyone else there who laughed at me for it. I always wear some kind of dust mask or respirator when working with anything that produces dust or particulates - better safe than sorry!

 

I guess OSHA regulations are just suggestions to some business owners, what a drag!

 

Isn't OSHA a little town in Wisconsin?

 

Do it outside on a breezy day if possible. There are dustless blasting systems and you might be able to rent or hire someone to do it.

To be safe and save your lungs you should have something like this;




http://www.pksafety.com/allegro-1-worker-half-mask.html?gclid=CMStrKXikcsCFQQpaQodajMFkQ

You put the compressor outside and it supplies pressurized clean air to breathe. Air leaks out of the mask instead of into it. No need to get checked for breathing problems. There are full face masks and welding helmets that can be used with them too and it helps stop fogging. There are attachments available to heat or cool the air also.

 

The place I worked made a big production of safety but they wouldn't purchase the equipment that they showed us how to use. They sent everyone out for testing for wearing respirators but didn't buy any respirators. They wanted everyone to wear cut resistant gloves but wouldn't buy any. To open electrical panels we were supposed to wear a Darth Vader type suit, electrical rubber gloves with leather gloves over them but they never bought any of that equipment either.