the dangers of urethane paint

What types/brands of paint are "safer" for the home painter to use? I would like to paint my own car but I definitely don't want make myself or anyone else sick.

 

ok fine I cant spell... sorry.
Again Reading MSDS is YOUR RESPONSIBLITY
Oh" i didn't get it with the can." DID YOU ASK FOR ONE?
was that iq test online?

I, too, have two degrees, a BA and an AA also in automotive shop management. several certification one being a osha SAFETY INSPECTOR/ Safety officer, and several EPA HAZ MAT certs ase b2 b3 b4 b5 and I car gold to go along with the college degrees.

95% of the time companies have provided the safety equip and the employees don't use it. who's fault is that?

But that isn't the subject here is it. Home use is. I'll go over some things with you.
Paint booth's only remove particulate not vapors the ISO's go right out the stack. PROVE ME WRONG... go for it. the carbon based mask doesn't remove ISO's so how does lose fibers in a booth filter do it?

I have a FA mask. Sorry i wasn't that cheap. How much does a paint job cost 5 g plus. that 300 dollar unit off ebay works fine.

as for the MSDS Name me any product that one is given with the item. Bleach nope, amonia nope. Together they equall mustard gas.
I have a MSDS for Every chemical in my shop. (well used to i just moved it is packed up) do you?

or what about other safety issues? Steal toed shoes? How about eye and ear protetion.. good. Now how about seperating OXY/ fuel bottles by 25 feet if not used with in a 24 hour period? doubtfull and an OSHA law. Still have ALL that safety guides on your tools? maybe. Safety is a lot of things, mainly someones own resposibilty,

Now do i feel bad you got sick, yes. sorry feel better. no need to legislate from the HAMB...

Now if you feel this strongly about it... go see your congressman, how ever. paint companees have DEEP pockets...

again sorry for my spelling I know it matters.

 

Now I bet that is the PROPER way to dispose of it.....

 

sound like the same thing people trying to control guns say.

you sure about that.... I know several painters over 100k a year.... working at dealerships.


NOW LISTEN to what i have to say......

YES this shit is dangerous ... Yes this stuff can kill you... use the proper safety gear. But is the end it is your responsiblity. learn from this thread. maybe meet in the middle. I am not saying paint iso's with a cigarette in your mouth... I just saying not to legislate it thats all.... and be SAFE

 

Reading this whole thread has opened up some questions for me. I've painted with urethanes for probably 25 years using only an activated carbon respirator. It takes me 3 or more years to build a complete car, so that's how often I do a paint job. I am aware of the sensitization issue and I personally know a guy who is lucky he's still alive after it happened to him. I always thought that my painting is so infrequent that sensitization is unlikely to take place. Obviously a severe reaction can occur with the first exposure, according to the cases reported in this thread. This has not happened to me, so apparently I am tolerant to occaisional exposure. So my questions are as follows:

1. At some random time in the future, could my tolerance to occaisional exposure suddenly vanish?

2. Can sensitization actaully happen with such infrequent exposure?

3. Am I going to be scared shitless when I go to lay the black Deltron on my Zephyr next spring?

 

it could but then at the same time you might never become sensitive

same as above...

just be SMART....

 

same thing with Latex sensitivity. It might happen, it might not. But if it does it'll come on pretty quick. And Latex is pretty much everywhere. Got friends that were in medicine but had to quit because contact with latex could kill them. Lot's of dangerous stuff out there guys. You really need to look into the stuff you're working with.

 

I'm young at 18 and have already done a lot of stupid stuff that could and probably has hurt me...

I've become very very safety conscious as of lately.... too bad it costs so much more $$'s to be safe.

 

I recently won a 12-year-long court case against one of Hong Kong's biggest construction companies. I was awarded less than the defendants paid into court so the judge decided that I should pay all the costs. I am now facing bankruptcy and am considering taking my case the the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) as this was a government cover-up. However, I now have Occupational Asthma and also Hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) as a result of working with Isocyanates and not being provided with sufficient PPE - instead of positive-pressure air-fed masks and Tyvek coveralls we were handed paper, 3M dust masks and cotton coveralls, both of which were totally useless against vapour exposure and inhalation. The contractor/supplier had the 'TOXIC' labelling removed from the kegs the PU resin was delivered to site in so that they could fly in into Hong Kong from Australia (it's illegal to transport toxic chemicals by air!). We were told that the dust masks and cotton coveralls would suffice as the chemical was only 'HARMFUL', as the NEW sticker displayed on the kegs.

There are at least 2 lessons to be learned here.

1: If you're not sure, ask. If I'd have done this maybe things would have turned out very differently for me and my co-workers.

2: Always, always put your safety first.

I read on this thread that an employer gave his employees a choice of whether or not they wanted to wear PPE. The other choice was dismissal. This is exactly the sort of attitude an employer should have.

 

Henryj, as I now suffer from many side-affects as a result of working with isocyanates for only 3 months (12 years ago) I think I'm qualified to tell you that yes, you may be tolerant now but that's no guarantee at all. 'Sensitization' can happen after even a single exposure - it depends on the individuals response time which can vary from immediate to years. There's no reason to be scared shitless if you're using the right PPE. I would recommend you invest in an air-fed delivery system and Tyvek coveralls - the main point of entry, believe it nor not, is through the skin. This goes largely unnoticed as people usually (for good reasons) assume that inhalation is the most potentially damaging. Don't treat this as bad news or scaremongery, but as well as having Occupational Asthma I have crippling headaches that when they are at their most severe I'm admitted into hospital and put on a morphine drip! Take care of yourself - it's never too late to start.

 

This is a no brainer for me....

Isocyanate. Uh, cyanide? That stuff they used in the holocaust to try to kill of an entire race of people? I probably shouldn't breathe that.

Simpleton way of looking at it, but if it keeps me safe, give me some PPE.

 

Its an old thread-sure,but it is also an ever present situation where some guys refuse to take these risks seriously enough to follow the directions on the can.
A lot of hobbyists have not seen the results of these chemicals in real life.
The simple act of spraying and letting the skin be exposed for exampleis a good way to ingest a serious load of toxins......Nerve damage can be the result of this simple mistake.

A trip to a funeral or two of guys you know in their 40's will surely awaken you right?
Not necessarily.......For some of us, it takes a little more to get our attention.
That is why these threads are probably not bad reading for those that think they are immune to any health risks involved with the hobby we all share.....

 

Man thanks for all the info. Glad i painted my ride with rust-o-lium and a brush.

 

these are trying times we live in .
just be safe with ALL automotive WORK

 

Thanks for reposting Scounger. I had no idea.

 

If only this thread had been resurrected last week. I helped a buddy with spraying some accent color for his T, new resperator, fan pulling out of the shop, just like I've done with other paints. Two days later I had my first real fear of death. I'm now on steroids, and inhalers, and hoping that I can someday climb a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath.
Some people don't like to read the "preaching" about safety, but I'm shure even fewer like to read the petty bullshit, and bitching either, but it is plentiful none the less.
Don't disregard the warnings. This is bad shit.
(Yea, I had an intro. It got deleted somehow, so I'm shure some will flame away for that)

 

What I find sad in all of this is that when someone like this comes on and posts something valuable that other hobbyists need to be aware of is that other guys like zman and others feel the need to turn it into a dick swinging contest.

Even the original poster got a little caught up in it. I know it isn't easy not to, everyone wants to defend their "position" in life.

But c'mon guys, truth is that the stuff is dangerous,it isn't clearly labeled as such, and even experienced people can get complacent and not watch out for safety issues.

Enough dick swinging already.

 

ooooh, you don't want to see the MSDS for rustoleum.....

*** Emergency Overview ***: Harmful if inhaled. May affect the brain or nervous system causing dizziness,
headache or nausea. Combustible liquid and vapor. Suspect cancer hazard. Harmful if swallowed. Causes eye
irritation. Vapors irritating to eyes and respiratory tract.
Effects Of Overexposure - Eye Contact: Causes eye irritation.
Effects Of Overexposure - Skin Contact: May cause skin irritation.
Effects Of Overexposure - Inhalation: High vapor concentrations are irritating to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
May cause headaches and dizziness. Harmful if inhaled.
Effects Of Overexposure - Ingestion: Aspiration hazard if swallowed; can enter lungs and cause damage.
Substance may be harmful if swallowed.
Effects Of Overexposure - Chronic Hazards: Suspect cancer hazard--contains material which may cause cancer.
Reports have associated repeated and prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and
nervous system damage.
Primary Route(s) Of Entry: Skin Contact, Skin Absorption, Inhalation, Eye Contact

There's a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for darn near every chemical product we use from isocyanates to Windex and the manufacturer is required to post them. It makes sense to look at them and heed the warnings.

 

This thread should be a Sticky and mandatory reading for any newbies.

Years ago the paint supply houses certainly didn't go overboard to emphasize the health hazard even if they did warn you to use a respirator. Maybe this stuff is just coming to light the last few years but
It certainly did a number on me for several months after only one small paint job in an open shed with what I thought was a good respirator.
I thought I was being extra careful at the time after having sprayed only lacquer previously.