Welding smoke inhalation

[woodchucker]

Good to know... Hope you are getting better.

 

[Terrywerm]

Good to hear that you are improving, Glenn. Years back I used to do a lot of welding on heavy equipment and quickly learned to avoid those fumes.

As for the old trick of drinking milk to avoid getting sick from welding galvanized material, yes, it works, but is no help for the rest of it. Despite that, avoidance is the better option. Similar to the old adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

 

[Rustrp]

Good to hear that you are improving, Glenn. Years back I used to do a lot of welding on heavy equipment and quickly learned to avoid those fumes.

As for the old trick of drinking milk to avoid getting sick from welding galvanized material, yes, it works, but is no help for the rest of it. Despite that, avoidance is the better option. Similar to the old adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

The milk myth helps settle the stomach but it doesn't really do anything to eliminate the hazardous chemicals that's been ingested. Extracting the fumes is always the best.

 

[ACHiPo]

Regarding equipment - I haven't yet found a face mask that works with eye glasses under my welding hood. Every one I've ever tried fogs up my glasses within a few seconds, rendering it impossible to see what Iam welding. So I don't use one. Now Iam going to see if I can find a respirator that works with eye glasses. (Open to suggestions)
Glenn

Glenn,
There is a solution, but it's not cheap. 3M makes a powered respirator welding helmet--there's a filtered fan that fits on your waist away from the welding and blows fresh air into the mask. They run about $1300 new. I've seen them onCL for a lot less, but still several hundred bucks. On the plus side the 3M helmet is highly regarded and very light. It can also be used without the welding filter as a dust respirator for woodworking or other dusty activities.

 

[Glenn Brooks]

Glenn,
There is a solution, but it's not cheap. 3M makes a powered respirator welding helmet--there's a filtered fan that fits on your waist away from the welding and blows fresh air into the mask. They run about $1300 new. I've seen them onCL for a lot less, but still several hundred bucks. On the plus side the 3M helmet is highly regarded and very light. It can also be used without the welding filter as a dust respirator for woodworking or other dusty activities.

Thanks. I think I've been given a link to one of these for sale. Done know how much yet, but Will look into it. BTW, Plesanton is a super town. Enjoy visiting there last year and looking around.

Glenn

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I'm sorry to hear of the exposure Glenn, but i'm glad to hear that you are recovering.
i was put into some welding situations where i had to raise a fuss with the foreman for ventilation before i'd even start welding.
they liked my welding alright, but they didn't like my attention to details like that.
my health, i felt, was more important than their profit.
i still wonder about my blood concentration levels from welding stainless

 

[bob308]

they make hoods for welding that cover your head a hose comes up the back from a filtered air pump on your belt. the ones we had were Racal great for grinding too. expensive but then what does new lungs cost?

 

[ACHiPo]

they make hoods for welding that cover your head a hose comes up the back from a filtered air pump on your belt. the ones we had were Racal great for grinding too. expensive but then what does new lungs cost?

Bob,
That sounds like the 3M models I mentioned.

http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-...1405+8720539+8720551+8720747+3294857497&rt=r3

I Googled Racal respirator welding helmets, but didn't come up with anything.

One cool thing about the 3M units is that the welding filter can be removed and they can be used for woodworking, etc.

I did find a source for used "certified" units at about 1/3 the price of new:
https://obtainsurplus.com/safety/3m...Cae_NjE_aVSq-Z1PWyWgg1UDxouaDqysu_hoCIsbw_wcB

 

[British Steel]

Drinking milk won't deal with the effects of smoke and fumes on your lungs, its purpose is to reduce your biological uptake of the heavy metals in the smoke / fumes / by contact - they bind to the same parts of your metabolism that calcium does so plenty of milk swamps em and dilutes their effect.
When, many moons ago, I worked for the phone company the cable jointers got a tax-free daily allowance for a quart of milk because of the lead-sheathed cables they worked with

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[bob308]

google Racal welding helmets. you will get a lot more hits.