Dust, toxicity, and shop hazards

Dan I agree with you, we see a more professional side of safety since that is required in our industry and its good for others to see that, they can decide how much protection they want. I think its interesting the stories about close calls or sickness that caused makers to step up, our industry has seen that over time and set the requirement so we dont have to learn by the school of hard knocks, lucky no one has been seriously hurt although I know of two knifemaker who have extreme lung problems due to smoking and knife making.

I added to dust control vents to my grinder and made some leather seals around the belt to cut down on the stuff thrown, I still wear eye and lung protection but its nice not having all that stuff thrown at me. There is still some that carries on the belt and goes all over the shop, but I see alot less shop dust. My wife wont wash my shirts if I dont wear my leather shop apron, cant blame here I dont like the thought of all that crap going thorough the washer.
 
Whenever a thread comes around about respirator safety I can't help but think of the fellow a few years back who proudly offered a foto of himself with a half-face respirator over a full beard with a hole cut out in it for his cigarette.

It's good to periodically remind people of the importance of respirator safety, but there are always those who are going to be either too cheap or consider themselves bulletproof. I wish them the best of luck, I really do. It's surely one of those "don't know what you had 'til it's gone" rolls of the dice if they don't pay heed.
 
I work in the pharmaceutical industry, and have been using 1/2 masks and full hood PAPR units for years. They work when properly maintained, and you only get one set of lungs. Several employees decided not to wear their respiratory protection one day, and promptly died.

I wear a 1/2 mask with P100 filters, run a dust collector, have a water bucket, a box fan filter, and run a shop vacuum behind the grinder when working.
 
I accumulated a pile of metal shavings where the foot of my grinder meets the counter top it's bolted to (that's the one thing I really don't like about my Kalamazoo). While grinding, I noticed a spark hit the pile, causing a good portion of the pile to start burning as well. It went out within a few seconds, but I now always clear any build-up as soon as I see it and I'm looking for a way to route swarf into my water bucket and other dust into my wet/dry vac.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top