I breathed in some metal dust today...how bad it that

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James Todd said:
I for one would want to know what kind of paint it was, if it was OLD, might have some lead content in it, that is something you DO NOT want in your lungs. Get some samples of that and have it tested also.
James
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Samples! A great suggestion. Good for medical and legal purposes.

There are therapies to remove metals from the bloodstream. Not to alarm you, but I would go to the ER ASAP and before you see your boss. Get that paper trail going and your body attended to

There are a host of government agencies e.g. as mentioned OSHA, EPA, etc. who might have something to say about this. you might want to check with them before you see your boss.
 
Don't get too caught up in the idea that you've screwed yourself up and have all these worst case scenarios to deal with.
When I was younger, and even dumber, I showed no concern for safety.
I've done that kind of job a hundred times without even a dust mask in the past. Smoked for a long time, too. Worked in a fab shop, with raw materials for powdercoat paint, a fiber plant, a coke plant-all places full of skin and lung irritants. I've hacked up more crap than I even want to think about. My chest x-rays and even a CAT scan over a bad x-ray(had them yearly for the last ten years at my current job) have always been clean, and my lung capacity tests incredibly good.
I am NOT saying to take it lightly, just don't worry yourself to death.
Do get checked out, and do hold your employer responsible if there's a problem.
For the future, get a respirator, and change filters daily when you're doing that type of work. I prefer a full-face respirator, personally, since I find them comfortable, and they provide complete protection for your eyes as well.
 
prestige said:
Go to hospital for expert advice and medical treatment! This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!

I hope you to heal soon.
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I figured this would be a good place to ask because of the grinding work involved in knives.
 
prestige said:
Go to hospital for expert advice and medical treatment! This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!

I hope you to heal soon.
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what an a-hole

(( Late to the party and way out of line. ))
 
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SkagSig40 - we go back aways...so I hope you don't mind me saying...


When I read the title of your thread....I, um....kinda chuckled....ok..more like LMAO...but you get the idea. :D

:foot:


Anyway...I think you'll be ok. As long as there wasn't lead in the paint of those dust-covers. And anytime I've been anywhere where lead-in-the-paint was even a slight concern....over-caution has been the norm. So...I doubt there was lead in the paint. That would've been a pretty bad oversight. And, you'd probably be laid up right now (or dead) from the extremely high exposure.


So, I'm going to guess that your internals are going to freak out over it for a few days...and then you'll be fine. The body does a good job of ridding itself of most of the bad stuff we take in everyday. It's the long-term repeated exposures....and high-density single exposures that get people.

So, if you're still on your feet today/tonight...you should be fine. If you start having serious breathing problems....head to the ER and get it checked out.

I don't know your current health situation...assuming all is in order.



Anyway...the reason I chuckled about the title...is....well, from my point of view it's like a trucker hearing someone say "Man, I've been sitting in the car all day and I hurt like crazy". My knee-jerk reaction was to think..."Welcome to the Club.....pull up a chair" :D

Dan
 
SkagSig40 said:
I was at work and the boss told me to grind down over 100 man hole covers and repaint them. It took me 12 hours to get 29 done. All I had was a cheep dust mask and I was covered head to foot in metal dust and old paint dust. I blew my nose and it was pure brown/rust color. My lungs feel really shitty too. I must have breathed in a bunch of that shit!
Will my lungs get rid of that crap by them selves or my body absorb it and get rid of it? Can this give me problems down the road like lung or other type of cancer?

Thanks for any input!
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I have seen something like this before, when a friend ground down a lens for a telescope and breathed in a lot of the dust and grit produced in the process. He turned out OK, but didn't feel well for months.

You really should wear a dust respirator when working with fine particles that can be breathed in. I've worked on a few mirrors and lenses, before, and the type of respirator we used had valves and replaceable filters. It sounds like they gave you a simple mask, surgical style or otherwise.

The main thing is that you get a sample (also, a sample if you blow your nose and the stuff is coming out) and get treatment and documentation of the event at your hospital.
 
Forget about the insults and side comments. JUST GET YOURSELF TO THE ER. If THEY tell there is nothing to worry about that may be meaningful. Remember: even if they tell you there is nothing to worry about and you don't feel better or don't agree: GET A SECOND OPINION. Health does not grow on trees. Who cares if you seem overly cautious? Listen to your body. The fact that you are here suggests that you are concerned, so don't hesitate to follow up. You don't want to find out that "if only you had come to us sooner........"

If they say you are fine go celebrate!

My .02
 
Hospital. Doctor. Soon.

There are a lot of cowboys who will tell you to suck it up. This is not a good idea. I've known many of these cowboys, and late in life they change their tune. Hindsight doesn't help you much at that point. You may be totally fine, but you need to get checked out. This is not the time to be a cowboy. And never grind anything again without adequate protection. Do you ever see a cop leave his gun in the car because this one car he pulls over seems safe?

For anybody who's interested, grinding glass, ceramics or stone (except marble and a couple others) is extremely bad for you without a respirator. You can get silicosis of the lungs, and it is horrible. It can easily kill you actually, with an amazingly small exposure. The dust is so fine that you often can't see it, and hacking it up doesn't help. It is so incredibly fine that it gets lodged in your lungs and does not go out.

Perfectly adequate respirators are available for $25 at any home improvement store, and filters that can deal with even minute powder are only a couple bucks. Everybody who does anything with a power tool should own one of these, employed or not. Better safe than sorry. Don't make it a safe queen.

And the employer needs to be schooled on what proper worker safety and training is. I'm guessing a mere employee can't accomplish that without losing his job, so OSHA and relevant agencies need to get involved. You don't need to file a claim against him to get them to talk to him.
 
ohen cepel said:
The paint would be my first concern
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Exactly.

Goodness knows what's in that paint, arsonic, lead, cadmium, chromium...

Get the paint tested and get yourself to a doctor ASAP for blood tests and chest x-rays.

I also want the metal itself tested. Manhole covers are not made out of the highest grades of iron or steel. It would not surprise me at all to find arsonic, lead, mercury, or chromium in the metal.
 
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Maybe if he doesn't check it out, speak up, get his employer involved -- hey, the guy may have assumed he knew the safety rules and had the right equipment -- then some day will be here sooner than you think.

There is a problem with someone being paid to work unsafely. It may take OSHA to correct that problem. It may take a doctor to assure him how he can go on to live a healthy life. This should not be too much trouble.
 
prestige said:
Go to hospital for expert advice and medical treatment! This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!
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Not SPAM. Spam is commercial, selling something.

This may be a bit off-topic, posted in wrong forum, etc., but that's just a symptom of the brain damage the metal and paint dust have already done. :D

Seriously, I'm really kind of glad that this one got posted here for broad exposure because the situation is potentially quite serious.
 
OK. :( Now that we've had all these responsibly serious replies recommending immediate medical attention, which I totally agree with, I just gotta say;

DON'T stand too close to that MRI machine!!! :eek: :D
 
You could eat some magnets.
I know this isnt really the same thing but in the early days of boxing they used a cut sealer that contained very small shards of lead.Its now believed these are the cause of parkinsons in boxers as the metal eventually moved round there body to there brain.
This was applied to open wounds though and the lungs are filters.
 
These_Nutz said:
You could eat some magnets.
I know this isnt really the same thing but in the early days of boxing they used a cut sealer that contained very small shards of lead.Its now believed these are the cause of parkinsons in boxers as the metal eventually moved round there body to there brain.
This was applied to open wounds though and the lungs are filters.
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yeah getting hit in the head all day long had nothing to do with it.
 
Just got back from work again. I woke up feeling the same, lungs and chest feeling tight and congested. I told my superviser and he told me not to work on the grinding project. The big Boss was not at work today. Now 12 hours later I'm feeling much better. My lungs feel almost 100% so that is a good sign.
 
SkagSig40 said:
I was at work and the boss told me to grind down over 100 man hole covers and repaint them. It took me 12 hours to get 29 done. All I had was a cheep dust mask and I was covered head to foot in metal dust and old paint dust. I blew my nose and it was pure brown/rust color. My lungs feel really shitty too. I must have breathed in a bunch of that shit!
Will my lungs get rid of that crap by them selves or my body absorb it and get rid of it? Can this give me problems down the road like lung or other type of cancer?

Thanks for any input!
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hi Skag, if your gonna be doing any more grinding, get a silicone drywall mask with filters (NORTH makes a good inexpensive one). Your boss should be paying for any proterctive gear liek this, if not a call to OSHA will help.

DOCUMENT everything, how long you were grinding, symptons, how you felt, actions taken, did you tell your boss etc etc etc.
 
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