Just about everything knifemakers use is hazardous. But a few simple things that folks tend to ignore;
Spalted wood, spalting is a form of fungi, and live spores can be released by grinding, which if breathed, can lead to serious lung infections, even death.
There is always the possibility of releasing virii from wood also, with the resulting health problems. Remember that a virus won't respond to antibiotics.
Super Glue fumes are highly carcinogenic, as are most epoxy fumes.
Breathing soldering fumes containing Cadmium(a heavy metal), can, over time, cause nervous system damage leading to personality changes like antisocial behavior, anger etc.
HEAVY METAL POISONING can result from breathing the dust of knife steels being ground. Chromium and vanadium are just two that come to mind. Heavy metal poisoning can mimic many other health problems. It is even hard to get a doctor to test for it, even after you tell them you work with it. The nsurance company will cancel their trip to club med if they order tests like that.
Micarta, Pakkawood, and the like contain Phenol, and Formaldehyde, both of which can cause reactions similar to taking the street drug 'PCP'. It can jack your blood pressure up to unbelieveable levels, heart palpitations etc.
Can you imagine what long term exposure will do to the body.
The long term effects of many of these things are very bad, and chances are that you will never be properly diagnosed, as doctors will only treat the symptoms.
Toxicologists are almost unheard of in most communities, so you will be on your own.
Years ago the small company I worked for moved into a brand new building. As we were a few hundred yards from a dairy, there were lots of flies. We got a popular remedy in those days(69-72), it was called the 'Shell No Pest strip'. You could get them at Shell gas stations, and it contained a fold out rectangular perforated holder with a hook at one end, and also a chemical strip that was placed inside the holder. We hung 2-3 of those in the air conditioning vents in the office, where I worked.
I started having problems with allergic reactions to things that had previously never bothered me, coffee for one( several trips to the ER before I quit), and beer for another.
. I thought it was just caffiene, and switched to low octane, but had the same problems, an extreme anxiety reaction, with a type of flushing spreading up my body from the feet upwards. When it reached the upper body area, it would stop me from breathing. It was extremely frightening. I think it's called anophalectic(sp?)shock.
I had to stop beer and coffee altogether.
Other forms of alcohol bothered me but I got used to it for awhile.
I won't go into drinking problems here, but I no longer drink at all.
It wasn't until the 1990's that I found out quite by accident that these Shell No Pest Strips were only for use outdoors, like at backyard picnics and such.
So coupled with the nasty chemicals in the crappy new carpet that stunk to high Heaven, this stuff effecively ruined my life.
Everyone that I worked with suffered some form of problems, ranging from alcoholism(all of us), to seizures(office manager), spitting blood(the owner)). The office manager is in a nursing home, and has been since 1998, the owner of the company died several years ago. I guess I was the lucky(?) one, I got in a huge fight with the office manager, and got fired about a year before the company was sold and dissolved, so the others got longer exposure.
Take care of yourselves, nothing is worth the consequences of toxic poisoning.
:barf:
I didn't realize this was soo long, sorry, time flies when you're having fun.
what can you do??
