What is the risk of breathing metal filings?

D

David LaFerney

Joined
Feb 4, 2015
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I've seen several people on here mention always wearing a respirator when grinding. Is that just a precaution like comes on every package of anything you buy, or is it really a health hazard to not wear one? It seems like metal being inherently much heavier than air is almost all going to go down - an idea reinforced by the layer of filings on the floor in front of my grinder - and very little of it would go up your nose. And isn't iron good for you anyway?

Seriously, is it a real risk or just a precaution?
 
it is a very real risk . Grinding creates metal dust not shavings . Look on top of a shelf .
 
Breathing excessive amounts of any kind of dust can cause lung disease. I just make it a habit to put it on.
 
I'm more concerned about the dust from the belts than the metal.

If you're blowing black boogers you're getting dust in your lungs. If you're old and not doing much of it, I don't think it matters much. If you're young and doing it a lot and are looking at risk of long term chronic exposure problems you'd be crazy to take the risk. The dangers are well documented, just read the Wikipedia article on this subject and you'll see what I'm talking about. The finest partials, which are not visible and stay airborne a long time, penetrate cells deeply and even find their way into your brain.
 
Or you could google "Sheffield grinders disease".

from 1844;
In Sheffield wages are better, and the external state of the workers also. On the other hand, certain branches of work are to be noticed here, because of their extraordinarily injurious influence upon health. Certain operations require the constant pressure of tools against the chest, and engender consumption in many cases; others, file-cutting among them, retard the general development of the body and produce digestive disorders; bone-cutting for knife handles brings with it headache, biliousness, and among girls, of whom many are employed, anæmia. By far the most unwholesome work is the grinding of knife-blades and forks, which, especially when done with a dry stone, entails certain early death. The unwholesomeness of this work lies in part in the bent posture, in which chest and stomach are cramped; but especially in the quantity of sharp-edged metal dust particles freed in the cutting, which fill the atmosphere, and are necessarily inhaled. The dry grinders' average life is hardly thirty-five years, the wet grinders' rarely exceeds forty-five.
 
Ok a little test.......Take some grinder dust and put it in a container then add a small amount of water wait 2 weeks for the water to dry out and see if there are signs of Iron Oxide better known as Rust. Now think of how much of that dust will accumulate in your lungs where there is moisture Always and no easy way to reach in and wipe the lung walls clean now you have that Rust building in your lungs....Hmmmmm...Respirator your Lungs Best Friend. I find dust inside of my respirator after a long grinding session and plenty of Black Snot when I blow my nose....I wash my respirator frequently and change the filters frequently...
 
Then your respirator isn't working.

No joke!! You need to be properly fitted for one, or perhaps your respirator sucks, and you need to find a better one. The whole point is that you DON'T have any of these issues with a respirator. Don't wait on this!!!


Busto said:
Ok a little test.......Take some grinder dust and put it in a container then add a small amount of water wait 2 weeks for the water to dry out and see if there are signs of Iron Oxide better known as Rust. Now think of how much of that dust will accumulate in your lungs where there is moisture Always and no easy way to reach in and wipe the lung walls clean now you have that Rust building in your lungs....Hmmmmm...Respirator your Lungs Best Friend. I find dust inside of my respirator after a long grinding session and plenty of Black Snot when I blow my nose....I wash my respirator frequently and change the filters frequently...
Click to expand...
 
"What is the risk of breathing metal filings?"

Debilitating illness and eventual death.

Only a complete lunatic would forego respiratory protection.
 
Hey Matt..........point well taken....I've been using the MSA Ultra Twin Full face respirator for years because it comes with a device for holding prescription lenses (its an age thing old eyes)...Probably just time to break down and purchase a new unit...It does require a good snug fit for proper seal and I've not found any leakage in the forms of dust around the perimeter or on my face...might be the exhalation valve is leaking back?...
 
I haven't but I've read up on them. To me they seem like they would be great. One drawback the Big Giant Swords guy mentioned is that the water vapor from your breath with condense and drip below you.

He added a small vessel to capture it and dumps it out (gross). If I got one I would see how bad the problem was and then likely do something similar. Likely it's no big deal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HDDLN5wSKQ
 
It doesn't matter your age or how often you grind knives and even worse, some of the handle materials like Micarta.

Wear a proper fitting/working respirator. I have the Resper-o-rator cause i need to answer the phone and talk with clients while do sharpening.

Any fine dust in your lungs screws up the Celica hairs in them.

I know two different makers that have suffered badly from being too tough to need proper lung, eye and ear protection.
Call up Ed, He had to have Ivory & steel dust cancer tumors removed from his lungs. :eek: http://caffreyknives.net

The late R.W, Bob Loveless had a shop doggie die very young. He had it autopsied and its lungs we filled with dust from steel & Micarta. Micarta releases Formeldyhide when you get it hot and that will reduce your brain cell count.

I am 57 and have been a maker just short of 20 years. I don't want to be deaf and walking around an air bottle in another 10 years. Safety Glasses, Ear plugs, Resp-o-rator and my finger skins always, so I have some sensation left in my fingers as well.
 
Stainless and chrome alloys are worse because they don't rust out in your lungs like carbon steel.
 
Busto said:
Hey Matt..........point well taken....I've been using the MSA Ultra Twin Full face respirator for years because it comes with a device for holding prescription lenses (its an age thing old eyes)...Probably just time to break down and purchase a new unit...It does require a good snug fit for proper seal and I've not found any leakage in the forms of dust around the perimeter or on my face...might be the exhalation valve is leaking back?...
Click to expand...

Every time you put it on, you should be doing a fit test
3M has some nice data sheets.

Cover the inhale points with your palms and inhale, the resp should suck to your face.
Cover the exhaust with your palms and exhale, the resp should bulge out.
 
I have a Resp-O-Rator. It's uncomfortable to use and saliva is a problem.
 
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