Is exposure to paint/autobody materials a death sentence?

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:21 pm
Hello,

My brother voiced his concerns to me about working at my dad's auto body shop and I found his post that he made on another auto body forum. Were both 24. Basically he had spent 3 or 4 summers or so working at my dads shop and had the opportunity to paint cars. He had mentioned that he didn't wear a mask when learning how to paint in the booth, and was in the booth without a mask when my dad was color changing his Challenger. Use of latex gloves by him was occasional. Past that, he had worn a mask around 70% of the time doing projects in the booth, and estimates he had painted at least 1 panel on 100 cars. He also wore a mask most of the time when using the DA. He stopped working there probably 4 years ago.

We both used to visit from time to time growing up, and he would have us wetsand cars outside (without masks, of course) when we weren't washing cars or hanging out in the office. Not sure if this is even worth worrying about, I'm more concerned with the fact that we were in that environment with his guys power sanding cars and stuff when we would follow him around from the office to the shop all day.

I fully understand that nobody here has a crystal ball, but is this a lot of exposure, relatively speaking? Do you know anyone who has worked in this trade for a long time without any health issues? Or is cancer or another health issue down the line pretty much guaranteed?

Someone on a different forum had mentioned that the average painter/bodyman is subject to a lot more exposure than we were during their careers. From videos I've seen online of guys doing work, it seems like exposure to this stuff definitely does happen...I'm just trying to gauge whether or not its likely to be an issue.

I'd really appreciate any insight here.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:30 pm
Basically two things. I'm not a doctor so please do not put any stock in what I'm going to say here. Just my opinion:

1. Isocyanates: highly reactive chemicals in paint products. Very likely you would have experienced the debilitating effect of this already, if it was going to affect you. Ranges from simple lung/breathing problems, to skin/joint issues and lupus-like symptoms. Some people get this after a single exposure...some never get it.

2. Long term effects/cancer: Nobody knows. 30 years ago I was at probably more exposure than you or your brother. I might get hit by a train tomorrow, but I doubt the chemicals from back then will kill me.

I personally know very few auto body guys who have gotten cancer which I would have been surprised by (many of these guys smoke and drink). Usually it's the alcohol that gets them, and/or bad knees or other orthopedic problems. It's a tough business.

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:43 pm
Well, I got taken out by #1-those nasty isocyanates about 10 years or so. It was bad.... I got isocyanate poisoning (this is also called "sensitivity", trust me, you won't buy that term if it happens to you). Filter cart.s on my mask got over saturated with just one single paint session and bingo. Burning lungs, throat, sinus, 60% reduction in lung capacity. Diagnosis.... Cardio Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. HAD to sleep sitting up the rest of my life.... on inhaled steroids, yuk, yuk, yuk..... And, now.....finally....clean bill of health from doctor, blood test showing no signs of COPD indicators, and I have about 95% of my lungs back. No more treatments, drugs, etc.
So, I guess I'm kind of amazed at the capacity of the human body to heal/adapt to stuff like this. Can stuff like this sensitize/kill you, well, obviously. Life is a crap shoot.... Friend of mine and me are the same age. We were both "suits" about 38 years ago. I got myself retrained/educated and went into the fairly physically demanding field of furniture restoration and he kept plowing ahead in the corporate world. He got more and more sedentary in his lifestyle, drank more.....ended up with a heart attack and a stroke by 60 and was forced into early retirement. Me, I'm fine, starting to have some arthritis which is normal for what I've done. This is my 38th year as a wood guy and we work with even nastier stuff than auto guys (wood dust in particular). A guy I set up in this same business 33 years ago just had his 96th birthday and still has his shop. He asked his doctor if he should quit doing furniture work. His doctor told him that he should not stop as that it was probably what was keeping him alive!
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 10:20 pm
I've been in the painting business for over 35 years I have no idea how many cars, boats, trucks, airplanes, heavy equipment , appliances and so on I've done, but its a lot. I also worked for a tug and barge company and did almost all the painting sand blasting. I've been around asbestos a lot off and on so I've been around a lot of paint and hazardous materials, sometimes I was careful sometimes I wasn't. I turned 69 about a month ago and i'm still here and feel great. :happy: if I were you I'd be careful and not worry about it when your time comes it will be your time.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:26 pm
run while you can lol
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:14 pm
Yeah, I was always told you can't cremate painters and finishers when they die because their blood chemistry makes em' burn for 3 days...... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!



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PostPosted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 10:23 am
Knowledge is power

Now you know the stuff is bad or you take appropriate precautions use your respirator and all other safety gear its there to protect you.
Learn more about the chemicals you use by reading thier "MSD's" "Material Safty Data Sheets" they tell you exposure limits and what safety equipment to use during use.

Chemical exposure is no joke be a real Man Read the MSD's were your safety equipment! Don't be one of the Shops Lazy smart ****'s that give people **** for wearing safety equipment! It shows ignorance Lack of respect for materials employer & coworker and ones self.

I have a strict rule in my shop be safe and use all required safety equipment or get the Hell out of my shop! Getting Hurt is no joke and NO fun! You only get one set of eyes, Lungs, or fingers and feet take care of them work smart work safe.
I pay a lot of money for good tools and equipment and I also spend good money on good safety equipment and plenty of it its an insult not to were it it when its provided.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:44 am
:goodpost:
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:10 pm
sp00k1589 wrote:Hello,

My brother voiced his concerns to me about working at my dad's auto body shop and I found his post that he made on another auto body forum. Were both 24. Basically he had spent 3 or 4 summers or so working at my dads shop and had the opportunity to paint cars. He had mentioned that he didn't wear a mask when learning how to paint in the booth, and was in the booth without a mask when my dad was color changing his Challenger...

I fully understand that nobody here has a crystal ball, but is this a lot of exposure, relatively speaking? Do you know anyone who has worked in this trade for a long time without any health issues? Or is cancer or another health issue down the line pretty much guaranteed?...

I'd really appreciate any insight here.


Is this post serious? Your 24 and worrying about what is done and past?

If you are stressing that much over that kind of stuff now, don't turn 30, 40 or 50 or bother having kids, don't buy a boat, don't surf, wakeboard or snowboard.

My insight: Move on and use proper protection from now on.
Sent by the random thoughts from the voices in my head...



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PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:27 pm
:goodpost:
Jay D.
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