roger55

Just saw this supplied air system:

http://www.turbineproducts.com/fresh...spirators.html

Don't know anything more about it but it's a heck of a price.

CharlesPeoples

look into K-36 primer also ,use a suit alot of this stuff can be obsorbed through the skin.

CharlesPeoples

I worked in bodyshop of the worlds largest corvette dealer(hint) for 3 yrs and was surprised at the lack of concern for their workers (bodymen) they showed .After 1 yr company sent me PPG's paint school in Columbus Ohio. It was there that I learned the dangers of isocyanates .Their paint booth was not equipt for a fresh air system.It was not there (paintroom) where i had concern but in the general shop area .In one big room ,cars where stripped sand and at times primed in the open arena.One fan would vent this area (50x70 ft)and it did a poor job. Often times I would be sanding a panel on car and a test panel would get sprayed right next to me .My grand-father died from paint inhalation when they went from hand painting to spraying paint jobs so I know first hand of what a dangerous job painting can be .My point is no matter what mask you use the practice of safe spraying is a shop wide issue. I would have thought the shop forman to know better ,but when the bottom line is profit,and time ;safety gets a back seat .

123Gone

I own a LINE-X bedliner shop, isocyanate is one of the two components. And exhaust air system and fresh air respirator along with written safety plans are required by OSHA. Actually, there are LOTS of rules to follow. I had an OSHA inspection last summer, no fines!

RobbSalzmann

Great information here. Thanks to all for the detailed posts. This has given me the motivation to buy a fresh air system for my shop.

I chose this one http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=4, to wear while sanding, grinding, and painting. I will look at the connector to see if I can set it up to feed my welding helmet too. To ensure the motor is in fresh air I added a 75' hose for an extra $50. Total spent with shipping was under $500, a lot of dough, but I think worth the peace of mind.

0grandmastercorvette

Just remember ladies and gents:
The Right To Know Act:
The government makes it so that every product that a "trained professional" uses must be accompanied with the MSDS information (Material Safety Data Sheet). And I have each and EVERY one for the products I use in my shop. AND whenever an employee goes to use a product...and they have not read the issues with the product...they must read and answer questions about it BEFORE they use it or they can't use that product AT ALL. Then if they do not follow STRICT protective guidelines I have set and PROVIDED for them...they are....lets say....made to realize how important I feel about safety and regret that they made an error in safety...that is for sure....and RARELY make the mistake again. I hit them where it hits most....the wallet.

SO...when you go out and buy your body and paint products and READ the MSDS sheets and it tells you what actions to take for safety....and you don't DO what is written...you are asking for trouble.

Many people think that painting one or two cars in a lifetime won't kill you. But they do not know the exposure you may have already been in contact with BEFORE you go and paint the car.

I have seen guys ( in other shops---not mine) have a reaction to the polyisocynates just by opening the can in the mixing room....and others who have never been around it go running out of the room gagging and if not vomiting from the smell.

BE CAREFUL AND PROTECT YOURSELF....because ...none of us are SUPERMAN or WONDER WOMAN!

"DUB"

69ragvette

Dub is true the isocyanates contain Cyanide? just to put things into terms that a novice would be able to relate to I did not realize this until I started reading on this stuff after one of your posts.I once sprayed my firebird with standox base /clear and I came out of the shop gagging and puking I also had a rash that took 6 to 8 mos to clear up .I had painted parts and stuff with charcoal filters but they did NOT do anything when it came to this stuff. Guys this stuff will KILL you the toxicity is unbelievable!

123Gone

NO, that is NOT true. In order to produce cyanide from isocyanate, you have to decompose it some way, like burning it. You can produce hydrogen cyanide gas by buring natural materials like wool!

Isocyanate can cause respiratory distress. If you work with isocyanate, you should not let it touch your skin and you should use a respirator. If you atomize it, you should be wearing a supplied fresh air respirator.

Isocyanate typically is used as a hardener. Once it fully reacts with a resin, it's harmless.

Spraygun

I understand that Iso's are dangerous, I attended a "Right to know" meeting at a shop I was painting at in 87. I have sprayed 2K products for over 20 years, at times spraying buses and tractor trailers without supplied air. I use a good quality NIOSH approved cartridge respirator and replace after 8 hours of use. I have regular chest Xrays and I am in good health. I have worked at many shops over the years and only one had a supplied air system. The hood and hoses were bulky and made it very hard to paint. I'm not a doctor or a safety expert and in no way want to influence anyones choice in safety equipment. Just reporting that in my experience working in body shops, 99% of painters/bodymen wear cartridge filters.

123Gone

If you atomize iso, OSHA does NOT allow cartridge filters, you MUST use a fresh air respirator.

D.Anthony

I also was employed at a military plant that in 28 years changed equipment and paint formulas. In the booths all the breathing air was air supplied. In touch up was with charcoal respirators. But when you think of a respirator you think I paint a car and it might be months before you paint again. I changed filters and sanitized mine every 2 days. But our paint in the 90s was a 3 part with alot of chemicals that are illegal in the US. Good fit,new filters,no facial hair, and bag your respirator in a gallon zip lock gets the best results.
I worked at the Miltary Humvee plant