What safety equipment is required for paint w/isocyanates?

[robroy]

So, it seems that my favorite paint already has isocyanates in it! So I need to be more careful than I have been.

I understand that a fresh (remote) air mask is a very good idea, and I think I'll pick up one of those HobbyAir systems from Eastwood.

What other safety equipment is advised? If I already have the fresh air half mask gadget on, do I really need a full body suit or anything? Or am I 95% covered with the fresh air mask?

Thanks for the great advice!
-Robroy

[fitzwell]

Fresh air system, body suit, gloves, etc...

from a quick yahoo search.....

http://74.6.239.67/search/cache?ei=UTF- ... 1&.intl=us

This may sound like overkill, but you do NOT want to mess around with safety in this case.

[robroy]

Hi Fitzwell, thanks for your reply; that's an interesting article. I read it several times.

The article seems to suggest that while supplied air systems are the best, respirators are pretty good.

I did notice that whenever I had my respirator on, I could no longer smell the odor of the paint at all! But I didn't really think it was that effective--yet it seems that it is.

One hazard I didn't fully appreciate is the danger of spilling a large amount of the paint on my skin, like an accident where a whole can slooshes on my arm or leg. I didn't know that the isocyanates will go right through your skin and can cause a severe reaction. That's pretty scary! And it makes those full body suits look a lot less cumbersome.

Thanks Fitzwell!
-Robroy

[robroy]

Another thing I noticed, is that starting a few months ago I've been sneezing a lot, and I'm not a regular sneezer. I'll even have a sneezing fit from time to time now and sneeze six or more times in a row. I thought it was dust in the air or something, but now I'm thinking it's possible that my tissue has been made a lot more sensitive from painting all the Rust Bullet. Yikes!!! Good thing the effect goes away over time.

[fitzwell]

One hazard I didn't fully appreciate is the danger of spilling a large amount of the paint on my skin, like an accident where a whole can slooshes on my arm or leg. I didn't know that the isocyanates will go right through your skin and can cause a severe reaction. That's pretty scary! And it makes those full body suits look a lot less cumbersome.

Anytime you have your hands in carb cleaner, lacquer thinner, brakleen, etc, it IS being absorbed into your system. I can be halfway across a 60x80 shop, and if i start in with the brakleen...my buddy leaves the building, turns the fans on, and verbally abuses me for the next half hour. Seems as tho something in that stuff really affects him.

Remember, the largest organ of the human body is.......your skin.

[foghorn]

I used to work at one shop that the boss was very affected by the primer smell. I was doing a very small spot about the size of your fist. So you know im not spraying much primer at a time. It was summer time and the shop doors are wide open. He came out in the shop area and it wasnt long before he was hacking and losing his breakfast in the closest trash can. He did kinda chew my butt and said to warn him next time.




Foggy

[robroy]

Hey guys, it's pretty scary to know that people can get that sensitized to those chemicals! I knew a guy a few years back who claimed to be extremely sensitive to acetone, but he had many other odd attributes so I thought he was just nuts.

[fitzwell]

but he had many other odd attributes so I thought he was just nuts.

Sounds like a typical Painter

[robroy]

Hey Fitzwell! So do they start out that way or do they gradually become like that after years of chemical inhalation?

-Robroy

[fitzwell]

Hey Fitzwell! So do they start out that way or do they gradually become like that after years of chemical inhalation?

-Robroy

kinda depends. I've knew a couple of "young guns" back in the day that were as crazy as the day was long. Also knew one old guy that had been painting since the early 50's ( this was in the late 70's) that looked, and acted completely normal. Real good frined of mine has been painting since the 70's....he always wears the good mask/suit etc...so we'll just chalk his behavior up to the 70's in general

[robroy]

Hey Folks,

I've been checking out the Hobbyair remote air breathing system from Eastwood, and it looks like a fair deal at $500 to $650 (for a half or full face mask).

One thing about it that concerns me is its 40' breathing tube. Forty feet actually doesn't seem that far away if you're painting in a garage or outdoors, especially since that's not filtered air you're breathing (as far as I know).

Is this 40' tube designed to stretch to the outside of a proper paint booth or something? Or is 40' away actually perfectly good even if it's not in a separate room?

Thanks very much!
-Robroy

[fitzwell]

The Hobbyair I full face looks like the thing to do. Placement of the unit would be important with a 40 ft hose, but if you plan it out, it should be enough to go around the truck.Remember you will have a fresh air hose, as well as the air hose for the gun. Easy to get the two twisted/tangled if you're not used to working that way....trust me

[foghorn]

Well i dont think you really need to spend that kind of money when a disposable mask will do the job jut fine. You have to keep all resp. in a seald plastic bag or the filters will breathe. The mask im talking about is very easy got at Lowes or Home Depot for about 30.00. You can use these a lot before tossed. It has served me well for years. When you can smell the paint in the mask its time for a new one. One place i worked they supplied them for us and we got new ones every 2 weeks in a top class insurance claims type of shop. I painted about 3 jobs a day. We had three full time painters. and two booths.




Foggy

[robroy]

So to be on the safe side, I went ahead and ordered the HobbyAir I Full Mask fresh air breathing machine, a body suit, head sock, etc.

I plan on using quite a bit of this nasty paint on my inner fenders, radiator support, and some misc small parts too, so this seems like a good idea. And this will allow me to play around with hard core automotive finish paints.

Thanks for all the great advice folks!
-Robroy

[shrektruck]

To keep the mask line and paint line from getting tangled you can run the mask line to the ceiling on a swivel mounted arm like the hose at the car wash. You still have to be careful but there's less of the "twister" action to keep them untangled.