Topic: workshop and health risks

[mazingerzeca]

Hello all.
I have a very small workshop 10 x 6,5 feet with almost no ventilation on it. Of course I don't use any solvent or paint on it. I just open the engine, separate parts, do some drilling, sanding, and I was thinking on hand polishing on it. I wonder if any of these activities implies any risk for health, and which cautions should I take. Or maybe I'm just suiciding 

[Bigblock10]

out of all you said, I would go with sanding, being a body guy myself I can tell you that dust is somtimes the worst. when sanding i would jut put on the old dust mask. Nothing like geting in the shower and hacking up colored snot... lol

DEREK

[dustyc]

Dust from drilling and sanding can send toxic dust into the air.  Wear a dust mask, or respirator. 

[bikehenge]

I agree that the dust will be your biggest issue, I also keep a box of "proctologist" gloves around for handling different wet substances.
Rob

[andyman]

I use disposable gloves for everything, it's just nicer to keep my hands clean.  Plus no worries about nasty chemicals seeping under skin.

[mazingerzeca]

Yes, I also use disposable gloves for everything, from the first day, just not to frighten my girlfriend with my hands. Today I opened the engine, and I was worried about the smell of dirty oil and so on.

[750essess]

push it outside, weather permiting 

[Bob550four]

generally, in what you describe, the biggest hazards are the dust from drilling/sanding.  motor oil, if your hands are protected, wont harm you.  the smell of old oil is fairly harmless I think.

wouldnt hurt anything to put a ventilation system in your shop for future uses involving more toxic substances.

[mazingerzeca]

wouldnt hurt anything to put a ventilation system in your shop for future uses involving more toxic substances.

That's a good idea, I didn't think about it. I live in a flat, and the room is on the garaje, shared with the rest of the neighbours. Sometimes I open the door, but I don't want the neighbours to know what I'm doing. They must be thinking that I'm building an atomic bomb. Some pictures of my hole, and the only ventilation system is on the door.

[mazingerzeca]

The pictures

[mattcb350f]

Don't forget that a human can use up a lot of Oxygen in such a small place pretty fast 
Be sure to crack that door now and then to let some fresh air in.

Also, be carefull of gasoline fumes....no brainer I know, but if there are neighbours around who happen to have some flames goin' on like candles etc. and your bike decides it want's to get rid of some fuel....
 
Just food for thought.
 Matt.

[Glenn Stauffer]

My step-father is in his mid-80's and spent his youth working around a steel rolling mill and his mid-life farming.  He tells me stories of all the sprays and other stuff he has been exposed to over the years and I'm amazed he isn't dead - instead, you'd think he was 20 years younger. 

So, don't sweat it. :-)  Really, get a good respirator and wear it when you do anything that generates dust and keep good air-flow through your space when you are working with solvents and you'll be fine.  And do a bit of research and look for less noxious chemicals to use where they'll work.

[Jay B]

Good Lord. What an anal thread. I've had my hands bathed in gas and deisel fuel for 40 years, and actually rode a bicycle without a helmet. Obviously still alive. Get crazy and go for it.

[merc2dogs]

 a couple fans about the size of computer chassi fans (80-120mm) taped over those vents would keep plenty of air circulating.

  I'm with Jay B. for the most part though. I've known people who were so health conscious that the only word to describe them was 'paranoid'

Ken.

Ken.

[Ichiban 4]

Hi Mazingerze..

I don't think your concerns about health risks are too unreasonable. I used to think like a lot of the replies-posts on this..i.e.."don't be a wussy about it".

But I ran a metal/plastic/porcelain fabrication shop (was actually my dental lab) for many years..and the increased data on occupational health risks have just increased over the years.

The main concern is airborne/inhalation issues.  Some of the "crustier" ones among us may get by with little or no added ventillation..not unlike the ones that can smoke a pack of Camels a day and live to be 90.  But for the rest of us the statistics show that good work place ventillation is recommended.  The glove issue is probably a good one to remember too..something that I probably should be more conscientious about..especially when wrenching on greasy, gas soaked parts, etc.

Anyway..I've found that the simple addition of a kitchen vent fan somewhere in the work space (to the outdoors) helps keep the air considerably cleaner.  If that's too complicated..then a box-fan placed strategically in the work area and directed towards an open door seems to help a lot.

Something not talked about much here..is that lung function can deterioriate slowly and progressively until one finally realizes they have a health problem..@ which point it's usually irreversible.

But..as I believe all of of agree..we should all enjoy and have fun with our various bike building and wrenching activities.  Enjoy!

Doc Ichiban

[Raul CB750K1]

That "trastero" of yours is much better than mine, I wrench on my bikes on the community garaje, at the open sight of everybody coming in and out of the garaje. Fortunately, I'm in very good terms with my 70 neighbours, so they haven't complained yet. Furthermore, while I'm wrenching I'm also keeping an eye on the garage, with its cars, bikes and bicycles, so actually I'm kinda a security guard at no cost....


Tell you what, in my community garage there is a room like yours that is used as a small shop for the "conserje", with a small bench like yours for drilling, filing etc. It's available for everybody in the community -after all, it is a community area so it belongs to everybody-. I had done some work there, specially polishing. I used mask, but I would have used the same even if polishing in open air, as there is a lot of particles flying around. When I work in there, every now and then I would simply open and close the door energically, four or five times. In such a way, you are using the door as a fan to renew the air indoors.


What I can tell you from my experience is that anytime you work with gasoline -even if it's only for filling the tank-, there will be a lot of smell, and people get worried when they smell gasoline in the "trasteros" area, as they are intended for storage area and storing gasoline is not a good idea. So, whenever you do that, make sure to renew the air and get rid of the smell, or let the neighbours know that you have been using the gasoline as a solvent and you are watching out any danger. Any rag or paper towel you use to clean the gasoline, even if you have a trash bin at the shop -as I do-, take it out as they will keep smelling for days.

[mazingerzeca]

Raul, you are so lucky with your neighbourghood! In my old flat, with neighbours from the 80's it was like that, but in new communities everybody gets suspect about ruining their brand new cars... Anyway, your door-system ventilation seems a good idea. I will leave polishing and use of solvent for the place where I work, a high school with a photography laboratory, with water, sink, and good ventilation, and when the bike is ready, I will try to make it work outside, on the street, and that will be my "travelling" workshop. Thanks for the replies.

[Raul CB750K1]

Raul, you are so lucky with your neighbourghood! In my old flat, with neighbours from the 80's it was like that, but in new communities everybody gets suspect about ruining their brand new cars... Anyway, your door-system ventilation seems a good idea. I will leave polishing and use of solvent for the place where I work, a high school with a photography laboratory, with water, sink, and good ventilation, and when the bike is ready, I will try to make it work outside, on the street, and that will be my "travelling" workshop. Thanks for the replies.

When are you going to show us some pictures of your bike? How long have you been restoring it? Two years now?