Just me again with some more ramblings about safety in the powder coating forum.
Let me start off by saying that you should ALL be wearing some sort of breathing protection when coating. Mind you, seeing as how powder coatings contain no harmful elements in thier natural form, they are classified as a nuisance dust by OSHA and should be treated with respect as such. While I wouldn't recommend and oxygen tank and hazmat suit, a particulate or dust mask at the very least is highly recommended. Make sure it fits snugly around your nose area especially! If you are coating something blue, and then step outside to blow your nose and it comes out blue...... you are not wearing your device properly. Some (like yours truly) wear a chemical cartridge type mask with the elements replaced by particulate filters. After all, I've sprayed a lot of powders before and worked on a lot of nice things. Not a single one of them is worth damaging my lungs over! Most of the coatings you guys encounter will be of the "organic" variety. That is to say.... they have some sort of carbon molecule within thier structure and will not harm you unless you burn them. Here's a fun fact. Burning butter from a frying pan contains many of the same harmful elements that burning powder does. Perhaps not to the same extent, but they are there nonetheless. Why is that so? Carbon. Burnt or cintered carbon will create a nasty gas called isocyanate. When inhaled, it will give you a grim little condition called (and I want you all to remember this) Glyco-Toxemia. It's a very fancy way of saying "blood-poisoning". What basically happens is the isocyanate eneters your blood stream through aspiration (you just breathed it in) and makes you sick as a dog. Ever had the worst ever flu of your life just come on you in 30 minutes or less? Breath in those vapors and you will. I'm not talking the "my tummy hurts" kind of flu either. I'm talking doubled over wishing you had remembered this post because you feel like somebody just kicked you repeatedly flu. Not a nice thing. Is there another way you can get this function to happen to you when not even close to the ovens if it's burning? You betcha! Go ahead and grab a smoke from the pack in your pocket that you've been holding in there while powdercoating. Now....when the head of it burns and you force the burnt powder into your lungs go and lay down immediately. I bet even money that within 3 minutes you will be sick as a dog. What if you didn't have the smokes in your pocket but neglected to wash your hands? Same thing,my friend. Powder that is charged clings to you and everything around it. As soon as you hold that cig, it's prone to get on there and you're a gonner as well there. Keep the smokes far away from the powder. Wash your hands very well after you coat and before you smoke. Wear a good dust mask at the very least and watch what you do..... your lungs will thank you for it
Hope that was a good "word to the wise" for somebody out there who hasn't thought of it yet. Probably one of the most important lessons I'll ever teach ever. Be respectful, but have some fun at the same time. Take care all.......Russ