Paint Stripper Beware

[Zed Head]

Just saw this, and we were just talking about it. 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dangerous-paint-stripper-chemical-methylene-chloride-ban-on-hold/

[grannyknot]

Quick, get out the hardware store and stock up before it disappears , I'll need enough for the next 30 yrs.

[siteunseen]

The way that reads if I go to Lowes and buy a gallon of muratic acid and drink it it'll kill me. Well duh, stupid is as stupid as stupid does.

Please read the warnings if you have no expirence with a product.

[Patcon]

Ok, so let me get this straight, I have used these exact products for decades, not dead yet! But since someone used them in an enclosed space we need to ban them???? If you use gasoline in an enclosed space that can kill you too. We gonna ban gasoline? How about Nitrogen? If you get in an enclosed space with Nitrogen you will be dead in seconds!

Part of the problem is we have tried to make everything so safe that people don't critically analyze risk any more. They just assume if they can buy it, it's safe! They rely on the government to keep them safe. They would be better off to put their faith some place else...

It is a shame that these relatively young people are gone, but you can't make everything perfectly safe! The number of people hurt by these kinds of products are infinitesimally small. The stories they sighted are 28 years apart! How about we focus on some things that does kill vast numbers of people, opiods, heroine, DUI, texting while driving, etc.

I guess I need to go buy a couple of gallons of airplane stripper in case they change their minds

[Zed Head]

4 minutes ago, Patcon said:

They rely on the government to keep them safe.

And other big institutions, like Facebook or Google.  I think it's an ages old dream, that society will develop institutions to keep all of us safe.  They always get corrupted though.

When I posted that it was more as a reminder that bad things can happen.  Things seem to cycle back and forth between too much trust and cynicism.  I'm cynical so I've done okay, but many new people are on the too much side.

A too-much-trust person seeing the name "Goof Off" isn't going to read the fine print that closely.  The family should sue for misleading name.  That's my cynical side, implying that the company was hiding the danger with a silly name.  If I was on the jury I'd probably vote for damages.

[Patcon]

5 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

A too-much-trust person seeing the name "Goof Off" isn't going to read the fine print that closely.  The family should sue for misleading name.  That's my cynical side, implying that the company was hiding the danger with a silly name.  If I was on the jury I'd probably vote for damages.

I might agree on this too. I guess there are a lot of unknowns here. I know you can buy "Goof Off" by the gallon. Was he using gallons of this stuff inside a small area? Gloves? Etc....

I wouldn't be opposed to a nice large warning label on the front of the can stating that vapors harmful or fatal in an enclosed area. Use appropriate safety precautions.

Manufacturers would oppose this because of sales concerns, but I don't think the warning is unreasonable.

There are lots of hazards like this for DIY car enthusiast. I poisoned my self welding on a newer chevy truck with the fumes from the welder. I felt bad for a week or two.  The same can happen when welding on galvanized metal. Fumes from body fillers and professional paint supplies too. Gas fumes, plating chemicals, parts cleaners; the list is long.

Be smart everybody!!! Be careful and cautious and be sure to ask questions if you don't know. Especially some of you younger guys with your whole lives ahead of you. You could get injured for life or dead. A tragedy when it can easily be avoided!

[87mj]

I remember back in the day watching a 60 Minutes episode.   The episode was ripping on 3 wheelers and how dangerous they were.  To illustrate their case, they showed people doing all kinds of stupid things on them.  Soon after, they were taken off the market.

A week or so later, they did an episode on a supercar. It was Ferrari, Lamborghini, or something similar but I cant recall the exact manufacturer.  To illustrate how great the car was, they were driving down public roads at 120mph. 

I wonder which episode illustrated greater stupidity? 

[siteunseen]

I have 9 toes thanks to a 3 wheeler. 

They won't turn with the front tire off the ground.  Hard acceleration out of a gas station straight into a street sign. 

 

[grannyknot]

9 hours ago, Patcon said:

Be smart everybody!!! Be careful and cautious and be sure to ask questions if you don't know. Especially some of you younger guys with your whole lives ahead of you. You could get injured for life or dead. A tragedy when it can easily be avoided!

One product in particular that is commonly found in garages is Brake Cleaner, they are starting to produce milder versions but if it smells like dry cleaning fluid that is the Tetrachloroethylene.  It's is pretty nasty on its own but if it is used as a metal cleaner before Mig or Tig welding it will react with the Argon and produce Phosgene gas...the stuff used to kill thousands in WW1.

[Namerow]

Unfortunately, 'two-pack' catalyzed paints fall into the same 'user beware' category.  You really need a forced-air mask (and a full paint suit) to be safe.  This website from the British government's Health an Safety bureau is worth a read for anyone planning a D-I-Y paint job at home...

http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm

In particular, check out the, 'Common body shop myths' section.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Namerow
added a sentence

[Patcon]

24 minutes ago, grannyknot said:

One product in particular that is commonly found in garages is Brake Cleaner, they are starting to produce milder versions but if it smells like dry cleaning fluid that is the Tetrachloroethylene.  It's is pretty nasty on its own but if it is used as a metal cleaner before Mig or Tig welding it will react with the Argon and produce Phosgene gas...the stuff used to kill thousands in WW1.

That I didn't know. If you smell "fresh cut hay" while welding, that is probably Phosgene!

[Mark Maras]

 If anyone wants to know more about welding hazards, Google "Fume Fever". Been there, done that.