Stupidity and protective gear

[Vidar]

So I had a little scare today. 

Some machine tooling had gotten wet in storage over the winter, and ended up on the rusty side. Which is a problem. Luckily I have the cure, and I mixed up a nice delicious bath with phosphoric acid. Put in the parts, place away from unsuspecting persons or animals, and 18 hours later the rust is gone.

The next step is to get that acid brushed and washed off again. Nitrile gloves, protective glasses for the eyes, and brush and rinse until gone. So far so good. I lift up the next part and start brushing - then I loose the grip. I blame some on the by now rather slippery nitrile gloves. The tool falls back into acid with a proper splash, and I feel wet spots all over the face. Ok, that is not good but it is just a medium strength diluted acid and the glasses covered the eyes. Should be ok. Thus I walk over to the closest spot of snow and stick face my in it while rubbing. Great - no sting or burn, so face ok.

Then I feel this sting in one eye. In the process or removing it from my face I must have managed to put some in my eye. Now that was worse. Ran off to some running water and stayed there a good while. I kind of like my eyes.  It turned out good, but I was worried there for a bit.

Next time I'm wearing a full face shield. Like I should have from the start. I'm starting to think I can't wear too much protective gear! 

 

[RF52]

That always happens when you think this is quick and easy and have done it many times before, I know I do

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[Wspeed]

You have been very lucky Vidar 

[Vidar]

That always happens when you think this is quick and easy and have done it many times before, I know I do

That is so true. It is so easy to let the guard down or simply forget something. I do believe getting good habits automated helps, but sadly I still seem to be a work in progress. I guess I might have taken too lightly on it - after all it was just some acid. Compared to some other stuff I do that is almost cozy, so maybe also why I wasn't really firing on all cylinders.

You have been very lucky Vidar 

Luck isn't much of a survival strategy, but I'll take it!

[RF52]

That is so true. It is so easy to let the guard down or simply forget something. I do believe getting good habits automated helps, but sadly I still seem to be a work in progress. I guess I might have taken too lightly on it - after all it was just some acid. Compared to some other stuff I do that is almost cozy, so maybe also why I wasn't really firing on all cylinders.

Luck isn't much of a survival strategy, but I'll take it!

No good story starts with "let me get my safety gear"
Personaly I don't work much with acid, but I've had to remove some metal shavings from my eyes more than I should have.

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[Butch]

I am a firm beliver in full coverage when working with anything that might mess up my beautiful self. ..........I don't want to disappoint all the girls.     .......... ..........

[gerleatherberman]

Glad your eyes are O.K, Vidar!


I swapped from saftey glasses to a full face shield sometime back, because of eye running splashes. Now I use them for everything since they don't build up humidity on hot days and keep even wire wheel pieces and buffing cloth fibers from getting in my nose and mouth.

[cody6268]

Just a couple weeks ago, I was cutting up an old bed frame with the reciprocating saw and a metal blade  because I needed the angle iron it was made out of to fix a gate. I ended up getting a metal shaving in my eye with my regular glasses on (which always sit low on my nose).  I was the dimwit who did not get his safety glasses out, and hadn't bought a face shield yet. I figured it was a quick simple task. Luckily it came out with the eye wash I keep in my medicine cabinet and it had not done any damage to my eye.


I usually wear my safety glasses (and work gloves) when using power tools--don't know why I did something that stupid. And I have OSHA training. 

What I have (and try to use)
Hard hat (work where anything can fall on my head--I tend to use that for tree cutting work)
Gloves (Mechanix and leather rancher's gloves work best for me, and of course welding gloves for torch and welder)
Thick surgical gloves--chemicals; especially paint thinner.
Safety glasses (power tools). Need to get some goggles that fit over my glasses; and good ones; not the cheap 3M chemical goggles I used to buy. I may end up going with prescription safety glasses when I replace this wore out pair of standard glasses.

What I need.
Steel toed rubber boots (my current pair are not). Thankfully, I can buy a steel toed version of the Servus pair I use now for about $20.
Face Shield
Chainsaw chaps. I've started learning how to use the old Stihl we have as backup on the farm, and feel these will give me an extra level of safety.


And don't use the weed eater with shorts on--jeans only. Don't ask me how I found that out.

[Captain Sabretache]

No good story starts with "let me get my safety gear"
Personaly I don't work much with acid, but I've had to remove some metal shavings from my eyes more than I should have.

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I knew an old gent once that worked in a factory after the war and he had a slither of metal embedded in his eye that he didnt realise was there for years. He never had it removed as it didn't bother him and it was safer to leave it there. That was an early lesson in why eye protection is important everytime i put on safety glasses i think that story.

[Vidar]

I swapped from saftey glasses to a full face shield sometime back, because of eye running splashes. Now I use them for everything since they don't build up humidity on hot days and keep even wire wheel pieces and buffing cloth fibers from getting in my nose and mouth.

Ah, wire wheels, another nemesis of mine. I seem to always end up with some wire sticking out of a hand or somewhere. These days I think I only got the twisted wires versions around here.

The silly thing is that I have a face shield. It was all of 20 meters away or so. The thought of running splashes was actually why I chose those glasses, as they have rubber fitting tight all around the eyes. (Almost like divers glasses). Now I think the proper choice would have been both glasses and faceshield.

Edit: Or a face shield with a cover on top of the head. That is a thing with protective gear - it should be feel easy to use.

[Etherealicer]

Luck isn't much of a survival strategy, but I'll take it!

Stress makes you stupid.... it's a fact, that is why you need to train, so you do the right thing automatically. Not even a partner can guarantee that someone does the smart thing (though he is not directly affected, he still might be as stressed out as you).

Best thing you can do is not only wear protective gear, but have whatever you peeps use to neutralize the acid already next to you (snow/water is certainly not the best choice to clean up acid).

[comis]

Vidar, it reads like a horror story, glad to hear you got out okay. 
If there is any abnormality to the eye, just don't hesitate to get that check out by a doctor. 

[Vidar]

Stress makes you stupid.... it's a fact, that is why you need to train, so you do the right thing automatically. Not even a partner can guarantee that someone does the smart thing (though he is not directly affected, he still might be as stressed out as you).

Best thing you can do is not only wear protective gear, but have whatever you peeps use to neutralize the acid already next to you (snow/water is certainly not the best choice to clean up acid).

Can only agree with that. I think having the necessary steps automated is probably the best guarantee against impulse decisions of less than optimal quality. The spill itself was actually less of an issue than the bad cleanup - until I got some in the eye I was doing ok. It was a fairly safe diluted acid as far as acids go, so I didn't worry too much about some skin contact - the eye on the other hand... 

A more peripheral issue is an ongoing build here, which means that the eye rinser normally hanging on the wall isn't there - due to lack of the wall itself. I really should have waited with doing stuff like this until all the normal safety backups were back in place. Same with a neutralizer.

In retrospect I think I did two major mistakes, and a few minor ones. Together it added up. First major one was thinking it was only two parts, so just do it quickly without every one of the normal precautions. Second biggie was the bad cleanup which actually made it worse. The small ones was the lacking protective gear (should have been both face mask and glasses), and the lacking backup in case anything did happen.

Anyway, if this helps anyone else being a little less careless with seemingly quick and easy stuff then it is worth it. I got lucky, the next one might not. 

[Aloha]

Good reminder to all.  I am very happy you were not badly injured. 

[gerleatherberman]

Ah, wire wheels, another nemesis of mine. I seem to always end up with some wire sticking out of a hand or somewhere. These days I think I only got the twisted wires versions around here.

The silly thing is that I have a face shield. It was all of 20 meters away or so. The thought of running splashes was actually why I chose those glasses, as they have rubber fitting tight all around the eyes. (Almost like divers glasses). Now I think the proper choice would have been both glasses and faceshield.

Edit: Or a face shield with a cover on top of the head. That is a thing with protective gear - it should be feel easy to use.

Indeed, those little wires get into everything. My hands have gotten kind of tough working with wood, so the wires generally don't penetrate my skin anymore(thankfully). With the face shield, I only have to comb them out of my hair at the end of the day.   

The shield and glasses combo is probably the best option. But, since it is summer time, safety goggles fog up too quickly for me when working outside. 

I am not sure which type of face shield you use, but this is the kind I use and it works quite well for run down, since the chemicals usually don't make it to the face. I do put on safety glasses when sanding old finishes though, since it doesn't work well for drifting dust.

I get them for $8 each locally.

I should add that these face shields are lady-repellant. 

[Vidar]

Indeed, those little wires get into everything. My hands have gotten kind of tough working with wood, so the wires generally don't penetrate my skin anymore(thankfully). With the face shield, I only have to comb them out of my hair at the end of the day.   

Reminds me of using a straight grinder on metal. Sharp bits everywhere and in seemingly impossible places!

The shield and glasses combo is probably the best option. But, since it is summer time, safety goggles fog up too quickly for me when working outside. 

Thankfully we don't really have a problem with summer heat here - I guess it is good for something

I am not sure which type of face shield you use, but this is the kind I use and it works quite well for run down, since the chemicals usually don't make it to the face. I do put on safety glasses when sanding old finishes though, since it doesn't work well for drifting dust.

My clear shield covers a bit over the head and under the chin - great for all that small stuff that might come my way, but not really useful against fluids from above. For stuff where more dangerous chemicals, or for lung hostile dust or heavy metal gasses I normally use a powered air purifying respirator that I've repurposed from welding. (I just removed the darkening unit and added a gas filter). That one isn't really easy-going though, and the field of vision is limited. I'm considering getting a lighter weight and broader field of vision of that. Or just something like yours for these occasions. 

I should add that these face shields are lady-repellant. 

I can't really claim to need a lady-repellant. That sounds like an entirely different category of protection though.

[Vidar]

What I need.
Steel toed rubber boots (my current pair are not). Thankfully, I can buy a steel toed version of the Servus pair I use now for about $20.

You do need steel toes. People have dropped stuff on my toes quite a few times over the years. Not to mention the time I managed to drive a forklift over my own foot. I know, it takes both stupid impulses and talent!  Sometimes I worry that I might end up winning a Darwin award...

Chainsaw chaps. I've started learning how to use the old Stihl we have as backup on the farm, and feel these will give me an extra level of safety.

If you use a chainsaw you should get that. They can get places blinking fast if they catch on something. Personally I just try to avoid them in general.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Safety equipment is important, and I wish I was smart enough to realize that.   

I always wear gloves but I rarely wear safety glasses and I don't even own a face shield, which I suppose is an issue that I need to rectify.   

Last week I was grinding away at some rotted deck supports to replace them and after almost setting my hair on fire a couple of times (I was working over my head) I decided to put on safety glasses.  You know it is bad when I feel safety glasses are needed...

Then a few days later I noticed a burn hole in my favorite sweater.  I hadn't even realized I was on fire.   

One of these days I will learn.

Def

[gerleatherberman]

Reminds me of using a straight grinder on metal. Sharp bits everywhere and in seemingly impossible places!

Indeed!
That's a lesson only needed to learn once. First time a doctor dug into my eyeball with tweezers was the last time. 

Thankfully we don't really have a problem with summer heat here - I guess it is good for something

Sounds amazing.

My clear shield covers a bit over the head and under the chin - great for all that small stuff that might come my way, but not really useful against fluids from above. For stuff where more dangerous chemicals, or for lung hostile dust or heavy metal gasses I normally use a powered air purifying respirator that I've repurposed from welding. (I just removed the darkening unit and added a gas filter). That one isn't really easy-going though, and the field of vision is limited. I'm considering getting a lighter weight and broader field of vision of that. Or just something like yours for these occasions. 

Fortunately I do notdeal with a lot of really bad chemicals. Paint/varnish stripper is the worst I deal with on a weekly basis, and I've switched to a gel-type stripper, which reduces splashing.
Still can't believe the boss agreed to double the cost of stripper to get the hel-type.

I can't really claim to need a lady-repellant. That sounds like an entirely different category of protection though.

Good one!

[gregozedobe]

One of these days I will learn.

Hopefully without too much pain and no permanent damage ........

[Vidar]

Hopefully without too much pain and no permanent damage ........

No pain no gain? 

I remember one I learned something from. Back when I was a student I had a job during the summer vacation as a "technician" - which really meant doing whatever the real technicians wanted done. One of them was actually a carpenter and he wanted some building done. More specifically the gable walls at a building. So me and another summer job student got put on that task. My work partner got the task of making the scaffolding while I did something else.

A day or two after he said it was ready, and we could get started. It was three stories high. When we got the top I noticed the size of the nails he had used as the package was still up there. "These are nowhere strong enough to hold this!" I argued. "Sure they are!" he said. "No!" "Yes!" "Your mama!" "Your sister" (something along those lines) - it went on for a bit, and got a bit heated. Then in a flash of argumentative genius I decided to prove my point and jumped up and kicked down with both legs.

It turned out I was right. As I landed the upper level of the scaffolding just dropped loose. Both me and that part of the scaffolding fell down to the level below. That luckily stopped me. As I was laying there on my back looking up I could see my partner looking down from the level above. He asked if I was ok, and then just said "I'll get some bigger nails".

The prize of winning some arguments might not be worth it though 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Hopefully without too much pain and no permanent damage ........

You mean besides the plates and screws already holding my anatomy together?   

Def

[gregozedobe]

You mean besides the plates and screws already holding my anatomy together?   

Allrighty then, fixed (just for you):

Hopefully without too much pain and no new permanent damage ........

[Grant Lamontagne]

I was thinking of this thread yesterday while stripping the paint off my new dolly with the wire brush attachment on my angle grinder, and I made sure to wear safety glasses. 

I probably should have been wearing more than that as wire brushes tend to loose bristles, and I was feeling the impact of them through my jeans.  Then I felt one hit my forehead and that made me glad I was wearing the glasses!   

Def

[Vidar]

I was thinking of this thread yesterday while stripping the paint off my new dolly with the wire brush attachment on my angle grinder, and I made sure to wear safety glasses. 

I probably should have been wearing more than that as wire brushes tend to loose bristles, and I was feeling the impact of them through my jeans.  Then I felt one hit my forehead and that made me glad I was wearing the glasses!   

Def

  Thread mission accomplished! 

[Etherealicer]

The spill itself was actually less of an issue than the bad cleanup

That is often the case... a hasty reaction can make things much worse. The institute I studied at had an open staircase (stone-plates connected with metal rods, so really really open). One of the students dropped a bottle of sulfuric acid (highly concentrated, the really nasty kind), just at the top... then started to clean-up with water (enormous amounts of water). The results were stairs with raining acid ... After that, no more acid transport on the stairs (they put in a special elevator from storage to the labs).

[Vidar]

That is often the case... a hasty reaction can make things much worse. The institute I studied at had an open staircase (stone-plates connected with metal rods, so really really open). One of the students dropped a bottle of sulfuric acid (highly concentrated, the really nasty kind), just at the top... then started to clean-up with water (enormous amounts of water). The results were stairs with raining acid ... After that, no more acid transport on the stairs (they put in a special elevator from storage to the labs).

Water can be ok for quickly  getting stuff off - but if the new place is equally bad or worse then certainly kind of backfiring.

Ah, that brings back memories from my student days too. I had this rather old crappy car at the time, and I was driving around in the city. I started smelling this weird smell, and I noticed this yellowish smoke coming up from the bonnet. Ok, the engine is burning I figure. I didn't have anything to put it out with, and I was in the middle of the road, and somehow the car was still driving. So I decided to just keep on driving to a suitable place to park and check it out.

More and more smoke came up, and the inside of car started filling up too. To an unbearable level. So I opened the window and stuck my head out. Quite a lot of smoke there too! And I noticed people pointing and watching this yellow sky as I drove pass them. And the smoke was anything but pleasant to breathe or in the eyes!

Finally I found a suitable spot to pull over, and got out of the car. I was kind undecided whether to actually open the bonnet or just run away and wait for the thing to burn down. But the smoke was just weird for a fire. So finally I open the bonnet. And there is no fire - instead the car battery had somehow come loose and were leaking sulphoric acid all over some hot motor parts. Which again created yellow acid smoke havoc.

I'm pretty sure that didn't do my health any good. 

[nate j]

Two things I feel compelled to point out:

• In order to provide a suitable (i.e. ANSI spec) level of impact protection, either safety glasses or safety goggles should be worn under a face shield.
• The best face shield to use for chemicals, IMO, is the gasketed bracket type that fits on a hard hat.  The purpose of the gasket is to create a seal between the face shield and hard hat.