galvy tooth ache

[muvafocker]

At our company we build chassis for static caravans some of which we use pre-galvanised steel. I've heard of and indeed have had 'galvy flu' but i've found taking precautions such as drinking milk and using a good mask eliminates this. I was wondeing if anyone else has had problems with thier teeth or brittel finger nails and even getting easily stressed out due to welding galvanised steel? although the later may be due to having problems with spatter screwing up the tip of the welder and such like. A few blokes at my work have also suffered from these things. Personally i think who ever came up with the idea of welding galvanised steel should be hung. Jerry

 

[Shox Dr]

interesting reading;

From this site

Zinc Fumes -- A Safety Hazard?
When zinc vapor mixes with the oxygen in the air, it reacts instantly to become zinc oxide. This is the same white powder
that you see on some noses at the beach and the slopes. Zinc oxide is non-toxic and non carcinogenic. Extensive research1
into the effects of zinc oxide fumes has been done, and although breathing those fumes will cause welders to think that they
have the flu in a bad way, there are no long-term health effects. Zinc oxide that is inhaled is simply absorbed and eliminated
by the body without complications or chronic effects. Current research2 on zinc oxide fumes is concentrated in establishing
the mechanism by which zinc oxide causes "metal fume fever," how its effects are self-limiting and why zinc oxide fume
effects ameliorate after the first day of exposure even though the welder may continue to be exposed to zinc during subsequent
days ("Monday-morning fever"). Other research3 is being done using zinc oxide fumes together with various drugs which
results in a synergetic effect for treatment of cancer and AIDS. Another area of research is use of zinc compounds as the active
ingredients in throat lozengers that are recognized as significantly effective in reducing the duration and intensity of the
common cold.
Typical “metal fume fever” begins about 4 hours after exposure, and full recovery occurs within 48 hours. The symptoms
include fever, chills, thirst, headache and nausea. All of these symptoms, pain and suffering, as well as lost work (and play)
time, can be avoided entirely by simply not inhaling the zinc oxide fumes. This can easily be done using any of the
methods described later.
Unlike other heavy metals, such as copper, lead and mercury, zinc is an essential micro nutrient. Zinc is essential to the
proper growth of plants and animals. Zinc forms part of the enzyme system that regulates biological processes throughout the
body. As shown on any multi-vitamin/mineral bottle, the recommended minimum adult intake is 15 mg/day.
1Walsh, Sandstead, Prasad, Newberne and Fraker, Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 102, Supplement 2,
June 1994, 5-46. Provides summary plus 471 references.
2 Kuschner,D'Alessandro, et. al., Pulmonary Responses to Purified Zinc Oxide Fumes, Journal of Investigative
Medicine, 1995:43:371-378.
3Robert Sabin, Zinc Activated Profile, COPE, March/April 1995: 16,17




Edited; To add I dont beleive a bloody word of this, just in case you think I do, it just what I found the World Wide Web

 

[Welderpaul]

Personally i think who ever came up with the idea of welding galvanised steel should be hung. Jerry

And thats exactly what will happen if the HSE find out that it is going on
First off you shouldnt be expected to weld galvanised steel on a regular basis as part of a production process. The galvanising should be carried out after the fabrication is complete. We all weld galv steel on occasions, but do (or should) utilise air fed masks, plenty of ventilation and extraction of fumes at source. Besides that, the finished job won't be right - corrosions going to set in, in the worst possible place, - on welded joints, very quickly.

If you and your colleagues are being made ill by your job, you need to be speaking to your boss, taking it further if you feel you are being ignored.

Dealing with welding fume is one of the first things the HSE will look at during an inspection of a fabrication company. I know of a few people who have had HSE inspections lately, as construction sites are now few and far between, they need to keep themselves occupied elsewhere.

 

[snowcat]

little more needs to be added.....

the finished job tho must leave much to be desired, Its sounds like the co. has little interest in A) Its workforce B) Its product, the chassis will have also been design approved, I can lay money that its not part of the approval to use pre galv'd sections, Its a simple cost cutting exercise...

Air feds, adequate extraction etc are all issues to be addressed as is the quality of the welds in the end product.....

 

[scotb]

ive heard to drink fresh orange, as milk transfers the galvy to your bones

 

[paulmowers]

I dont know where the bit about zinc fumes being harmless and of no lasting damage caused came from. But...

Suggest you do a search for metal fume fever on google. You will get lots of very sobering stories from smithing forums where people have heated galv in forges and become extremely ill very quickly (projectile vomiting, etc, unconciousness).
I think it was jim wilson actually died from exposure to it.

Harmless? no i dont think so.

So be carefull, and as paul said what you are doing is shoddy and illegal, so tell your boss to sort it or tell him to f.... off.

Regards Paul..

 

[Shox Dr]

PaulM. If that was directed at my post, I was just saying it was interesting reading. You won't catch me, breathing the bloody stuff in.

 

[the snooper]

have a look here it mentions the hse and a company that flouted the hse laws

 

[paulmowers]

No Doc not aimed at you. Also noticed it was taken from elsewhere, but doesn't it seem unbelievable that someone could write something that almost encourages the breathing of zinc fumes when people have died from it?

Best Regards Paul..

 

[Shox Dr]

No Doc not aimed at you. Also noticed it was taken from elsewhere, but doesn't it seem unbelievable that someone could write something that almost encourages the breathing of zinc fumes when people have died from it?

Best Regards Paul..

It's the interspaz it must be true

 

[stucktoweld]

Dont believe all you read

quote: Zinc Fumes -- A Safety Hazard?

It use to be safe!! in I think the 60's to spray paint asbestos -- their all dead now!
but some lord somebody made a fortune out of it!!
I like the bit about the zinc being a mirco nutrient prehaps everybody should breath it by goverment order
I would be very worried about who paid for the research paper vested interest

I say if it makes you feel ill. It probaly means your body is trying to tell you its not a good think to be doing

 

[muvafocker]

Thanks for all the replys. My company does supply adequate, and i emphasize the word 'adequate', extraction, masks, and such like and as far as i'm aware using pre-galved material is up to the 'caravan councils' standards, but i will be looking into that one. I completely agree with the fact that you really cant get a good weld using galv with bad porosity and the like also i cant really see the point in using a pre coated material if you're going to burn the coating straight off when welding it. Hot dipping after the item has been fabricated is a far better option, unfortunately these chassis can be as big as 50' long and 13' wide so there are only a couple of companys in the uk that can dip something of this size, which makes the product incredibly expensive when it has to be transported long distances to be dipped. I'm also a bit dubious about contacting the HSE due to us only being a relatively small firm and with the present state of the economy and all it could cripple us to lose this contract. Having said all this it does bother me that somehow this galvy 'poisoning' must be getting into my bloodstream somehow, i've searched the net and all i've come up with is articles about 'galvy flu' and all these seem to be saying is that there are no known long term health issues, but as one of you pointed out, in the 60's working with asbestos was deemed as being harmless. So i suppose its the usual case with small firms if i dont like it, leave it. Many thanks, Jerry

 

[Arsonista]

The best thing to tell your boss is goodbye.

 

[Weldingartisan]

I've cut and welded galv intermitently over the years with no apparent long term effects, but then again as an apprentice I used to be sent into a boilerhouse to strip off the asbestos insulation with nothing more than a Martindale paper mask! Perhaps I'm living on borrowed time......... W/A

 

[Welderpaul]

If ten minutes exposure to the fumes produced by welding galvanised steel give you the flu like symptoms - runny nose, headaches, sore throat - it aint doing you any good.
Could you imagine how the bloke felt after 7-8 hours a day welding galv (Link in Snoops post)

 

[the snooper]

probably will think swinflu is a breeze after that