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Funkjunkie
Stranger

Registered: 05/28/09
Posts: 71
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Health Safety and P.P.E. when working with insulation
#14517324 - 05/26/11 07:46 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Hi guys, I just got a job in the HVAC industry after going to trade school for a few months. good money and stable work.
However iv been doing a ton of installations in attics and the one thing i hate but have been exposed to constantly is insulation. There have been a ton of studies on the health risks on the exposure of insulation on the skin and in the lungs and the conclusions very often contradict one another.
from what i understand insulation is 4 x longer than it is wide, is a glass like fiber(ie fiberglass ) and is kept together by a formaldehyde resin binder. Logic tells me that i should NOT be inhaling this shit at all. Im looking for a reasonable way to reduce my exposure to the fiberglass without showing up on the job wearing a full body hazmat or tyvek suit. keep in mind the summer is coming and its gona be hot in those attics so full face masks are really pushing it. i was thinking something along the lines of a balaclava or a bandanna. the fiber glass is so small it can stick in your pores so certain loosely stitched materials are out of the question not sure.
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Edited by Funkjunkie (05/26/11 08:13 PM)
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Cherk
Fashionable


Registered: 10/25/02
Posts: 46,493
Loc: International
Last seen: 1 year, 2 months
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Re: Health Safety and P.P.E. when working with insulation [Re: Funkjunkie]
#14517332 - 05/26/11 07:48 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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get one of dem der masks they sell at dat der home improvement store
haha you took months of trade school and they didn't cover your safety?
wtf
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I have considered such matters. SIKE
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Funkjunkie
Stranger

Registered: 05/28/09
Posts: 71
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Re: Health Safety and P.P.E. when working with insulation [Re: Cherk]
#14517456 - 05/26/11 08:11 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
cherokee said: get one of dem der masks they sell at dat der home improvement store
haha you took months of trade school and they didn't cover your safety?
wtf
i heard activated charcoal masks are good and no, insulation safety wasnt really covered in school, i guess you get what you pay for at community college. even in the field guys just put there bare hands and faces right in the fiberglass, it skeeves me out hardcore but the mentality is more like dont be a pussy and get the job done
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scienceguy
Instrument



Registered: 11/27/09
Posts: 1,983
Loc: One Mile High...
Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: Health Safety and P.P.E. when working with insulation [Re: Funkjunkie]
#14517476 - 05/26/11 08:17 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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You need gloves and a Tyvek suit with a hood, and an N95 dust mask at minimum. You should get a respirator if you're doing lots of prolonged attic work though.
The "don't be a pussy and get the job done" mentality gets you hurt or damaged over the long term. If your employer doesn't emphasize occupational safety, GTFO or call OSHA.
-------------------- "Freedom starts between the ears." Edward Abbey
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danlennon3
LivingIsEasyWithEyesClosed.....



Registered: 10/29/02
Posts: 19,246
Loc: usa
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Re: Health Safety and P.P.E. when working with insulation [Re: scienceguy]
#14517577 - 05/26/11 08:36 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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congrats on your new career Did you just graduate recently? By any chance, were you required to become OSHA certified? Whether you had to or not, it is always good to know. But when it comes to PPE and clothing, you will just have to see what other people wear at that particular job. A good pair of overalls is good... Long socks, layering will be hot and sweaty but it helps... Have at least some type of an outside layer that you can easily take off and shake out. I cant help you with any specific PPE, but try to get in touch with another classmate or someone you know in construction... or google a couple questions... if you cant find anything on google, sign up for a construction or safely messageboard... im just throwin out ideas.
-------------------- "Psychedelics should be used not to escape reality, but to embrace it"
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