fiberglass safety

We have all read that working with fiberglass, we should have respirators. But who does? Is the threat limited to breathing, or also on hands/mouth like lead?

Should we be scared of fumes working with epoxy resin cloth, or is that only for polyester resin?

Personally I wear a cotton mask when sanding drilling or cutting, nothing when working with cloth, and I have not been super careful about washing before eating. Maybe I should be more cautious but it seems like many are less so.

watermelonman said:

We have all read that working with fiberglass, we should have respirators. But who does? Is the threat limited to breathing, or also on hands/mouth like lead?

Should we be scared of fumes working with epoxy resin cloth, or is that only for polyester resin?

Personally I wear a cotton mask when sanding drilling or cutting, nothing when working with cloth, and I have not been super careful about washing before eating. Maybe I should be more cautious but it seems like many are less so.

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I don't worry about a respirator when cutting the cloth or doing the layup. I do however have a small fan going when I do the layup, even though BSI 20 Minute epoxy is not extremely volatile.
Cutting/sanding the finished product however is a different story. I will only do it outdoors, and I wrap a doubled up bandana around my face like a rioter. I also wear a pair of nitrile gloves while cutting and sanding, as the first time i tried to do it without gloves I got a splinter. Thankfully, it was large enough that I was able to use a piece of Gorilla Brand Duct tape to remove it.
Obviously, the nitrile glove are always worn whenever I even handle the cloth, finished or not, as glassing is one of those procedures where you might as well have all your "Ducks in a Row" before you even take it out of the bag.
John Coker has a Video on Fiberglass safety somewhere(I'm almost certain). I'll see if I can find it and post a Link to this thread. BRB.

Here's something everyone should see. Johns Videos are always first rate!
[video=youtube;0LguALmj2eQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LguALmj2eQ[/video]


I'm going to find some more Vids to add too.

watermelonman said:

Should we be scared of fumes working with epoxy resin cloth, or is that only for polyester resin?

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Yes, epoxy contains isocyanates, which are a known carcinogen. The VOCs in vinyl/polyester resin may be worse, but protect yourself from both.

Thanks TomRamen, for posting my video.

I typically use a 1/2 mask respirator with P100 cartridges when doing sanding of anything i.e.: bondo, fiberglass, wood (some woods have nasty chemicals/oils that will mess up your respiratory system), and I have a set of P100/Combo filters for working with VOC type chemicals. I also have a full face powered air purifying respirator aka PAPR with sealed face piece (similar to a gas mask, only better vision). In the shop I also have a air filtration unit made from the blower of a old furnace, using a prefilter to catch large dust and a very high filtration filter (pretty close to HEPA). And my power tools (tablesaw, power miter saw, jointer, thickness planer, router table, bandsaw, etc) are all hooked to a HF Dust Collection system. Between the dust collector and the air filtration unit there is very little new dust around the shop. The difference in the way I feel after spending a day working in the shop with the dust collection and air filtration is amazing, woodworking dust was messing with me pretty bad and I didn't even realize it. Half mask respirators with the proper filters won't help keep your shop clean but it will keep your lungs clean. Nitrile gloves are a definite must when working with epoxys, and not a bad idea with CA glues either.

JohnCoker said:

Yes, epoxy contains isocyanates, which are a known carcinogen. The VOCs in vinyl/polyester resin may be worse, but protect yourself from both.

Thanks TomRamen, for posting my video.

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Thanks for making it.
I'm all about safety first!!!

First, nitrile gloves. Next, you should use a respirator of some form. You may not need to go as far as John in terms of respirator, but I would certainly recommend a respirator with cartridges rated for dust and organic vapors. That should protect you from most things.

markkoelsch said:

You may not need to go as far as John in terms of respirator, but I would certainly recommend a respirator with cartridges rated for dust and organic vapors. That should protect you from most things.

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The PAPR respirators are a (relative) joy to wear, making the resistance to putting it on negligible. Respirators don't work unless you wear them and if they fog up or are uncomfortable, you won't.

Not that I'm pushing a certain product or anything, but I found the 3M 7500 half face respirator, with the P100 particulate filters, and the 6001 organic vapor cartridges to be cheap (relatively) and effective/useful.

I found that the dust from sanding balsa was really, really affecting me, and I'm about to start working with epoxy and fiberglass, so, I figured it was time to get these items.

If I have the wrong filters, somebody let me know.

P100s are great for particulates no problem there, and the 6001 cartridge is for Org Vapors so it looks like a good plan. Remember that once you open a organic vapor or any other gas/vapor protective filter they have a very limited life span.

rharshberger said:

P100s are great for particulates no problem there, and the 6001 cartridge is for Org Vapors so it looks like a good plan. Remember that once you open a organic vapor or any other gas/vapor protective filter they have a very limited life span.

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Thanks for that! I've seen on Amazon that people talk about putting the organic vapor filters into zip lock bags when not in use, to extend their life...but my plan is to try to line up as many paint jobs and/or epoxy jobs at once, and try to go through them as close in time as possible.

Compared to other expenses in rocketry, the filters aren't that big a price (I say as I rapidly find this hobby to cost more $$$ than I first realized when I innocently bought that $20 rocket about 6 months back...)

For epoxy, the resin isn't all that bad. Soap and water cleanup... The "hardener" should not be touched (and soap and water won't do a good job of removing it from the hands). Nitrile gloves, and cleanup when done. When I do layup work, a rule of thumb I use is when a glove get contaminated, it gets replaced with a fresh one. It is so easy to touch one's face or other objects with a contaminated glove, and transfer the contamination. If you really want to see what I mean, put some dye in the epoxy. When done working, look carefully to see where it has gone!

When working with acetone, one should be careful. Acetone can readily carry contaminants through the skin barrier. Denatured alcohol is a better choice for cleanup of epoxy messes.

Fiberglass sanding dust has been tested and been found to not be the sort of risk that asbestos provides. The lungs are capable of expelling it over time, at least for small ammounts. However, we really shouldn't be breathing any more dust than we have to. It doesn't do the lungs any favors! Outdoors, air flow away from the face, respirators, all good things. Health is worth it.

Yep, mostly repeating what others have said.

Gerald

JohnCoker said:

The PAPR respirators are a (relative) joy to wear, making the resistance to putting it on negligible. Respirators don't work unless you wear them and if they fog up or are uncomfortable, you won't.

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John, I am not knocking your choice. I was just commenting that there are alternatives that should work.

I always wear gloves. Usually sand outside, that way its well ventilated.