Safety of G10 dust?

[RocketboyG80]

How dangerous is the dust from G10 or similar fiberglass? I always use a respirator when I am cutting or sanding it. Do most people take these precautions? How long does it take for this stuff to clear from a room after sanding? What can happen if you inhale to much?

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by RocketboyG80
How dangerous is the dust from G10 or similar fiberglass? I always use a respirator when I am cutting or sanding it. Do most people take these precautions? How long does it take for this stuff to clear from a room after sanding? What can happen if you inhale to much?

Fiberglass is classed as a "mineral dust". It is an irritant down to the cellular level, and as such has recently been classed as a potential carcinogen. It can cause emphysema, and (I believe) siliconosis, the "white lung" suffered by stone masons.

If you were doing it at a job, there'd be some government regulations about it. Here's the OSHA page:

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/syntheticmineralfibers/standards.html

And the National Lung Association page:

https://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35439

Fiberglass dust is now thought to be the #1 health hazard presented by the fall of the World Trade Center.

When time comes for me to use G10 for fins, I'll pay someone to do it right, with the proper equipment.

 

[GlassfibreMan]

What we need to remember is that there is a huge difference between glassfibre as used in insulation - which is the main health hazard as in 9/11 - and the polyester/glassfibre dust produced by sanding/cutting finished laminates. The dust from such an operation is not even a skin irritant unlike insulation fibres so therefore does not present a similar hazard.

A simple dust mask should be worn because it's better to be safe but so far there is no evidence that this sort of dust is hazardous in small exposure. A working lifetime of exposure without protection may well cause silicosis but that would apply to ANY dust.

Even the longer fibres present in insulation and continious filament products are not thought to be carcinogenic according to your own gov. dept, OSHA:

IARC concluded that continuous filaments are not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans

So, we don't want to go overboard on this because it is safe to make your fins from G10 - probably just as safe as cutting/sanding MDF but wear a simple dust mask.

 

[RocketboyG80]

Thanks a lot for the info guys, that is what I thought, but I just wanted to make sure. Yes, I will certainly continue to wear my respirator when doing the limited cutting and sanding of G10 that I do. (BTW I prefer a respirator over a mask because of the better fit on my face; I find dust masks seem to leak after a while.)