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Set me straight on respirators Post New Topic | Post Reply

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Posted: Mar 22, 2006 07:57 AM	Set me straight on respirators Hi guys, Usually I would not barge in on you men, but I need your advice and guidance. I've been on hubby's tail for quite some time now to get a better respirator. He often says that he knows what he's got is not great because he can "taste" the chemicals. I'm very concerned about this. I know he is too, but he always has the excuse that the work comp is due, health ins is due, liability is due, payroll taxes due - you get the idea. Well, now he is due and the rest can go kiss my a**! This boy is gonna get the protection he deserves. His father died young due to problems I have no problem pinning on this business. I have a real love-hate realationship with this damn business. Yes, it allows me to be home with my children and puts food on the table (most of the time), but I hate that my husband is exposed to these nasties day in and day out (not to mention the financial roller coaster ride!). So, please, tell me what he should be using and where to get it. Also, I am assuming there is a difference between and full face respirator and a fresh air respirator - is this correct? If you have a good full face, do you really need a fresh air? I know he expressed concerns about not having enough freedom of movement with a fresh air mask. Also, would something like that even work when he is crawling around in a 2.5 foot high crawl space?? Right now he's using those little half masks you pick up at home depot. I've looked at the cartridges and they don't seem to be right to me. Any advice would be appreciated - and then I won't barge in on you guys any more :) Thanks!
Posted: Mar 22, 2006 09:47 AM	Ha! This is RIGHT where I was! I know EXACTLY where you are coming from and what he is going through! It's no joke and not to be playing around with! I too was using those half masks up until my last couple jobs. I was hacking and hacking in the mornings and had a tough time getting air while laying in bed at night. This is what he NEEDS, a clean air system, no if ands or buts. It sounds like he has one or has used one in the past. I got mine from allegro.com. Yes, you have to drag a air hose behind you where ever you go but I don't want to die of cancer at the age of 40. It's no joke. I wished that when I first started someone would have told me this. I also bought a full face repirator about a week ago. I have tried it on and it will work A LOT better than a half face I can tell already. I bought a NORTH brand full face. I believe they can be found at northsaftey.com. They are about $200. I bought my North on ebay for $60!! Great deal. If he gets the full face he will have to buy special lens covers so he won't get overspray on the lens. You can get those at safetyamerica.com or call a local Serwin Williams store and they can get them for you they are about 10 bucks a piece but they have about 30 clear films he will be able to advance. I've also heard that if you take clear cylofane(sp) kitchen plastic wrap that it will stick to the lens and of course is a lot cheaper. I'm not sure I will even wear my fullface when I'm spraying, maybe in hard to get to areas where the air hose will be a major pain. I talked to a rep at the NORTH Saftey company and he said when spraying isocyonate (the A part of the foam system)that you need to wear a clean air system. He said that regular filters on a respirator will let iso. through. And you can inhale a lot of iso before you know it, he said. Call a rep there and talk to them about it. If he is tasting the foam he is getting A LOT of it in his lungs. Been there. He needs something different. He for sure is "sensitized" to it by now which means just a wiff of it will really get to him. I'm sure most foamer that have been at it a while are sensitized as well. A clean air system is the answer. I will probably wear my full face during clean up. He sdould be wearing a repirator during clean up too. Just a wiff during clean up is enough to have me up at night with the heavy breathing. If he won't listen to you slap him up side the head! :) Show him my response to your question. Good luck!
Posted: Mar 23, 2006 01:59 AM	supplied air systems are the best,, keep the pump far away from the spray area.. there are cartridges available for protection from iso...(norths are magnenta colored if i remember correctly) if he's tasting it..he's breathing it..not good.. up at night,,wheezing,,chest tightness,,clears over the weekend or overnite..occupational asthma me thinks..its real..go to american lung association and read about it... contact a real SAFETY equipment company..typically paint supply houses dont have filters in stock for iso products give them the msds sheets of the products you spray..get they appropriate filters and supplied air TOMORROW,,,god only gave us 2 lungs and they really are quite unforgiving when it comes to contaminates... dont smoke around the raw materials (in the rig) or in the spray environment,,(better yet,,dont smoke at all),,,think about it..heating chemicals,,sucking in with the tars and other crap...cant be good :) a 1/2 mask with the right cartridges works too but does not afford eye protection.. ANYONE HEARD OF OR HAD THE "BLUE HALO EFFECT" YET? spf princess,, PLEASE BARGE IN ANY TIME,,WE NEED TO NETWORK AND SHARE OUR IDEAS, ADVICE AND OPINIONS.. sometimes the best ideas come from those not directly involved..kinda like a neutral observer.. stick around and post often if you care too..
Posted: Mar 23, 2006 08:04 AM	Ok foamdude, what's the blue halo effect? I think I might know but not sure.
Posted: Mar 23, 2006 09:45 AM	Thanks to both of you guys for the advice. I will start researching your recommendations today! Dak.SprayFoam: Yes, I will smack him upside the head if he doesn't listen to me - It wouldn't be the first time :) I am glad that you got your respirator situation taken care of. It must be quite concerning with all those lung symptoms going on. foamdude: As of right now he does not seem to have any asthma or other breathing difficulty - well that is not true either. Sometimes when he gets home he has "air hunger" where he needs to take a really deep breath several times. Clearly it is affecting him, but I don't notice it a night like you described. His eyes are often very irriated even though he wears eye protection. Obviously we need to address that area too since the chems can easily absorb through the eyes. Btw, he doesn't smoke, neer has. In fact we are a very healthy, organic eating family - kind of a weird business for us to be in! Also, I appreciate the invitation to post regularly! If I need any more assistance regarding this issue, you'll be hearing from me. Btw, my hubby posts here too and he often tells me how he and foamdude share alot of the same ideas. Hubby is constantly researching and updating himself on building sciences so he can apply properly and help our clients to understand the right way to do things :) Keep up the good work guys!
Posted: Mar 23, 2006 10:52 AM	foamdude: one other thing I forgot to say in my last post... you said: "sometimes the best ideas come from those not directly involved..kinda like a neutral observer.." anyhow, I just had to giggle a little at this because when we were taking the biz over from my FIL (basically starting from scratch - he let it go down the tubes due to health) we were really struggling. We coulnd't afford to hire help so I was the help. I've done my fair share of hose lugging and scaffold pulling. Never have handled the gun, but done lots of other things including "tasting the foam"! Even now, when the guys are out on a project and hubby needs help on another, I get the vote for helping. For the most part though, I am a stay at home mom, receptionist, secretary, errand runner, bookkeeper. Have a great day :)
Posted: Mar 24, 2006 07:45 AM	princess,, the "working for air" at the end of the day is indictive of occupational asthma... the bronchi become inflammed due to chemical irratation,,excess mucous is formed...(probably hacks up a few good ones in the middle of the night,,then things get easier) causing chest tightness, wheezing,,Shortness of breath.. get him the right equipment NOW dont forget a mask when cleaning up,,or while entering or exiting a structure while spraying..i even try to wear one when pumping over drums... my wife too functions as my office person...man she gets angry when i tell her "hey,,i'm the boss of you" its kind of a joke...kinda..i think? she continues to learn the day to days of bookkeeping (thanks to a brother who is an accountant) and continues to strive to become better educated in building science and spf.. good luck in your business venture... let me know if i can help you in any way.. peace mark
Posted: Mar 24, 2006 07:55 AM	blue halo... (been a while since i read on this one,,so i am pulling this out of my greyhead) seems a component of the blowing agent is water soluable and since the cornea of the eye is like 90% water it likes to absorb the substance.. this cause a HALO effect when you look at light sourses...as i remember it is supposed to not be harmful and is a temporary condition that just takes time to correct..(but if it is being absorbed by the eyeballs outter layer,,i wonder if it is truely non harmful) i wear a full face mask,,as does my helpers cleaning behind me...and we now have no problems
Trey Gibson Posted: Mar 24, 2006 08:18 AM	Also as far as eyes go. Iso is highly reactive with water and as you spray there are all sorts of particles floating in the air (just take a picture when you are spraying and check it out. These get in your eyes and crystalize which is why your eyes sometimes burn. At least mine do when I don't wear goggles.
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Mar 24, 2006 11:36 AM	Hi. We have had good luck with the 3M PAPR respirators. Helmet is a L-501 bump cap with face-shield Cartdridge is a GVP441 (Organic vapor/HEPA) Comfort Belt is GVPCB - size Medium Lens covers is L-133 (25, or 100 quantity). breathing tube is L-122 (this snaps into the L-501 hood. These can be found on eBay. They are comfortable and well worth the safety they provide. You don't have to drag a cord around with you. gcw Ps. The truth is best spoken in love.
Melvin Chandler Posted: Mar 24, 2006 09:15 PM	How long will one of the filters last? What is the best system for spraying indoors? What is the best system for spraying outdoors? Do you have the trailer/truck buy wearing an air filter? What about the hose guy? What types do they need?
Posted: Mar 25, 2006 07:37 AM	How long will one of the filters last? damn thats a good question..i change mine out after each job (god only gave me 2 lungs,, and i beat the hell out of em for 30 yrs,,,ie:tobacco and the like)..sometimes when spraying i will find i am "huffing for air while in the mask"..so i change em then too... What is the best system for spraying indoors? best: supplied air...reality..organic vapor cartridges.. What is the best system for spraying outdoors? same reply as above Do you have the trailer/truck buy wearing an air filter? (guy?) we dont wear in the rig..unless pumping fluids over...closed system.. What about the hose guy? you must be a roofer... from a liability standpoint i would have anyone near the processing area protected...lets not forget about osha either...they luv roofers.. What types do they need? organic vapor cartridges..we wear full face indoors,,all of us,,
Melvin Chandler Posted: Mar 25, 2006 09:36 AM	So do you use the full face system mentioned above but with organic/hepa filters rather than fresh air? What's up with the sensativity issues? If proper protection is used,, where do the problems arise? Are you finding problems with breathing even with protection on?
Gary Galloway Posted: Sep 10, 2006 12:18 AM	I would like to speak with you about the foam business and what it is like from a finacial standpoint. I am considering getting into the business and need the real deal not the hype from all of the people tring to sell me foam and equipment. You can call me at 318-464-1997 or I will call you if you will give me a phone number. Thank You, Gary Galloway
Posted: Sep 10, 2006 07:52 AM	I was told that OSHA requires the cartridges to be changed at 8 hours maximum exposure time. I spray with fresh air supplied full face mask, and helper wears either half or full face mask with cartridges. The supplied air is a pain for dragging the hose around, but the comfort (and cost savings) is worth it to me.