Welding galvanized nuts and bolts...

[PUMPKINHEAD]

Uhmmmmm, is that the same stuff that if you dip your finger in it, you can taste it???

no, that's DMSO. DiMethyl SulfOxide.
and that symbol is for biohazards, you know, the band with Evan Sienfeld.

[Bert]

Uhmmmmm, is that the same stuff that if you dip your finger in it, you can taste it???
YEESH!! If THAT'S true, by the time you taste it, you're probably dying!
[shudder]

[KB Fabrications]

You think water is bad,........ be very careful welding or working around dihydrogen monoxide.

Uhmmmmm, is that the same stuff that if you dip your finger in it, you can taste it???

[BBchevy396]

FWIW, anyone ever read the MSDS sheet on water?? Scary stuff man.

You think water is bad,........ be very careful welding or working around dihydrogen monoxide. Inhalation or ingestion can lead to light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, headache, hyponatremia, pneumonia, cerebral edema, seizures, coma, and death within a few hours.

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[Bert]

good posts Don! Glad you have the patience to keep us informed!!!

[DDA52]

As long as I was welding galv with all those guys, we had never heard of anyone dying ...ever. That is why I have a very hard time believing it was the galv alone that killed them. I'm not saying it didn't help it along, but as a lone causitive factor....I just don't know.

Like the AWS article said, it is basically an allergic reaction. Anaphylactic shock can result from stuff like that and it can definitely be fatal....but for the zinc to cause anaphylaxis...dunno. Everyone will react to stuff differently. Peanuts can be a great snack to most and kill one out of a hundred thousand. Allergic reactions can be strange stuff. As to it being accumulative, there really isn't too much evidence for that either ...that I have seen. My blood tests were clear of it, even when I was welding the stuff daily.

I just don't know about all that stuff. I do have a good enough medical background to be skeptical, but not enough to say "yes" or "no". Best thing to do is take precautions to avoid exposure. Ventilate, don't breath it and when you have to be in an enlosed space, wear a respirator or supplied air. Welding a couple of bolts isn't enough to cause any troubles, though. I definitely wouldn't circle the wagons because of it. Most everything we use is dangerous. Gasoline, acetone and a host of other things that are worse than zinc. We use them and don't freak out. Just keep your wits about you and use common sense. If you don't have any common sense, they sell it on aisle 12 at Home Depot.

FWIW, anyone ever read the MSDS sheet on water?? Scary stuff man.

[tnjind]

Thank you very much, good info.

I have experienced the metallic taste myself. I drink milk anyway (can't hurt).

Thanks again.

[DDA52]

It can vary from person to person because it is basically an allergic reaction. Some may have no symptoms at all.

I will get a slight metallic taste in my mouth along with a stomachache and headache. I never got fever or anything else. After three to four hours, it would clear up on its own. I only got sick maybe three or four times during that 10 year stretch. Usually because I did something I knew better than to do. When running only galv, I did drink milk. It did help. This may start some crap, but it is what it is. It did help. Milk is a universal antidote for several types of poisoning and exposures. It will counteract some of the zinc, but should not be used in place of better preventatives. Along with as extra protection...great.

We had a similar situation with another coating we were welding through. The steel supplier's rep would bring us some wine and cheese every day to help counteract the affects of the coating fumes. No idea what the coating was...been way too long ago and I wasn't at that job very well very long. He just gave us about a half dixie cup of wine and a few cubes of some nasty tasting cheese. Did the trick I spose. No one got sick. It counteracted whatever it was very well. Now, if someone would have had something like that when we got ahold of that phosgene that one day...life would have been better that day. I got the tiniest bit of exposure, but it was enough for me to stop breathing. We were welding on a Vietnam era jet fuel research lab...converting it to an ordinance test facility. The Navy said they did a thourough decontamination of that place....HA!!! We ended up on supplied air after that incident.

[trstek]

So,,,, Welding galvanized is just like smoking with Bill Clinton, don't inhale...

For what it is worth, it is easier to shut up and listen to the experienced when the answers are complete like DDA52 (Don) posts.

Toxic fumes can come from washing the floor with an strong bleach content, especially if you are one of those folks who are sensitive to bleach. Have a relative sensitive to latex, he works new construction, that makes for an interesting mix...

There are a few hard and fast safety rules that apply to everyone. But for the most part we are all going to die from something, In my case hopefully not stupidity.

[tnjind]

I did read that on TT, I think it was an older gentleman that forged alot, got sick, pneumonia, then passed way, sad.


Thats why I was wondering if there are symptoms to be awre of while burning galvanizing.

Thank you for your response, this is a great resouce for info.

[Bert]

Ok, this was a link from Iron Head. Page 2 of this thread:

http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.PDF

And to what KBFab tried to say:
WHERE'S THE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

[Bert]

Saw a thread few months ago about a guy who forged all his life. One day he was doing a rush job, forging galvanized and got sick and died that night or the next day or something like that. But I think Don posted up some links to the effects of that. The poison is cummalitive, but I think it was flu-like symptoms to start with (of course coughing up cherry red blood might also be considered). Maybe Don can find that link for you again...

[tnjind]

Soooo, What are the early signs of problems from welding galvanized?

[KB Fabrications]

Awwwwwwww, this thread is starting to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling all over.

[Handy560]

Learning...

At 47, I am certainly still learning, in fact, I am dissapointed if a day goes by and I don't learn something new!

As important as learning is teaching and sharing your knowledge. Sometimes it is hard to draw the line between talking and listening. One thing i sense is that everyone here has good intentions. It is awesome how willing everyone is to share their time and knowledge.

OK, kiss and make up. No kissing your still hot weldments...

Why is it that I always seem to want to touch a piece of metal that was just cherry red a few seconds ago?