PPG Concept safety

[Wayne Galligan]

OK now elaborate on the can sprays like Lusterkote and Century 21 sprays...

Man youse smart....

WG
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gray E Fowler 
  To: discussion at nsrca.org 
  Sent: Friday, July 25, 2003 9:49 AM
  Subject: RE: PPG Concept safety



  Concerning Concept paint.........Here is my 3.5 cents worth.  The OSHA reference is good but remember this is a workplace regulation which means it is written as a CYA kinda thing. They assume that if you are using any chemical then you are being exposed to it for 8 hours a day because that is your job. Based on that they set limits. In reality a guy painting a toy airplane at  his house never entered into the realm of OSHA thinking. 
  So!.....there are two problems that the average pattern geek need to be concerned with, Solvent exposure and isocyanate exposure. Dermal exposure (aka skin for those of you who do not "dig" tech speak) should not be a concern because you should be outside letting the overspray drift away from you and onto your neighbors car, or second, if you are inside you better get a bigger fan. If not you will be sticky and that is the biggest dermal problem....(imagine if you did this 8 hrs a day! you would be UV resistant and not require sunscreen at contests-thats a positive way to look at it). In short...you ain't gonna die...if you do its not my fault. In an overspray situation the solvents will be nearly gone by the time is hits your skin. The small amount that of isocyanate on your skin will not cause any significant problems...but do not get coated with the overspray-change your situation. 

  The real problem is breathing the overspray-isocyanate much worse than solvent. Solvent inhalation problems take alot of solvent for a long period of time. (Think about your cousin the glue/paint sniffer and how long he has managed to survive half intact directly breathing huge concentrations of solvents). Breathing the solvent from Concept once or twice a year once again will not kill you. Minimize your exposure and if you have a respirator use it.  The major breathing problem is the isocyanate. It is nasty and as a matter of fact so nasty that you and I as pattern geeks are technically not supposed to even have this paint in our possession. But hey...... we are relatively smart guys with big egos and we know how to deal with 30% nitro so this should be no problem .....right? 

  The moment isocyanate comes in contact with your body's mucous membranes (the WET slimy parts of carbon based units) the isocyanate reacts into a crystalline structure (in your lungs) and it aint coming out any time soon. Over exposure will give the shortness of breath and flu like symptoms. 
  If you have breathing problems or smoke this will be greatly worse. 

  Bad news... 

  "Dust" masks will not protect you from solvent or isocyanate exposure. 
  That respirator you bought last year that has been used twice will not protect you either-unless you have new cartridges on it. If you paint a plane every 3 months you had better have new cartridges every time IF you are breathing the overspray. 
  Try not to inhale the overspray....me- I am an expert at holding my breath while painting. Of course anything that reduces the overspray, or gets it outta your way is good. 





  Gray Fowler
  Principal Chemical Engineer
  Composites Engineering
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