julieooly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2018
Posts: 714
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Post by julieooly on Jan 3, 2019 18:53:48 GMT -5
Hey everyone, I just thought I'd take a quick survey of how people protect themselves from injury/mineral poisoning.
First, preventing injury is pretty straightforward. Eye & ear protection and gloves if you wanna keep your fingernails, but what about absorbing toxins?
My safety routine also includes wearing a respirator when cutting, and a surgical mask with all other steps except the final diamond polish and when I clean up the backs of my stones. Also, gloves all the time except final polish as the stone is still on the dop at this point as there really isn't much to inhale during the process.
I wear separate rain poncho's when cutting and grinding/polishing. I thought this was a brilliant idea as the aprons strings tend to be uncomfortable around my waist, and cause tension in the neck. I'm also short, and when standing & cutting I sometimes get sprayed with oil in the upper chest/neck area. The ponchos are also super cheap and you don't feel bad about tossing them when they've had too much. The ones I got have elastic around the wrists too.
The lapidary oil (From MLS, their in-house blend) seems safe enough but once it's dirty there's all kinds of junk in it. I find there's a super fine mist coming off everything when I cut. The water system with the new CabKing is brilliant, all the dirty water drains back while only clean fresh water drips from above, but there is still lots of crud left in the pans and etc.
I also keep my drinks in a closed container.
How much concern do I really need to have about all this? I tried to wear the respirator when I grind & polish but it's just not comfortable for long periods of time. I always side on "better safe than sorry", what do ya'll think? Did I forget anything?
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Post by lpl on Jan 3, 2019 19:46:27 GMT -5
Well I subscribe to the old adage that 'the dose makes the poison'. If I did this daily, every day, like to make a living, I'd certainly be more concerned than I am when I only get to cut or smith a few hours a week. I sometimes wear an apron since I don't love soggy clothes. Never gloves. Respirator when I'm polishing silver. Eye protection always. Ear protection? How could I hear my music!! John
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julieooly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2018
Posts: 714
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Post by julieooly on Jan 3, 2019 20:04:30 GMT -5
Duh, earbuds under safety headphone, how do I listen to my books? Audible while cabbing is awesome.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 3, 2019 20:15:36 GMT -5
I only use a mask if I'm cutting something I know is toxic. Gloves only when I'm grinding on something that makes a black or red mess and stains skin. I usually just have a towel over my lap when I use my Genie to wipe off my stones and my hands. I don't tend to get too wet while cabbing. I use both geyers under the wheel I'm using to keep the dust down. I like to have lots of water while I'm cabbing. I always have glasses on and an Optivisor on my head or I would be able to see what the heck I was doing!
I don't cab everyday; sometimes not for weeks, so I'm not too concerned about it. We have club members in their 80's who've been cutting for years without too much concern about what they're breathing in. They were probably out rockhounding and licking all kinds of bad stuff, too, and they're still kicking.
I guess I'm just not that concerned about it. Like lpl said, if I was doing it all day, every day, I'd probably be more concerned. For me, silversmithing is more of a toxic activity. I take appropriate precautions depending on what I'm doing.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,759
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Post by gemfeller on Jan 3, 2019 21:45:30 GMT -5
First, I think everyone should take whatever precautions they feel comfortable with. But personally I consider the fears about lapidary work to be greatly exaggerated unless one is routinely cutting material known to be toxic or working in a cutting factory as others have mentioned. I'm one of those old duffers hummingbirdstones mentioned. The only time I've ever worn a mask is when I'm carving. Not even dipping stones in water eliminates the dust and most of it heads right toward one's face. But otherwise I've never worn gloves or any other protective gear in a long lifetime of cutting, except a vinyl apron to protect against occasional drips and splashes, especially when I'm cutting boulder opal. I do have mild COPD but I'll leave it to you all to decide whether it comes from lapidary work or 40+ years of smoking cigarettes. I vote for the latter.
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Post by lpl on Jan 3, 2019 21:57:15 GMT -5
Duh, earbuds under safety headphone, how do I listen to my books? Audible while cabbing is awesome. Except I don't believe that is particularly safe as you can then only hear the music, not any background sounds like the sound of the machine, or your spouse or kids yelling at you that the house is on fire or something. I'm definitely not a fan of earbuds but that is just me 😜
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Post by opalpyrexia on Jan 3, 2019 22:34:41 GMT -5
I never wear a mask when cabbing on my Diamond Pacific Pixie even though I am usually cutting opal (silica). I do wear a NIOSH N95 Particulate mask when using my trim saw and flat lap because my face is always relatively close to those machines when in use.
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Post by nowyo on Jan 3, 2019 22:59:48 GMT -5
Always remember:
Safety Third
That said, Whatever you are comfortable with. I have great eyesight-to about 18 inches. My bifocals are adjusted accordingly, to rad I take my glasses off. Working up close I take my glasses off and wear safety glasses. Wear respirator or dust mask for long sessions or if the situation warrants, such as working dry. I never, ever wear gloves around any kind of rotating equipment. Never, ever wear rings. Someday I'll die, but it most likely won't be from grinding rocks. One of those things where everyone will have a different perspective. Not saying that you don't have some valid concerns, but messing with rocks is probably one of the least dangerous things I've done. Pay attention, be aware, use whatever PPE makes you feel comfortable.
Russ
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Post by fernwood on Jan 4, 2019 4:13:06 GMT -5
I wear a face mask when grinding with Dremel. Sometimes surgical style gloves. Safety glasses. Only do the grinding on/off for about 15 minutes at a time. Knowing the material you are working with and toxicity is the key. Agree, take whatever precautions you feel are needed.
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julieooly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2018
Posts: 714
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Post by julieooly on Jan 4, 2019 8:58:47 GMT -5
Thanks everyone!
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 4, 2019 9:25:30 GMT -5
There have been a few threads here that discussed the toxicity of some material. Maybe you can find them using the search function. I have a full on respirator for certain materials. Otherwise, I use nothing but my optivisors and glasses. I never use gloves, they can be a danger in and of themselves. A few to be cautious with: tiffany stone, malachite (and many other stones with high copper content) and bumblee bee jasper (arsenic). There's lots of others, that's off the top of my head.
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Post by stephan on Jan 4, 2019 9:43:33 GMT -5
OK, this is one of the few situations in which I'll tout my credit. I'm a safety engineer, so twisted a subject with which I'm relatively familiar. I have some Industrial Hygiene training, but I am not yet certified.
Keeping your stones wet is generally sufficient for the airborne silica or other dust. Most of the hazards from "toxic" metals are way overblown, imo. There are some exceptions. Bumblebee Jasper may have significant arsenic, depending upon whom you ask, malachite may or may not be dangerous....
As for N-95 masks, most people wear them incorrectly, so they are not getting the 95% protection. If you do feel that a mask is for you, the final polish stage would be the most important, because that is when you are generating the finest particles, and most likely to run dry. I do dry polish jade and obsidian. I don't wear a mask. I work mainly with agate, Jasper and jade.
I wear gloves when working with things I can't glue to a nail, but they are not waterproof. They are tight-fitting rubber-palmed/fingered work gloves, with an ANSI cut resistance rating of 2. They help prevent "diamond bites" from my Genie, but the reason I wear them is to improve my grip on the stones.
Hearing protection is generally not necessary. The OSHA standard call for protection at an 8 hour exposure to 90dBA or above. I'll sometimes wear foam plugs for nuisance noise if I'm grinding a larger number of hard preforms (agate, Jasper) on the 80 grit wheel. Otherwise, I'll wear one earned (volume-limited) to listen to music, or "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me."
An apron keeps my clothes from getting wet. You mentioned getting sprayed by oil. Are you opening a slab saw while it's running? Better idea to turn it off first.
Eye protection, yes.
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julieooly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2018
Posts: 714
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Post by julieooly on Jan 4, 2019 16:06:21 GMT -5
Stephan, thanks for the advice! With your background I think it may be one of the most relevant answers. As for the oil spray - typically no, I do not open the saw while running it and the saw table does have a spray guard BUT there is always this fine mist of oil that is going everywhere, SUPER fine. It's obvious that must be inhaling it, it's all over my arms and apron when I'm finished. Wearing the (pink) respirator isn't great but I figure it's better than a surgical mask plus I spend far less time cutting than grinding and polishing. As for the respirator vs the mask then, even if I'm not one of the 5% who does it correctly the 95% is good enough. I've already spent the money on it so I figure why not use it? Now that I know the polish stage is possibly the most dangerous, I'll start wearing it while I polish. An easy thing to remember as I cut and diamond paste polish on the same machine. Hearing protection, my headphones only cut out a percentage of the noise and I've also grown accustomed to wearing it. I can still hear the machines, my cell phone and etc. I work in the basement and also sometimes hear noisy things above me and etc. Gloves, well I almost ditched them as my hands were getting wet anyway. I think for now they're mostly for keeping the sometimes rough dop sticks from irritating the pads of my fingers, and to save my nails from the accidental unintended manicure. I did switch up to the purple kind by Kimberly Clark. They fit great and help me hold the stones. As for the stones themselves, right now I'm working with everything I can get my hands on to see what I like best. Some pieces come to me unidentified and so there's that too. I guess it's best for me to be over prepared, my daughters are both geologists and have worked on geo-chemistry projects in their masters' programs. They cautioned me about the mineral content of rocks when I started this "hobby". What a great bunch of people you guys are I'm so fortunate to have this forum as a resource. I think I've made my decisions for now.
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Post by stephan on Jan 4, 2019 18:49:49 GMT -5
Stephan, thanks for the advice! With your background I think it may be one of the most relevant answers. As for the oil spray - typically no, I do not open the saw while running it and the saw table does have a spray guard BUT there is always this fine mist of oil that is going everywhere, SUPER fine. It's obvious that must be inhaling it, it's all over my arms and apron when I'm finished. Wearing the (pink) respirator isn't great but I figure it's better than a surgical mask plus I spend far less time cutting than grinding and polishing. As for the respirator vs the mask then, even if I'm not one of the 5% who does it correctly the 95% is good enough. I've already spent the money on it so I figure why not use it? Now that I know the polish stage is possibly the most dangerous, I'll start wearing it while I polish. An easy thing to remember as I cut and diamond paste polish on the same machine. Hearing protection, my headphones only cut out a percentage of the noise and I've also grown accustomed to wearing it. I can still hear the machines, my cell phone and etc. I work in the basement and also sometimes hear noisy things above me and etc. Gloves, well I almost ditched them as my hands were getting wet anyway. I think for now they're mostly for keeping the sometimes rough dop sticks from irritating the pads of my fingers, and to save my nails from the accidental unintended manicure. I did switch up to the purple kind by Kimberly Clark. They fit great and help me hold the stones. As for the stones themselves, right now I'm working with everything I can get my hands on to see what I like best. Some pieces come to me unidentified and so there's that too. I guess it's best for me to be over prepared, my daughters are both geologists and have worked on geo-chemistry projects in their masters' programs. They cautioned me about the mineral content of rocks when I started this "hobby". What a great bunch of people you guys are I'm so fortunate to have this forum as a resource. I think I've made my decisions for now. More later, but a brief reply, regarding the oil. If you are standing close, then, yes, you are probably inhaling some of the oil. How much that affects you depends on what you're cutting, and just how fine the mist is (finer would go deeper, typically).Now for the respirator ratings, you will get 95% protection only if worn correctly (I can post a brief tutorial later to help people come closer to wearing them correctly). Now for the ratings: "N" stand for Not oil resistant (so little to no help for oil spray); "R" stands for oil resistant; "P" stands for oil proof. These are usually the cartridge type respirators, and you'd be looking at a P-100 cartridge. These masks are more expensive, and come with their own sets of challenges, but work very well, when worn correctly (but they get hot).Let me know if you want more info.
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