Safety discussions

CO is a killer , but CO2 is as well by caspa Ventilation is key. Im kinda fortunate that Ill be testing my working forge and area with a Gas analysizer for combustion products (Gas Safe Engineer). But I see quite a few photos of new guys burners in garages with the door closed. Stay Safe guys. Sorry if it sounds condescending as a new member, not meant that way. CO2 250-350ppm Normal background concentration in outdoor ambient air 350-1,000ppm Concentrations typical of occupied indoor spaces with good air exchange 1,000-2,000ppm Complaints of drowsiness and poor air. 2,000-5,000 ppm Headaches, sleepiness and stagnant, stale, stuffy air. Poor…

Received this in the email from a fellow smith. Thought I would pass it along. Short article about the this guys experience concerning brake cleaner and tig welding. Definitely read, takes 10 min and could possibly save your or someone else's life. Brake Cleaner = Phosgene Article August 2009 issue of American Iron Magazine Photo used with permission of Steve Garn (author). I spoke with Steve and weeks later he is still recovering. He has some damage to internal organs and breathing problems that will remain. We wish him well and thank him for allowing IForgeIron to use this article to inform others of the dangers that exist.

Informtion about phosgene. Phosgene is ranked a 5 out of 7 in toxicity by the #Scorecard making it in the top ten percent of toxic substances. No antidote exists for phosgene. According to the National Institute for Occupations Safety and Health (NIOSH), a toxic level that can place a person’s life and well-being in jeopardy can be as low as 2 parts per million (ppm). Phosgene gas is a byproduct of some refrigerants when they are exposed to an open flame, or extreme heat. Being extremely toxic in small amounts, phosgene formation was a real concern when traditional refrigerants (R11, R- 12, R- 113, R- 114 and others) decomposed. The chemical in the brak…

I am not sure if this has been posted but this guy not far from me was mixing up LPG cylinders full of oxyacetylene and selling them, he was trying to use one to heat some exhaust tube when it exploded, he was renting my friends mother in laws house, the description I got of the situation was hideous. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12119555

Get a DB meter, $20, or get the app for your i-phopne. Once you have a DB meter and a distance you can then tell which noises are loud and protect yourself. Sounds dB SPL Rocket Launching 180 Jet Engine 140 Thunderclap, Air Raid Siren 1 Meter 130 Jet takeoff (200 ft) 120 Rock Concert, Discotheque 110 Firecrackers, Subway Train 100 Heavy Truck (15 Meter), City Traffic 90 Alarm Clock (1 Meter), Hair Dryer 80 Noisy Restaurant, Business Office 70 Air Conditioning Unit, Conversational Speech 60 Light Traffic (50 Meter), Average Home 50, Rain 50 Living Room, Quiet Office 40 Library, Soft Whisper (5 Meter) 30 Broadcasting Studio, Rustling Leaves 20 Hearing Thre…

i found on google searching "sugar hexavalent chromium" an article:https://www.technologyreview.com/s/407647/neutralizing-toxic-chromium-with-sugar/ citing a paper called "Sweet solution for chromium pollution" published in sciencenow daily news, 29 march 2007 Reference by reedman

My cousin Judy just sent this to me and it's well worth taking a gander or two. Even if you've taken as many CPR courses as I have new things are coming along all the time. Frosty The Lucky. This is an interactive demonstration with a sudden heart attack at a mall. http://www.heartrescuenow.com/

I was doing a test forging of some bronze today (went better than expected) and I was working with a temporary open forge with a propane burner mounted and aimed at a thick steel plate, because I wanted to make sure I didn't hit the bronze at too low a temperature. So, I was working the bronze while it was still in the flame. I had been drinking plenty of water, but there was no air movement in my shop (garage with the door open) and it's a muggy, hot day. I didn't turn on a fan because I didn't want to disturb the flame, and also because I haven't cleaned my shop in a while and didn't want metal dust blown on me. Anyways, my sweat was not evaporating. I was hot, …

Safety information - American Welding Society 1 Fumes and Gases Oct 05 2 Radiation Oct 03 3 Noise Oct 03 4 Chromium and Nickel in Welding Fume Oct 03 5 Electrical Hazards Aug 06 6 Fire and Explosion Prevention Aug 06 7 Burn Protection Sep 95 8 Mechanical Hazards Sep 95 9 Tripping and Falling Sep 95 10 Falling Objects Sep 95 11 Confined Spaces Sep 95 12 Contact Lens Wear Sep 95 13 Ergonomics in the Welding Environment Sep 95 14 Graphic Symbols for Precautionary Labels Sep 95 15 Style Guidelines for Safety and Health Documents Sep 95 16 Pacemakers and Welding Mar 97 17 Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF) Jan 96 18 Lockout/Tago…

I'm looking for a first aid kit to put in my blacksmith shop. Outside of the normal stuff for cuts and scrapes, I need something for burns and a good eye wash. Anybody got any ideas?

I thought it'd be a great idea to fill up a cup of gasoline to use as fuel to keep my forge going. I would scoop bits out at a time and throw them on the fire with my hand. I eventually got too cocky and decided to pour straight from the cup, but it leaked, and whenever I set the cup down (about 10 ft away), the drip trail caught on fire, completely exploding in the cup. Since I don't have a good fire extinguisher handy, I spent about an hour trying to put the fire out by hand (stomping on it, placing sheet metal over it, etc.) I set myself on fire like 4 times lol. Don't use gasoline.

*New Comer Needing Assistance Inbound*** Shopping around for a single burner forge. Asked the vendor the following question and this is the response that I received. Not sure if he is wrong or right, but it surely contradicts all my other research. Question Asked- "Would you suggest refractory cement and or rigidizer on the exposed insulation fabric ?" Reply Given- "Well, from someone with over 30 years in the industry working with refractories, you can use rigidizer if you like but it is not necessary. You should never use refractory cement on ceramic blanket, regardless of how many folks on the internet suggest it, they are just plai…

No need for description but what I saw, and how he done it.. https://www.facebook.com/reel/8625600077489903?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Is the reality simply that there will always be some degree of smoke/dust from the active forge indoors? Every shop I have ever been in has the smell of burnt coal and misc residue near the forge. Never thought much about it before until one of my kids pointed out that my clothes have that smell afterwards and that it can't be healthy... Does anyone have a setup where there is good air quality in your shop? If so, how do you go about achieving this?

Where do the fibers from the ceramic blanket insulation's fall as far as how hazardous they are? Are they more like fiberglass or asbestos? Just trying to figure out what type of respirator I should get. Thanks, LouieIV

I just got the 3rd tick of the season. For us this is an early start. How Lyme Disease Cases Have Spread In The U.S. The number of confirmed and probable Lyme disease cases in the U.S. more than doubled from 2001 to 2015. In 2015, 95 percent of confirmed cases were reported in the 14 states labeled below. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the actual prevalence of Lyme disease infections is 10 times higher than the number of reported cases. 2001 2015 Reference Lyme Disease

Is it safe to refill "disposable" 1lb propane cylinders? I see a number of adapters being sold for that purpose (which doesn't mean it's safe, just that it has't been enough of a problem to result in laws or lawsuits). Seems to require turning the source cylinder upside down briefly, which I understand one generally should not do because it prevents the pressure-release valve from working, but presumably refilling a 1lb tank does not require leaving it for hours in the hot sun. I would like to refill them mainly because there seems to be no way to dispose of them properly short of driving to a hazardous waste facility, a 40-60 minute round trip for me! (I suspe…

Be careful with the heat. Next 10 days here are 87*F (30.5*C) or above. And summer just started. There are several threads on the site as how to deal with the heat. And do not forget the animals as they need relief from the heat also.

I was contacted today by someone connected to direct medical treatment that says peroxide has recently been deemed more damaging that good and provided a link for documentation. My most recent 1st aid training has to be at least 30 years old so I hereby retract my advice. NO PEROXIDE. I wish to publicly thank the person who corrected my outdated advice. I'd infinitely rather be right than think I am, especially where safety is concerned. Frosty The Lucky.

There are many mentions on the site about the dangers of wire wheels. Here there are wire wheels on the bench grinder, the drill, and the 4-1/2 inch hand held angle grinder. Today the scoop shovel was getting a brushing so it could be oiled and ready for winter. It was cool enough outside for the old shop coat. One side of the shovel was completed and 1/2 way through wire brushing the other side, when there was a thump and the grinder stopped. It ATE about a foot of the end of the coat sleeve and wound it up and around the wire wheel. Wound it tight enough that you had to take the coat off, then remove the handle on the grinder to even start to rescue the jacket…

Does anyone get headaches after forging? I have a few specific health issues and I know that it causes this for me, sometimes. I have migraines and the top vertebrae (the Atlas) is always a bit dislocated so sometimes when I'm vigorously forging and my head is bobbing I will get a migraine. Does anyone else have similar problems?

In another post, Glenn made the following comment: Yes and no. If your anvil is horn-to-tong/heel-to-hammer, then anything in the hardy hole can indeed create a pinch point. If it’s heel-to-tong/horn-to-hammer, on the other hand, then it’s less likely to be a problem. This is how dedicated nailmaker’s anvils are set up, as with this Swedish example from the 1930s:

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place for this post, but just felt that I would like to make this comment in the interests of personal safety and general health. Admin please delete if this infringes the guidelines. I may be preaching to the converted here, but I think people who work in an environment such as ours, especially in hot weather need to be acutely aware of the need for good hydration. If you are working over a hot forge in hot weather and you have not had a drink all day, you are not doing your body any favours. I have been away from this forum for quite some time due to poor health, and it's not until recently that it was brought home to me…

Just sharing a recent experience as a bit of a PSA. I have a smallish shop and being a safety conscious fellow, have had a carbon monoxide detector from the get go. When I run the gas forge, I make sure I get some airflow. This weekend I was running a torch with a #6 rosebud pretty continuously and just happened to look at my CO detector and notice I was approaching 100 PPM. It never occurred to me that torch would be enough to start raising the levels in my shop. I quickly corrected that situation, but I thought this might be a good time to remind folks that if you don’t have a CO detector, it’s well worth the investment. Even if you are cautious, sometimes you’ll still …

I have had had bad heath for many years, it has gotten worse since I finished school, I got a hair test done the other day and my arsenic leaves were super high and off the chart, Mercury was also high, I always wear a double filter 3M mask and I don’t work with tantalised wood and I haven’t had my coal forge going for years, I do not understand where it is coming from? Would arc welding rods cause it?