Galvanized Steel

[SeanMurphy265]

Guys I helped a friend out today; he has a fence company. We were welding 6" & 4" galvanize schedule 40 pipe. I started feeling bad on the way home. I am sick as a dog! I have the chills and I'm not running a fever. When I get over this I am getting a respirator!

[Trip59]

MILK, NOW!

I'm guessing you don't smoke? I hate it, but one benefit to smoking is that your cigs start tasting sweet when you're exposed, but before it's enough to really make you feel sick or impact you dramatically. First sweet smoke and I'm off chugging milk. USN shops used to send us on regular smoke breaks, first guy that got a sweet one and we'd all get sent to the galley for a chugging competition.

[youngnstudly]

It's commonly called the "zinc flu" (or "welders flu"). Bad stuff (like stomach flu times 100!)! Whenever you weld anything that's galvanized, you want to grind back at least an inch from your weld area on both sides of the material, if possible. It's still not going to keep all the fumes from gathering, but it helps quite a bit. When you notice a large cloud forming, take a break or turn on a fan. That cloud is the sign of trouble!

As Trip mentioned, milk helps, but more so if you drink it before welding. A respirator and good ventilation is your best bet for not getting sick. At work I would use an upstream exhaust hood just above the welding table, 2 big fans running nonstop behind me, and my respirator at all times (even when doing general grinding in between welding). There were many times I would weld 7-1/2 hours a day for 3 or 4 days straight, and I ALWAYS got sick regardless of the vudu dance I did beforehand. We would make miles of welding duct, roof curbs, and other misc sheet metal items that were all galvanized.

That zinc flu is supposed to not effect you long term from what "they" say, but being a stage 3 cancer patient for the last 8 years and having 59 polyps removed from the floor of my stomach last year leads me to believe that everything effects your health! Stay safe and take extra precautions! Better to be safe than sorry!

Now get better!

[ShaneJackson]

I try to always wear a respirator. And no I don't smoke either. Lungs are hard to replace....

[Trip59]

I didn't mention, but I'm shopping for a respirator myself. Problem is, no run of the mill respirator will work. I refuse to shave and the multiple certs I had to go through in the Navy and afterwards when working for them have educated me on fit and function. My ONLY choice is a positive pressure system with multiple cartridges. $$$$$$$$$ (I think I have enough of them in there) it's on my list, just below the Uvex Bionic face shield, which was supposed to be this month, but I had to buy rings for my air compressor instead.

[youngnstudly]

Here is your very basic welding respirator. The reason I posted the standard canister one behind it is because I have actually fit that one under my welding helmet without problems (just FYI). Even with the charcoal canisters attached I don't think it's ideal for welding though. The flat faced one in the pic is the welding respirator that my company bought me (the cheapest one they could find after I complained about getting sick all the time). It works okay for what it is and it fits my face well, but as Trip mentioned, you have to have smooth skin for a good seal.

I have another welding respirator that is really good and expensive as it is not a "disposable" like the one pictured, but for some reason I can't find it at the moment. Any of the positive pressure or "fresh air systems" are ideal, but they can be VERY costly depending on what you want to buy. There are also welding helmets with a built in set of filters, but I have never tried that setup personally.

With any of my respirators, I like to have multiple filters and pre-filters on hand since I can remove the straps and filters from any mask and "pop" it into the dishwasher at night to sterilize it. They all work pretty well if you use ventilation and leave a door open in the distance (especially when tig welding with a breeze outside). Don't expect a lower grade mask to solve all of the problems though when welding. Continual airflow is the key.

[Rambozo]

Guys I helped a friend out today; he has a fence company. We were welding 6" & 4" galvanize schedule 40 pipe. I started feeling bad on the way home. I am sick as a dog! I have the chills and I'm not running a fever. When I get over this I am getting a respirator!

Thought you knew better than that.

[youngnstudly]

Thought you knew better than that.

He does now! It only takes getting sick once (or twice if you're extra stubborn!) to learn that lesson!

[Trip59]

He does now! It only takes getting sick once (or twice if you're extra stubborn!) to learn that lesson!

First time I noticed the cig bit, I literally threw away a carton and a half thinking something was wrong with them... I'm sure he knows, the fact he posted indicates that. What's that bit... old enough to know better, still to young to care

[SeanMurphy265]

Milk coats your stomach and keeps you from vomiting. The reason you vomit is your body is trying to get rid of all the toxins in your body. Your actually better off to vomit, because you would have to quit welding. I've not welded enough galvanized steel at one time to get sick until yesterday. I still feel bad, my lungs feel like I smoked a carton of cigarettes! Today I went and purchased a respirator! It's probably not good to weld anything without some type of protection.

I never vomited, but I had just about all the other symptoms. I went to bed last night wearing sweat pants and a sweat shirt.
http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.pdf

[Trip59]

Coats, but absorbs and helps flush it out. I don't remember all the data but I believe it has to do with calcium binding zinc, etc. till your system can process it out.

Yeah, if you're ill enough to vomit a lot of times it helps (like after a binge on Saturday night) but with the fumes, it's not directly from ingesting, so vomiting isn't going to clear the toxins from an inhaled/absorbed source.

[SeanMurphy265]

So went back and welded again today. It turns out just about every one has been sick during this project. They made fun of me for wearing a respirator, but I do not care! I welded all day and I am not sick! The particulate filter that goes on the outside of the main cartridge was stopped up by lunch. I thought it was worthy of a pic! My wife could not believe the crap you breath in.

[ShaneJackson]

let them laugh, there the dumb asses that must like being sick. I cant believe how dirty my respirator is already with the minimal use it has had. Just think, that #### could be in your lungs!

[youngnstudly]

I went through the same thing at trade school and work with idiots like that. I used to tell those guys about my grandfather smoking, drinking, and partying for 45 years of his life, only to die at 66 with 3 types of cancer including severe Emphysema!

I would then point out that they did all of that AND welded over toxic coatings on a regular basis too! They would respond by saying "That won't be me", and I'd respond with "Yeah, but good news...If it is, your children and grand kids won't smoke, drink, party, or weld without a respirator once they see how you turned out!" That would usually strike a nerve with them.

...Now quit showing your wife the dangers of welding! Women tend to worry enough about all the dangerous things men do as it is!

[Trip59]

...Now quit showing your wife the dangers of welding! Women tend to worry enough about all the dangerous things men do as it is!

Screw that, I'm gonna show her this tomorrow... make it easier for me to spend a couple hundred on a positive pressure system (she doesn't want me to shave anymore than I do).

[youngnstudly]

Screw that, I'm gonna show her this tomorrow... make it easier for me to spend a couple hundred on a positive pressure system (she doesn't want me to shave anymore than I do).

Once you show her, you can't un-show her! Don't come crying to me if she takes away your welder and tries to get you involved in something safer! In all seriousness, a couple hundred bucks to keep your health isn't even a debate in my mind! Go for it and don't think twice! Being deathly ill sucks BIG TIME, so avoid it at all costs!

[johnson697]

Where i work at we dont use galvanized but we use galvanealed and we have the miller fresh air hood ,very expensive but they work great and miller also makes a respirator that fits under welding hood .

[performance]

One thing about it....you shouldn't have to take any Zinc in your vitamins any day soon.