I am in the process of designing (and building) an actual heated paint booth for motorcycles and other small parts to go along with my large booth that will be constructed next year. I have been studying OSHA standards on booths, as well as read quite a bit here, and there is one thing that is overlooked.
We all know ISO's are dangerous. I haven't even looked at a paint can without my fresh air respirator and full-face mask. I have a complete plastic, non-breathable suit, gloves, the whole system. I am not worried about my own safety; I have that covered.
A few days ago I walked out of my booth after an application of clear and seen this huge cloud drifting out from my exhaust fans. While I live in the country, a small subdivision recently popped up next door after a farmer sold out. This got me thinking.
What type of risk do we pose to our neighborhood painting without the proper equipment? This never seems to be discussed. Like a lot of you, I have been using furnace filters. They seem to catch all of the overspray (I have tested this), but we all know they do nothing for the ISO's. Am I risking the lives of everyone around me by painting without catching the ISO's? If you want to get technical (and I am all for that), at what level of dilution does ISO damage become negligible (such as parts per million)? While ISO damage to the body is slow, it does build-up and everyone has a different tolerance.
While my new, small booth will use real booth filters, I am asking this question for two reasons: I am still painting large objects/cars in my garage for about another year until my big booth is finished, and it is something that should be addressed by all of us in this hobby. It is much easier for us to self-regulate than be shut down by the government the first time some neighbor gets sick.
The link below from PPG talks a bit about ISO dangers and their prevention. While they mention air-dilution as an option, they do not give any specific numbers.
http://www.ppg.com/coatings/refinish/en/safetyhealth/Documents/PDF_FAQs.pdf
We all know ISO's are dangerous. I haven't even looked at a paint can without my fresh air respirator and full-face mask. I have a complete plastic, non-breathable suit, gloves, the whole system. I am not worried about my own safety; I have that covered.
A few days ago I walked out of my booth after an application of clear and seen this huge cloud drifting out from my exhaust fans. While I live in the country, a small subdivision recently popped up next door after a farmer sold out. This got me thinking.
What type of risk do we pose to our neighborhood painting without the proper equipment? This never seems to be discussed. Like a lot of you, I have been using furnace filters. They seem to catch all of the overspray (I have tested this), but we all know they do nothing for the ISO's. Am I risking the lives of everyone around me by painting without catching the ISO's? If you want to get technical (and I am all for that), at what level of dilution does ISO damage become negligible (such as parts per million)? While ISO damage to the body is slow, it does build-up and everyone has a different tolerance.
While my new, small booth will use real booth filters, I am asking this question for two reasons: I am still painting large objects/cars in my garage for about another year until my big booth is finished, and it is something that should be addressed by all of us in this hobby. It is much easier for us to self-regulate than be shut down by the government the first time some neighbor gets sick.
The link below from PPG talks a bit about ISO dangers and their prevention. While they mention air-dilution as an option, they do not give any specific numbers.
http://www.ppg.com/coatings/refinish/en/safetyhealth/Documents/PDF_FAQs.pdf