I breathed in some metal dust today...how bad it that

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SkagSig40

SkagSig40

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Feb 1, 2001
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I was at work and the boss told me to grind down over 100 man hole covers and repaint them. It took me 12 hours to get 29 done. All I had was a cheep dust mask and I was covered head to foot in metal dust and old paint dust. I blew my nose and it was pure brown/rust color. My lungs feel really shitty too. I must have breathed in a bunch of that shit!
Will my lungs get rid of that crap by them selves or my body absorb it and get rid of it? Can this give me problems down the road like lung or other type of cancer?

Thanks for any input!
 
If its anything like the dust you breathe in while baling hay, it shouldn't be too big of a deal, and it'll sort itself out in time. However, I don't know if it is anything like hay dust or not. I'm not a doctor, so you'll probably want a second opinion on this one.;)

Edit: FOLLOW ESAV'S ADVICE!!
 
Esav Benyamin said:
This can give you problems. I strongly suggest you go for medical attention ASAP. If there are medical consquences, follow that with a visit to a lawyer.
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Oh crap! What kind of problems might I be facing? I'm 30 by the way and have always been extreemly healthy.
 
I am not a doctor.

Metal dust can be destructive in different ways. At the least, it can leave you with life-long breathing problems. See a doctor immediately and find out how much you may have breathed and what they can do about it.

Don't worry before you find out exactly what your situation is, but do not delay finding out.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I am not a doctor.

Metal dust can be destructive in different ways. At the least, it can leave you with life-long breathing problems. See a doctor immediately and find out how much you may have breathed and what they can do about it.

Don't worry before you find out exactly what your situation is, but do not delay finding out.
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I'm not going to finish the job till I talk to the boss. He left befor I coulf talk to him. This grinding is not a normal job duty for me so I'm not exposed to this much at all.
 
A little late to point fingers, but what were you doing without the proper safety equipment? Prolonged/repeated exposure is usually what ends up doing the most damage, but that's not to say that acute exposure can't maim someone. Go to a doctor and never do something like that again.
 
I for one would want to know what kind of paint it was, if it was OLD, might have some lead content in it, that is something you DO NOT want in your lungs. Get some samples of that and have it tested also.
James
 
You probably also have lead poisoning from the paint. If the manhole covers had metal other than iron in them then you probably have other poisons too. Iron itself is a toxin in large enough quantities. All in all you could be looking at kidney failure, liver failure, loss of lung function, decreased mental function, etc. Remember to tell the boss you want an exam under workmen's compensation. Then go to the doctor. If it is a legitimate employer he will just give you the form and a number. Probably won't be happy about it though. If he doesn't have any insurance see the doctor anyway. You have a time limit. I believe it varies in different states. Get off the computer and go to the doctor for the evaluation now.
 
Improper work clothes, improper safety and a lack of proper breathing apparatus by the employer, and injured lungs. Sounds like the right ingredients for a lawsuit.

I would get prepared to sue.
 
Go to hospital for expert advice and medical treatment! This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!

I hope you to heal soon.
 
The paint would be my first concern, you may want to request a sample of it to be tested.

Check with a doc for some testing.

I wouldn't worry a lot unless I knew more. It really depends on the particle size and I don't know what size grinding that metal would create, it needs to be rather small for you to be able to inhale it and for it to make it deep into your lungs.

I would also make sure that they have real protection equipment the next time they try this.
 
prestige said:
Go to hospital for expert advice and medical treatment! This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!

I hope you to heal soon.
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i dont think this would necessarily be considered spam, just a misplaced post which can be moved, it happens occasionally, i dont think its a malicious post meant to incite anger or sell anything.
ivan
 
prestige said:
This is General Knife Discussion forum and such threads are considered as spam!
Click to expand...

Not nice, not necessary. Let the moderators decide what's spam.

While it's not directly knife related, it is a problem knifemakers encounter and many have been injured by it before they learned about proper respiration equipment.
 
firstly get to a doctor or hospital then you could pursue any kind of legal action, also you could notify OSHA which will in turn make your boss and the owners completely miserable... as it sounds like they should be dealt with this way. I worked in the printing business years ago, exposure to all kinds of toxic chemicals and high speed equipment, none of which i was ever properly trained on. Long story short a disgruntled employee made one phone call and they had us shut down for 2 whole days and made the owner and my boss miserable, ended up getting 10k dollars in fines.
If they run a business they should know better. They are responsible for proper training and adequate safety equipment.
good luck hope you check out okay
ivan
 
if nothing else it may be a problem later in life if you ever need an MRI they ask if you have had much exposure to magnetic metal particles as the MRI machine (being a super powerful magnet)can drag such things out of your body .please see a doctor and ask advice soon.
 
Yeah, before going to a doctor, before even checking medical info online, I always ask my knife collector buddies online first. Best idea ever.
 
A few thoughts. First, sounds like if there was stuff you blew out of your nose, and lungs feel like crap, good idea to see a doc (understatement). Heavy metals poisoning is nothing to fool with. There are a number of particulate filtering respirators that work LOTS better than a simple mask. Let us know how you make out. If anybody has ANY questions about respiratory protection, don't hesitate to ask. I'm sure at least a few here can offer advice.
 
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