breathing in dust, what do you do to protect you!

[stumpy66]

I have been grinding for a few years, and before christmas i was having trouble breathing and in pain, i had the chest/lung capacity of a 60 year old apparently.....being only 39..thats a bad thing...after antibiotics and lots of coughing, i now wear paper masks but want to upgrade to a more permanent filter system...any suggestions or recommendations on how i keep my airways clear? What do my fellow stumpers wear...if anything.....

 

[clearance]

Put down the glass pipe? Quit smoking? They make good particle masks that have dual filters but are easy to breathe through, maybe overkill, I don't think dirt, rock, wood dust is carcinogenic, just aggravating. Guys that work on fiberglass boats use them all the time, contact a safety supply company and they should be able to provide you with an appropriate level of filter system.

 

[a_lopa]

respirator

 

[clearance]

Yeah, yeah a respirator, sorry, I was wrong about the terminology, been wrong before.

 

[Oly's Stump]

I know what you mean Stumpy66...I have been grinding stumps full time for the past 19 years and I have the same problem. I don't wear anything except Rayco helmet with mesh face shield. I will be trying a resperator or something. Hate to wear something like that on those 90 degree days but probably should have been using something 19 years ago.

 

[stumpy66]

i have been told that wood dust can be irritating to the lungs....and that any grinding wheel certainly is, especially the silicon carbide wheels....

I don't think it is so bad with hydraulic machines but the physical effort required to use a pedestrian machines means a lot of heavy breathing in a mist of dust......wearing them in heat and the sun does not appeal to me..that why i wondered if anyone had a good product or system to recomment....

 

[bc_vickers]

My neighbor, a farmer, talks about a condition him and his father have called farmers lung. Apparently not carcinogenic but troublesome none the less. It's from breathing in the dust while doing field work in open cab tractors. They say it's not 100% curable but they've got some sort of treatment for it, like an inhaler that loosen's up the gunk so you can cough it out? Doesn't sound like a good time to me. Neither does a respirator in 90 plus heat and humidity but there's a trade off with everything right? Drink more water when it gets warm or not breathing well enough to chase your wife down the hall?

 

[tawilson]

I'm not a grinder, but I do have allergies. The best I've come up with so far is a respirator I got at Lowes that flips down off of your face when you don't need it. I wish they had it in a low profile model to fit under a face shield. Maybe they do and I haven't found it. I've done a little searching on the web, and there are powered filter/respirator setups, but it looks like you'd be getting into the $500 range. But if it keeps a man working and healthy, it could be worth it.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=186091-429-95090&lpage=none

 

[mtcates]

I've been grinding for about 5 years now and I do worry about breathing all the dirt and dust. One of the best things that I did was to buy a stump grinder with a cordless remote control. I can get 20 feet away and upwind on most every stump I grind. If there is no way for me to get away I just wear a dust mask.

 

[stumpy66]

hell yer that makes good sense.....the powered filter air respirators look good but are expensive.....if anyone wears a "normal" respirator.....can they recommend one?

 

[Oly's Stump]

I am now in the process of buying a new stump machine with the remote control just for these reasons. I have been a Rayco man since I started but they do not make a machine with remote. Looks like I will be buying a Carlton which is my second choice.

 

[tawilson]

It didn't look like it the way I organized my last post, but the link is to the $40 flip up respirator.

 

[stumpy66]

that looks useful, thanks..i will check it here in the UK..

 

[cordless saw]

3m in the U.K.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Q9KzYt3d9KP0I8yizeI9zUBKQCzDPUjUUV8QtFFLN3RRYxN0UUc4QLe-r4e-bmp-gH6BRk5bkBg4eioqAgAQd_8Rw!!/delta/base64xml/L2dJQSEvUUt3SS80SVVFLzZfMF9OMA!!Stumpy,
I have used 3M respirator products in the past and have contacted their Customer Service Reps to determine customer needs for filtration in the paint business when dealing with epoxies etc. They were very helpful whenever i spoke to them and very prompt in returning calls.

This link should hook you up in the U.K

Good luck from a Canuck in the 'Colonies'