regarding geting in to building boats

[glasser]

hello lime bit new the form deal but i did build boats for the most part of 30 years, mostly fiberglass hand layup style form flat bottom racers in the late 70s to working fishing boats in the 90s first need say i trained lots of others over the years and found is a trade you need to have a love for the work is not Allis nice or clean and the steps in larger boats takes long hours but for the ppl that have the love of it as i did its a grate way to make a living.
in the early days things were tough was not much rules regarding how to and not to do things was no schools you could go to for imfo for the most part shops were left up to working out the best ways doing layups
for my self i found the work easy and i in shot time was teaching others
but i learned some in portent things working with the reasons and other chemicals that protection is first and foremost in the early days the only signs on cans was that is wood burn so for Anny one now wanting to do this type of work please wear the safety gear don't put your health at risk

[Mr Efficiency]

So you are saying the chemicals involved should be treated with more respect as regards the potential for causing health problems. I wonder what studies have been done on the subject, certainly given the sheer volume of exposure over the last 50 years of so, should be plenty of (human) material to study.

[glasser]

in the big union shops the safety is not like working in smaller shops where making profits is much harder and workers safety is over looked lots of the time and work conditions is lower standers i have lots of medic problems now this is WY i tell ppl you need to use the safety gear you shooed be wearing if not for your own safety for that of your own family`s if you get sick and cant work your family is the one that suffers to is not just you

[Mr Efficiency]

What kind of health problems are you alluding to, Glasser ? I have heard of people getting lung troubles, which would be pretty common working with any kind of dust, presumably.

[PAR]

There have been lots of studies, lots of testing and most in the industry know damn well what they should and shouldn't do, but some just think they're invincible, particularly if they're young.

Hell, if you open up a jug or drum of something, one whiff usually tells you if it would be a good idea to not get it on you, breath it, eat it or other wise work with it without appropriate protection. If this is beyond the worker opening up the jug, then well, maybe this chromosome set needs to be weeded from the gene pool anyway . . .

[glasser]

i have the lung troubles too but have lots other things go bad on me like the nerves in both elbows forum washing my arms off every day and a bad back forum all the leaning foreword over molds i have 2 main big problems aside forum the lungs 1 Thoracic outlet syndrome is a rare condition that involves pain in the neck and shoulder, numbness and tingling of the fingers, and a weak grip. The thoracic outlet is the area between the rib cage and collar bone. Symptoms of..
2 Ulnar nerve entrapment this is the nerves in the elbows

[Mr Efficiency]

No good Glasser, looks like you have worked too hard, at least with some of those problems. Occupational hazards are rarely advertised by employers, e.g. I doubt too many bricklayers have been told it will likely stuff their back before signing the indentures.

[PAR]

Sorry to hear of your difficulties Glasser, but I also have to use two hands to lift a beer off the table, as I might drop it using just one. My grip is so weak I can't trust my right hand much any more, but this and the other aliments are part of getting old, working too hard and having torn the crap out of specific joints over the years. I dread having to swing a heavy hammer, as I know what my elbow is going to be saying for the following week. I've lost 60% of the mobility in my right shoulder and I can predict weather changes with my joints. Yep, this getting old crap sucks donkey wang, but it's better then being dead or gay.

[glasser]

was only in the big shops that managers and owners put in place some rules for working with the stuff but theirs a way bigger group of small shops that skate the rules because theirs so little profits and little to no regulations informant the hazards rules for there workers
and as we all no shops need make a profit this is WY so much the smaller shops tend to stay down on how much workers they have to stay off the unions radar in all my years of working in small shops i had never see ppl forum workers comp or forum Anny regulating authority

[glasser]

one more thing i no longer work at all beaus of all the damage i have and if shops and owners don't like me spilling the truth of how most small shops do operate in the wold so be it i no longer need to worry about loosing my job when i was still working this was a big problem if you spoke out you could loos a job and having family to support this puts you under presher to keep silent

[Mr Efficiency]

I have warned people about risky behaviour with chemicals, asbestos etc many times in different situations, never once was I thanked for it. The stock answer is "I've done it plenty of times, never had a problem". Bit like smoking, till they get the big C or emphysema or a jam tart attack, the message doesn't register. Look after your precious health. Hope you're doing OK Glasser, and thanks for your story, it might just make something think better about what they're doing.

[Submarine Tom]

Where did you work here on the west coast glasser?

-Tom

[glasser]

yes mostly the west cost of Canada
i started in 1974 and worked tell the doctors put me on disability in the mid late 90s

[Submarine Tom]

Yes, where?

-Tom

[glasser]

in the lower mainland Richmound Langley surrey over on the island prity much Anny place had boats we went to plus when was building the big fishing boats mostly deltagas if you no fishing boats the ones with the blue body lines some 16 in all i built full turnkey