Epoxy allergies - options?

If the smell make you feel not good leave it alone !! leave it alone totally and completely !!
In all the time i worked with glass in many companies and differant countries i have only ever found one women that was allergic to polyester or i should say the catalyst . she worked one day and when she arrived the next morning the soft skin on the underside of her arms was all in a red rash ,the moment she walked past the gun while it was being topped up with catalyst she wanted to vomit , so end of story .

 

very cryptic !

Whats the point you are trying to make ?

 

I can agree with that, no problems.

You should stay well away from epoxy, totally.

 

Most refined epoxies are essentially odorless. Maybe a slight ammonia smell when you first open a container, but it's molecule pressure is such that it's gone in seconds.

 

No point...just a random observation. Sort of a passive aggressive hi-jack.

 

As dermatologist I can give you a bad news.
Once became allergic on epoxy you remain allergic for ever.
As concern allergy all epoxy resin are the same think!!
Protect yourself 100%. do not touch epoxy, do not breath epoxy!
Every contact with epoxy increase your allergy.....
Sorry for this bad news..

 

Yes, even this 'safe' epoxy comes with dire warnings

http://www.safeepoxy.com/

"Safe Epoxy does not contain harsh organic compounds or heavy metals. Safe Epoxy is NOW "GREENSEAL" CERTIFIED"


"What protection is needed when using epoxy?

Disposable gloves should always be used and eye protection is important if any splashing were to occur. If you have NO ROOM VENTILATION a respiratory mask (like 3M Easy-Air) should be used. Clean any uncured epoxy off of the skin with a waterless hand cleaner immediately. The epoxy may cause irritation of the skin, especially fair skin. Avoid all direct skin contact with resin, hardeners and mixed epoxy by wearing disposable gloves and other protective clothing. NEVER use solvents to remove epoxy from the skin. Always wash thoroughly with soap and water immediately after contact. Protect your eyes by wearing protective eyewear. If contact should occur, flush eyes immediately with running water for 15 minutes. If discomfort continues, seek medical attention. Avoid breathing vapors. Use epoxy only in areas with good ventilation. In small areas, be especially careful to have a supply of fresh air and to exhaust any fumes. When ventilation is not possible, wear a respirator with an organic vapor cartridge especially when sanding uncured epoxy. Avoid ingestion. Wash thoroughly after each use and especially before eating and smoking. Clean up spills with a squeegee and paper towels. Scrape up as much material as possible with the squeegee before using the paper towels. Sand, clay or other absorbent materials may be used to contain or soak up large spills. Clean residue with white vinegar or Isopropyl Alcohol. Dispose of resin, hardener and empty containers safely. Do not dispose of resin or hardener in a liquid state. Before disposing of resin and hardener containers, puncture the corners of can and drain residue into clean containers for re-use. Small quantities of resin and hardener can be mixed and cured completely to a non-hazardous solid. Place pots of curing resin and hardeners outside on the ground to avoid the danger of excessive heat and vapors. Dispose of after the reaction is complete and mass has cooled. Then follow your local, state and federal regulations for proper disposal."

 

Thanks for the info. Are you able to tell the difference between contact exposure to the skin and breathing epoxy from the symptoms? Does breathing epoxy show up as a rash too or are there other symptoms?

 

BPL, over the years i have seen some very serious allergic re-actions and the biggest concern i have seen in the past is multiple pot marks or abrasions on the arms that after many years ( laminators ) never seem to see vanish , but on the other hand that was many years ago or the transition ( learning stages ) from Poly / Vinyl , to Epoxy .

 

So then, for us non-professionals (but more than occasional users - serious amateurs, you might say) reading this entire thread I come to the following conclusions:

1. Keep uncured epoxy off your body. Easy to do, all kinds of disposable gloves are available as well as Tyvek sleeves, booties or whole suits.

2. Don't breathe sanding dust. No problem either. All kinds of decent masks are available. Weather it's cured for a couple of weeks or not, how hard or expensive is it to put on a decent sanding mask? I wear masks when I sand bare wood as the dust makes my nose run.

That seems to be it, right? Am I missing something?

One last thing.....Over the years one of the biggest issues I've had with epoxy is keeping the containers that it is sold in free of resin/hardener. I'd like to see the manufacturers of this product put a little thought into the containers that they use, especially for quantities of 5 gallons or less. I've probably used gallons of acetone over the years wiping off drips and cleaning bottles after I mix up a batch of resin. A more drip resistant bottle would go a long way towards making epoxy easier to use and neater, for the amateur at least.
MIA

 

Be careful with solvents.

Use organic filter face masks when around high concentrations of paint, epoxy...

the rule is ..if you can smell it ,its bad for you.

Keep you shop work surfaces clean..dust free. Invest in a good vacume cleaner.

Tyvek suites are both good and bad. They make you sweat. This moisture is a vector for toxins into your body. Use A good fitting set of work overalls...cleaned often...for everyday work.

use full Tyvek suites only when in battle.

 

...and if you can't smell it, it's already killed you!

 

Again, epoxy doesn't have much of an odor. It does initially when you open a wide mouth container, usually an ammonia like smell, but this dissipates very quickly (seconds). Enclosed spaces can be troublesome, but good ventilation will solve most issues, in this regard.

Yes, there's a huge difference between freshly cured and well cured epoxy dust. If the epoxy is fully cured (weeks old), then it's just a hard, abrasive particulate, which affects you, much like drywall dust, when sanding it. The hunks of miniscule particulates, collect in mucus membranes and cause pulmonary issues.

On the other hand, sanding freshly cured, yet still chemically active epoxy is about the same as eating raw resin. Once the particulates embed in the mucus membranes, it transfers the chemicals directly into the blood stream. So, you need chemical filtration as well as dust protection.

Dispensing can be problematic for the hobbyist. The best thing they can do is use the pump systems available from the formulators. If using enough goo to challenge the Mickey Mouse pump systems, develop a dispensing setup. I have a tap and line on each container of goo. I dispense from the valve at the end of the line and never have to open the container, unless changing bottles. The line is just a simple vinyl hose and the valve is just a simple "V" shaped lever that crushes the line. The containers are mounted inclined on an overhead shelf.

 

These are the standard recomendations from Health and saftey for working with epoxy.

The sympom that affects several of my Glass mates is called Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Its nasty and will end your work career. Your hands will become useless

http://www.cpwr.com/pdfs/epoxy_final hires_043008.pdf

 

Interesting stuff about gloves. I just recently changed to Nitrile

"Never use latex gloves when working with epoxies. Latex absorbs chemicals
used in epoxies, and may even dissolve in contact with these chemicals.
Latex is highly permeable and degrades easily. What’s more, latex is
known to cause allergic reactions in some people."