Galvanized Steel

[Trip59]

MILK, NOW!

I'm guessing you don't smoke? I hate it, but one benefit to smoking is that your cigs start tasting sweet when you're exposed, but before it's enough to really make you feel sick or impact you dramatically. First sweet smoke and I'm off chugging milk. USN shops used to send us on regular smoke breaks, first guy that got a sweet one and we'd all get sent to the galley for a chugging competition.

[youngnstudly]

It's commonly called the "zinc flu" (or "welders flu"). Bad stuff (like stomach flu times 100!)! Whenever you weld anything that's galvanized, you want to grind back at least an inch from your weld area on both sides of the material, if possible. It's still not going to keep all the fumes from gathering, but it helps quite a bit. When you notice a large cloud forming, take a break or turn on a fan. That cloud is the sign of trouble!

As Trip mentioned, milk helps, but more so if you drink it before welding. A respirator and good ventilation is your best bet for not getting sick. At work I would use an upstream exhaust hood just above the welding table, 2 big fans running nonstop behind me, and my respirator at all times (even when doing general grinding in between welding). There were many times I would weld 7-1/2 hours a day for 3 or 4 days straight, and I ALWAYS got sick regardless of the vudu dance I did beforehand. We would make miles of welding duct, roof curbs, and other misc sheet metal items that were all galvanized.

That zinc flu is supposed to not effect you long term from what "they" say, but being a stage 3 cancer patient for the last 8 years and having 59 polyps removed from the floor of my stomach last year leads me to believe that everything effects your health! Stay safe and take extra precautions! Better to be safe than sorry!

Now get better!