I used to think welding without a respirator was fine, a guy at the shop changed my mind

Last month I was helping some dude swap a cracked exhaust manifold on his F-150. He saw me welding without a mask and just asked if I liked coughing up black stuff in the morning. Kinda hit different because my buddy's dad actually died from lung issues after years of metal work. Now I wear a respirator every time, even for quick tack welds. Has anyone else ignored safety gear for too long before switching things up?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_mitchell2d ago

That whole 'coughing up black stuff in the morning' line really got me too. But what I'm wondering is how long did it take you to actually switch? Because I had a buddy who knew the risks, his lungs were already wrecked from years of grinding without a mask, and he still didn't change his habits until he literally couldn't breathe after a short shift. Was it a slow build up where you got tired of feeling gross, or did that one comment snap you into it right away?

blairm352d ago

Both my grandpa and my dad had that "I'm fine" attitude about safety gear, and now one can't hear worth a damn and the other's got a permanent cough from years of grinding dust. @emma_mitchell, for me it was pretty much right away after that comment, because I finally realized buying a cheap respirator costs way less than a doctor visit a decade later. It's wild how we'll spend hours on a project but won't take two minutes to put on a mask.