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| Proper ventilation with solvent-based products - Gary Guenter Back | A recent self-help PBS TV show* about keeping your brain healthy highlighted the plight of a man who got a job as a furniture finisher. After a while, his wife started noticing a change in his personality but didn’t immediately correlate it with the job change. Five years later, the guy, and their marriage, were in bad shape. Long story short, he got a brain scan, and they found his brain fried. The obvious connection is with the chemical fumes associated with wood finishes.
We all KNOW this to be true, but, speaking for myself, I have certainly been known to be impatient and “cheat” occasionally and work with inadequate ventilation. This is a Safety Violation! Read the can! In most cases (some water-based products aside), it basically tells you to use good ventilation or it will fry your brain. I’m willing to bet that a lot of you cheat too. Note to self: don’t.
The other product for which this is very true is cyanoacrylate (CA) “super” glue. That stuff is deadly, but I, for one, have a habit of going ahead and using it, but trying to hold my breath! Duh. Not very smart.
It’s a well-known fact that our senses are tuned to identify differences or changes. If you smell anything for more than a short time, you will no longer smell it. That doesn’t mean it’s not still there! [Tell it to the people in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan – they only smell something weird when they leave (the fresh air!). Been there; done that.]
The bottom line is simple – we only get one brain, and it doesn’t heal very well, if at all, from injuries. You have to protect it every day by simple expedients such as ensuring proper ventilation when using solvents. There are also masks and respirators available that are rated to protect you. You can do the research.
Protect your brain from chemical vapors. You only get one.
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* “Change your brain, change your life” by Daniel G. Amen
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