Hi guys,can anyone tell me if milk has any thing to do with welders health.Where I work,the welders feel they should be given milk to drink regularly because they might be expose to the poisonous gases which are emitted from the welds.We do mostly SMAW and GTAW on carbon and stainless steel.Do they have a case for demanding milk? Thank you for your response and HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you all.
Milk is sometimes good. Don't breath welding fumes.
The only thing I have heard about milk is for prevention of "Metal fume fever", which you can only get from zinc fumes as far as I know. So it wouldn't hurt to drink milk if welding galvanized or zinc primed parts, but a much better solution is to clean the zinc off first and wear an adequate respirator. It's kind of like taking an asprin after smashing your pinkie. Wouldn't you rather not smash your pinkie in the first place?
Merry Christmas to you too.
Waps,
Milk is said to be good for those who breathe fumes generated while welding or flame cutting galvanized steel.
Not sure why they want you to supply the milk.
Are they union guys? >snort<
MSDS for Galvanized, mild steel, and stainless.
(nuthin about milk) http://www.wmlinc.com/MSDSGalvanizedCarbonSteel.htm
http://www.esabna.com/msds/09.pdf
http://www.techalloy.com/SS%20Weld%20Elec%20MSDS/MSDS%20TR%20308L-16,-17.pdf
Its amazing what people will demand <g>
Not really to do with welding but I recall my father saying that when he was in the airforce in WW2 that the people who worked with "dope" (probably lacquer) repairing fabric wings on old aircraft used to coat their stomachs by drinking lots of milk. Apparently helped them tolerate the fumes better.
By -
Date 12-21-2003 05:01
Back in the days before OSHA and resperators, the old hands would keep a mouth full of milk when welding or cutting galvanized. About every minute or so, you'd spit the milk out and take a fresh mouthfull.
While I can't offer any scientific evidence, I remember the milk would always look like bad snot when you spit it out, and taste bad too.
Most of the guys who swore by that method are now long buried, so I'm not sure the milk helped a lot.
My personal feeling is I could make a much better case for proper breathing appiratus, and an hourly break for ice cream, prefferably peppermint with hot fudge. It might not help my health, but if I gotta work galvanized, I deserve ice cream.
Hi Waps75,
I've never heard of milk - but I have heard of guys laying down for 15 min, with their feet and butt slightly elevated - in hopes to allow the argon (which is heavier than air) to escape from their lungs. Some say its effective, and some dont.
If the case, perhaps the milk will help them want to lay down, as my mom always gave me a glass of warm milk to help me sleep!! lol!!
Good luck, and Merry Christmas!
Vicki
I have heard this for working with cadmium, it should also apply to zinc which is much less toxic than cadmium. Either element is able to substitute for calcium in chemical reactions. Thus by saturating oneself with calcium (from the milk) one makes it less likely that the cadmium will be incorporated into ones body. A similar strategy was used downwind from Chernoble where people were administered non-radioactive iodine to pervent uptake of the radioactive iodine which was coming from the failed reactor.
Bill
I say do everything you reasonably can to inform yourself of the hazards. Then do everything practical to prevent injesting/inhaling/absorbing the toxics. We know things unknown to previous generations. Unfortunately, there's a bit too much info to analyze in one lifetime . Another thing to consider when one talks about welding fumes... How many of the welders out there smoke? Kind of strange that OSHA must enforce strict rules on people regarding "possible" dangereous fumes, while they make a habit of intentionally breathing known toxic fumes. I think one needs to keep abreast of the potential hazards involved, then make a decision as to protection. As to the milk. I cannot imagine how this would slow absorbtion of inhaled furmes. No doubt some would enter the body through the mucus membranes of the mouth and throat. These might be slowed down with this method, but seems like the greatest threat would be entry into the bloodstream via the lungs. One should also consider all the possible fumes a weld can create, espescially on old metals. Plastic coatings can produce all kinds of bizarre toxics when exposed to welding arc/heat. Well enough pleasantries--MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.
Bzzzz
With a bit of Christmas respite from work the very first post I saw began to remind me of the old tin-foil debate you might recall from last year, but several interesting points were raised, including your observation about cigarette smoke.
Permit me to extend and underline an important detail to remember about arc energy and toxins for others unfamiliar with the hazard; not only does the heat cause chemical changes which can lead to generating toxic fumes and residues, but the UV light is known to react with common chemicals to create toxins, some of which can be rated as extremely toxic.
Finally, my vote for fume cure is based on DuPont nitrocellulose laquer (and their thinner) exposure more than Zn fumes, but ice cream seemed to be the most beneficial (serving much better than whole milk), raising the question about the active ingredient and cause of the relief being the calcium or the fat (or the waitress serving it)
Anyway, happy new year to all and merry Christmas to those who believe in it, elfsewise a generic Happy Holiday to all others...
Regards
d
I am considering more and more to go eat one of the Dovebars my wife just bought. (Just in case I need to weld anything)
Ithink the idea is to keep absorbed material from participating in the body chemistry until it can be excreted. Still good ventilation and proper protective devices to prevent the material from being absorbed is a much better solution.
Bill
I'll buy that. And the Dove bars are delicious too.
I know we have been down this road several times on this forum. I will suggest using as a minumum, the 3M disposable respirators for galvanized materials. That yellow-green smoke is not good to inhale as you may get sick with nausea or worst. I have heard milk seems to help your stomache, I never tried it but some of my welders swear by it. I still ask them to use the disposable respirators and that seemed to help out alot. Keep your head out of the plume!
John Wright
I was just wandering, Did they specify whole milk, chocolate milk, 2% cream, low fat or butter milk?
Maybe the just need some milk to mix with some liqueur. It is that time of the year after all.
Got milk? I had never heard of this before.
OSHA or NIOSH have no documents I am aware of regarding milk and welding fumes. There are however other items that are suggested for protection fromfumes. Ventilation systems, respirators, work positioning are all measures that can be taken to reduce exposure to welding fumes.
There are industrial hygenists available that may be able to help you. A visit to the NIOSH website may also offer you some information.
Have a nice day
Gerald Austin
Way back in 1973, I was given the task of cutting out an old penetration, 4" pipe that was welded into a 3' dia. tank and then galvonized by the manufacturer, and weld in a new 6" pipe. This was located about 1 foot below the ceiling in the corner of the room. Being very young, and naieve, I tore into the job, no respirator, fan etc. That night, I was running a temp of 102, vomitting, and diahrea like I had never experienced in my 19 years. I called in sick the next day still sicker than all get out. When I returned to work the 3rd day, the boss told me how sorry he was that he had not told me to drink milk before I started the job. He had milk there for me to drink before I went back to finish the job. I welded, cut, ground etc. all day. I drank a pint of milk every 2 hours and had no ill effects. I still make sure I drink milk before welding galvonized or stainless. But now I make sure to keep the fumes out and now, they do have respirtators availalble.
Never Drank milk, Always wore a respirator. Never Been Sick from galvanized.
Even if I could prevent the illness with milk. My nose, sinuses etc would be too irritated if I welded galvanized an entire shift without respiratory protection.
GA
Galvanized steel is evil. I remember stitch-welding galvanized stair pieces to steel channel. If you got it to hot *KA-THOOOM!* The death rain would poor down your back...
I've never had problems with the fumes though, just keep your face out of the white smoke and you shouldn't have problems! If all else fails, grind or wire wheel the coating off.
IMO, I'd recommend a respirator or at the least, a dust mask for anything other than regular, uncoated/painted steel. You don't want to breath in stainless dust. Once it's in your lungs, it'll take awhile to get out, if ever! I've heard everything from milk to standing on your head...If in doubt, wear a resperator!
AIMO: I weld plain old steel without a respirator, and it always comes out black through the nose. Healthy, no? But then, I'm not really worried about the stomach when it comes to fumes, it's more the lungs that concern me! When I breathe in whatever, it's not going to the stomach!
I could see it on Mythbusters, anyway. "Does milk prevent toxins?" Next, on Discovery! ;)
Over the years I've heard a lot of guys say "just drink some milk". Drinking milk is not a substitute for taking precautions and being careful. The milk theory is that when a welder is exposed to zinc fumes produced by welding galvanized steel, the calcium in the milk supposedly helps prevent the body's absorption of the zinc. This does work to some degree, but it's obviously not a cure for severe exposure to zinc fumes.
buy a respirator, so you look goofy who cares.. when I was at a job I always wore a dust mask for grinding at first people made fun but I started a trend alot of people started wearing them afterwards and then I was laughing at them
to the best of my knowledge, milk has only been proved to be refreshing after welding.
I think welders making an issue of the company supplying milk would do well to just take a look around. Since in my opnion they are perhaps most likely to be the type to milk a job in the first place, it may already be available to them.
Your killin me !
Wear a respirator and take it off during the cheese and WHINE break.
