screen printing > Equipment

Air Purifier vs small shop air

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OhNoPrinting:
hey,

was reading about the Environmental Impact of Screenprinting Methods (specifically Plastisol and Discharge / http://fairware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Environmental-Review-of-Screenprinting-Methods-1.pdf) and because i work in a pretty small, not at all ventilated space, was wondering if anybody is using Air Purifier or industrial Hepa filter systems?

The question arises also, because I see so many Youtube videos of reclaiming, without any breathing mask - isn´t that really asking for it?

So one task for me is to use a fullface mask for reclaiming (your local firefighters might sort them out and sell them dirt cheap), working on the dryer to vent outside with a pipe, and well, thinking about an Air Purifier to counter the flash dryer smoke.

What are the "small-shop"-homies doing about their health?

Dottonedan:
I believe for the most part, the reclaim chemicals are much better than they were 20 years ago.  There is much more awareness these days. I’m not saying all of them are ok or harmless.  Some chemicals and companies are better than others. We used a lot of EasyWay products.

I wore a mask 20% of the time and preferred doing so more out of habit. During Covid it became a hassle to have various people doing reclaim due to adding a more mask and filters and keeping up with cleaning out those mask at every use. While I did not wear anything sometimes, it never bothered me at all. And I supposedly have COPD, allergies to almost everything and asthma.

On the flip side of that, I had one female employee that felt her hair was falling out due to reclaim chemicals.  Was it real or imagined?  I don’t know. We just took her out of that position and maybe that’s all she really wanted.

Rockers:

--- Quote from: OhNoPrinting on September 24, 2023, 10:26:19 AM ---hey,

was reading about the Environmental Impact of Screenprinting Methods (specifically Plastisol and Discharge / http://fairware.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Environmental-Review-of-Screenprinting-Methods-1.pdf) and because i work in a pretty small, not at all ventilated space, was wondering if anybody is using Air Purifier or industrial Hepa filter systems?

The question arises also, because I see so many Youtube videos of reclaiming, without any breathing mask - isn´t that really asking for it?

So one task for me is to use a fullface mask for reclaiming (your local firefighters might sort them out and sell them dirt cheap), working on the dryer to vent outside with a pipe, and well, thinking about an Air Purifier to counter the flash dryer smoke.

What are the "small-shop"-homies doing about their health?

--- End quote ---
Never reclaim without a good mask, never. And same goes for spot remover fluid, make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area. That stuff is toxic. Read the MSDS and follow instructions. Screen reclaimer can cause chemical burns on your hands, imagine what it might do to your lungs over a longer period of time. Or your eyes.

Dottonedan:
Wow!  That’s sounds horrible.  Never experienced that myself.  What brand chems are you using?

Sbrem:
Jeez, I'm a health time bomb. I reclaimed tens of thousands of screens maskless, as well as cleaning them with lacquer thinner, prior to '92. I am relatively pretty healthy for my age, so good fortune/genes there. That was when I worked for someone else. In our shop, good respirators are a must in the screen room.

Steve

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