Brake cleaner + welding = Big health problem

[Lightning]

Just a warning to all you that weld - Do not use the spray on brake cleaner to degrease a part you are going to weld, it contains tetrachloroethylene, when mixed with the heat,and gases used in welding[Argon] mig or tig it can cause either hydrogen chloride or phosgene gas or both. When inhaled these gases can cause sever nerve damage to all your internal organs and even failure of said organs and even result in death. Read all the labels on fluids and such before, welding in it's self is dangerous - no sense in adding a greater danger to it !! Take a little time and research these gases and read up on them. Here is the article http://www.brewracingframes.com/id75.htm

 

[BigIrish]

Wow, scary stuff!! Thanks for posting.

Fortunately, most guys on this forum don't clean any parts of thier cars, including the brakes

 

[dumprat]

Sport of like mixing bleach and amonia.

 

[rustybeercan]

A lot of what we do can be dangerous but usually scabs over and heals up, this mixture sounds especially nasty and indeed preventable. Thanks for the tip!

Beercan

 

[Shea Laking]

THANK YOU!!!

Great information you have shared. Much appreciated. I'm gonna go in and tell the yahoo's at work about this tomorrow.

Regards,
Shea

 

[Bonehead]

This info seems to be all over the web in past week. One of those things I never knew, but should have. Thanks for posting up.

 

[Lightning]

It's been on the internet for one reason - It is finally getting the attention it needs, but only because of a few reported accidents.A place I used to work at , dealt with alot of military contracts, which 90% of the welding was on aluminum. Just out side of the welding area was a huge tank that they used to clean all of the aluminum parts in with tetrachloroethylene - the vapors from this cleaning fluid left no risidue [yeah right] but it seeks out ground level and travels to a heat source - WELDING - where as when it makes contact with a ignition source it transforms into phosgene gas. Now the tetrachloroethylene has only a slight sweet smell to it and no noticeable vapor to the naked eye - but on contact with a ignition source it turns into phosegene gas which has a very distinct color [ mustard ] and stings like all hell. So be very careful and read the labels on all fluids - especially cleaning fluids!!

 

[Shea Laking]

I'm FOR SURE going to be reading the WHIMIS stuff...That article scared me.

Just another example of what you don't know CAN hurt you...And so many people justa assume without thinking of the consequences.

Thanks again.

Regards,
Shea

 

[yone187]

Wow thank you for the heads up!
I am just starting bits its good to find these things out first.
What cleaning product should you use?

 

[rainman]

Thanks for posting. Good info to have.

 

[Grumpyoldman]

VERY GOOD POST.......

I worked for ge like 7 or 8 years back....The welders that worked there kept getting sick...Headaches, skin rashes, plus other problems. They had been welding on parts that had been cleaned with brake cleaner....They company did an investigation on the problem and came up with what you where saying...So to make a long story short....What the company came up with was, Each part that had to be welded was to be steamed cleaned and blown dry with compressed air prior to welding. I was there about 2 & 1/2 years and had seen about 4 welders get sick from the fumes...One poor soul couldn't take the headaches any longer and took his own life, and he was in his late twenty's...Its stuff like this that impacts us all.

Thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention.

 

[Glocks&AKs]

Ya I've done this a few times, I'm not a real quick learner, and one chestful of these fumes will have you dropping whatever is in your hands and running for fresh air. Very bad indeed.