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Continued exposure to grease, lubricants and disc brake cleaner has caused one of my colleagues to develop contact dermatitis, so I think it’s definitely cause for concern being around chemicals all day.
Thankfully our workshop is well ventilated (stands are right next to the back door) and we now all wear gloves when working on bikes. If it’s worrying you then it’s definitely worth chatting to your employer/shop manager about - employers should be up for making some changes to keep you safe.
Having a supply of gloves (the Muc-Off ones are good) and a hot water tap to properly clean hands before eating is ideal!
rawspuds
Health concern ramble
Hello fellow mechanics. Maybe the wrong place to post this (let me know if a thread of this nature already exists), but after spending more time in the workshop recently I've been noticing mild changes in my respiratory health. Most notably a blocked nose (probable sinus infection) that won't budge a couple of times in the last month, but also dry skin in the nose (often feels like I'm alternating between the two extremes).
I work with a lot of old, dirty, dusty bikes. For freeing parts we use aerosol lubricants, strong degreasers and solvents to clean components, and plenty of different greases. All these products come with their own health warnings, often regarding respiratory and irritation risks, which makes a fairly clear case for them being the source of my woes.
The only thing stopping me from accepting that I should take more precaution* when working with bikes, is that I've not witnessed the same happen to any home or pro mechanic I've worked with. Gloves are rarely worn, masks even less so, and the majority of workshops I've seen are pokey and lack proper ventilation. Everyone seems relatively happy walking around in a GT85 fog, licking their grubby fingers after a mid-cassette-change monster munch.
Is everyone fine? Has anyone here experienced similar effects? Does anyone have any anecdotal warnings or insight that might confirm my suspicions? Thanks in advance!
*I will take more precaution, not every body reacts to external factors in the same way.