Epoxy = Molten Lava in the Eye

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by weavis

It involved a farm hand, a horse, an ill timed walk behind the horse, a swift kick, new horse shoes, transportation to the emergency unit of the now in severe pain man and a plastic bag containing one other part I dont like working with... For those who understand the British vernacular... the paramedic, in typical dry humour said as he handed over the bag and singular content... "'ere, I think he dropped a bollock".

Surgery team did a great reconnection..

[topmast]

Years ago had a job prepping a new steel fish hold with some nasty rubber cement compound. Boss guy came down with the spray foam nozzle and promptly mis aimed the application of rapidly expanding goop. Bounced back into his eye and continued to expand. He grabed a container of acetone and quickly neutralized the situation. No apparent harm.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by topmast

Years ago had a job prepping a new steel fish hold with some nasty rubber cement compound. Boss guy came down with the spray foam nozzle and promptly mis aimed the application of rapidly expanding goop. Bounced back into his eye and continued to expand. He grabed a container of acetone and quickly neutralized the situation. No apparent harm.

Using acetone in the eye without damage, sounds like a lucking guy.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by topmast

Years ago had a job prepping a new steel fish hold with some nasty rubber cement compound. Boss guy came down with the spray foam nozzle and promptly mis aimed the application of rapidly expanding goop. Bounced back into his eye and continued to expand. He grabed a container of acetone and quickly neutralized the situation. No apparent harm.

If it came down to a choice between actively expanding foam and acetone in my eye, I'd probably risk the acetone too. That foam stuff is nasty.

[a64pilot]

Worst I have ever done was as a contract welder I got steel grinding in my eye, not too bad to have them picked out, except they rust, and the rust has to come out too.
However one time was was badly flashed, woke up about 2 AM sure I was going blind, some of the worst pain I've been in. Eye pain, ear pain and dental pain, something about them that in the early morning hours, they get bad, real bad.

[maxingout]

I am an eye surgeon, and I have never seen epoxy in the eye. I have read about patients going blind from putting epoxy catalyst in the eye, but I have never seen it myself.

Superglue is an entirely different matter. Superglue is nasty but it will not blind you. I have had children glue their eye shut without any problems.

I even had one patient put superglue in her eye by mistake when she thought she was putting glaucoma eye drops in her eyes. She instantly had her eye glued shut, and when she came in and I removed the glue, it gave her a total corneal abrasion as the corneal epithelium sticks to the glue. Then the fun begins when you have to sweep the glue from under the eyelids with a q tip. Saying that it is uncomfortable is an understatement, but no permanent harm is done.

[hsi88]

Man, my eyes are watering big time after reading those posts. Eye protection from here on out, not matter what it is. Sporadically use eye protection now, but do wear glasses. Been just dumb lucky otherwise.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I am an eye surgeon, and I have never seen epoxy in the eye. I have read about patients going blind from putting epoxy catalyst in the eye, but I have never seen it myself.

Superglue is an entirely different matter. Superglue is nasty but it will not blind you. I have had children glue their eye shut without any problems.

I even had one patient put superglue in her eye by mistake when she thought she was putting glaucoma eye drops in her eyes. She instantly had her eye glued shut, and when she came in and I removed the glue, it gave her a total corneal abrasion as the corneal epithelium sticks to the glue. Then the fun begins when you have to sweep the glue from under the eyelids with a q tip. Saying that it is uncomfortable is an understatement, but no permanent harm is done.

Are you sure it wasn't polyester catalyst MEK peroxide you had read about? From what I have seem it can cause blindness many years later. I don't understand it but a friend copied a bulletin off a bulletin board at a naval shipyard knowing I was using it by the gal..

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by hsi88

Man, my eyes are watering big time after reading those posts. Eye protection from here on out, not matter what it is. Sporadically use eye protection now, but do wear glasses. Been just dumb lucky otherwise.

Up until the lava dripped into my eye, I'd just been using my reading glasses (full size) as eye protection. A large drop had fallen on then earlier that same day and the readers did protect my eye, so when it actually happened and got in my eye, it was my readers that I thought I was wearing. When I got down in the compartment all tangled up, I realized that I'd forgotten them just a minute or so before it happened. I was being careful, but a drop fell from an area that I'd already worked.

From now on it's the full protection, this stuff is nasty. I've gotten super glue in my eye once a few years ago, and even once accidentally glued my mouth shut with the stuff when blowing through an applicator, but epoxy is 10 times worse.

[jonnypaget]

Jesus.... that will make me think twice, thanks for post, glad you are ok.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I am an eye surgeon, .

Would you do mate's rates for a cataract op?

[Delancey]

Suggest everyone consider packing a couple of bottles of saline solution in their med kits to use as eyewash.

Originally Posted by Delancey

At the time of the epoxy incident I was halfway through a multihull boatbuilding project and was very concerned about becoming sensitized. I lay on the floor and instructed my friend to get the epoxy out at all costs and to not worry about hurting me. He donned fresh gloves and got with a paper towel and went to town on my eyeball. That and the saline.

In hindsight it is possible the paper towel did as much damage as the epoxy. My eye was painful, red, and irritated for a solid two weeks before it started to get better. Suffice to say not a lot of boatbuilding during that time. I would still suffer the paper towel scrub if it happened today. I don't think I was exposed for more than about three or four minutes.

Supposedly epoxy resin is fairly benign. My understanding is the hardener is the stuff to stay away from. In my case I had selected a three-to-one system for the project specifically because to limit this risk. The higher the ratio, the worse the risk.

To this day, knock on wood, I have yet to develop any sensitivity to epoxy which I still work with on odd occasion. I contribute this fact mainly to having always been super careful, as in barrier cream + gloves. I know someone who is sensitized, great way to end a career. He breaks out with a red rash all over if he even comes in contact with cured epoxy sanding dust.

As for the eye itself, works pretty good. I notice weaker night vision in that eye as the result of a welding burn but that's another story, with nothing to do with boats.

All this business about eye protection makes me think of a solider friend of mine who refers to eyeballs as P.O.R.T.S. MARK1, as in Paired Optical Ranging and Targeting System with an emphasis on the fact that there will be no design revisions or re-issuance of said equipment.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-127928-2.html

[thruska]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Suggest everyone consider packing a couple of bottles of saline solution in their med kits to use as eyewash.



http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-127928-2.html

Im not sure that the saline solution stos the curing process of the epoxy mix. Vinegar does stop the process and neutralizes the effects off the product.

On another noteworthy experince with working with epoxy . It does give off fumes, unhealhy fumes. My wife has asthma. She has cuired acute reaction to the fumes ., to the point of needing multiple consecutive nebulizer treatments with rescue meds. If you dont pay attention to this you WILL end up in the ER for oxygen and IV and very expensive nebulizer treatments. Pay serious heed to these is you have breating issues around this epoxy animal . Respirator even in ventilated areas.

[Cadence]

The only thing I can suggest is use real safety glasses with the side panels. Your head is not necessarily looking straight one.

[er9]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Holly crap! You didn't go to the emergency room?
That sends chills down my spine. I'm glad you're ok.

By the way, the correct term for removing epoxy is "Depoxy", as in "I had to depoxy my eyeball". I made that up, but everybody should use it.

iv'e heard that stuffs pretty dangerous to have onboard though. I heard a story from a neighbor about an older fellow two basins over from us. his slip was next to my boat two basins down two docks over from my dock. i heard he tripped carrying an open can of DePoxy. apparently it spilled on several boats and the bows came off and they sank. i'm glad my boat was several docks away three basins over from his slip. vinegar might be safer to have aboard. pffft...old people. they should really be more carefull.