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Old 24th Dec 2004, 6:19 pm   #1
Neil F
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Default Rubber gloves and safety

There'a an article in the current BVWS Bulletin about a pre-war telly (sorry - can't remember what) with transformer-derived (and therefore potentially lethal) EHT. The author remarks that in the back of the set there's a warning label to the effect that you should wear rubber gloves when servicing it.

I was doing the washing-up earlier in the good old Marigolds and it set me wondering: would it be worthwhile wearing rubber gloves when servicing radios? I don't mean Marigolds, of course - far too clumsy. But what about the surgical latex gloves you can get hold of so easily these days? Vehicle mechanics seem to get on OK with these, which I understand they have to wear because of the dangers of skin disease from contact with contaminated oil. In a radio context, of course, for 'contaminated oil' you can read lead and tin from solder, PCBs, selenium and any of the other nasties there are lurking inside old sets. As well as that, they'd make you a bit more shock-proof, wouldn't they?

Well, any opinions on the viability and/or worth of latex gloves for radio repair? Does anyone actually do it? If not, why not?

Neil F.
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Old 24th Dec 2004, 6:35 pm   #2
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

After a similar message was posted and received a couple of replies yesterday, it was inadvertantly victim to some over-enthusiastic moderating!

After Neil contacted me I invited him to post it again. I promise we'll leave it alone this time (as long as it stays on-topic and relevant of course).

Paul.
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Old 24th Dec 2004, 6:48 pm   #3
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

I wouldn't worry. Elemental selenium is not particularly toxic, elemental lead is only a problem is it is carried to food and ingested. and PCBs are very unlikely to be found in domestic radios. Cadmium plating might be more of a concern; it was fairly common here in the US from 1930 into the 1950s and has often corroded to a powdery coating of cadmium oxide and sulfide (yellowish-gray). But again, the main problem with cadmium oxide is breathing the powder, not from skin contact.
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Old 24th Dec 2004, 6:52 pm   #4
wireless_paul
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

I do use the thin latex gloves for doing some jobs such as using paint or rust remover or using metal polish. My only comment would be that they do tear very easily. I often end up with no finger/thumb ends.
Paul E
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 2:53 am   #5
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by wireless_paul
I do use the thin latex gloves for doing some jobs such as using paint or rust remover or using metal polish. My only comment would be that they do tear very easily. I often end up with no finger/thumb ends.
Paul E
I have the same problem with their premature destruction; I hope that those used in the medical profession are somewhat better made! (Must ask my sister - she's a trainee radiographer and you do *not* want to know what she has to do!).

Mind you, Strypit does a very good job of destroying Marigolds after long periods of use (and by long I mean a few hours stripping cabinets) so on balance, I'd only say that they're of limited use in protecting you against contact with irritant chemicals. Which as Alan Douglas has rightly pointed out, are few and far between. I do recall one chap standing up on the stage at Harpenden many years ago warning people about his experience, which was being hospitalised by breathing in cadmium dust from sanding a Philips chassis back to bare metal (heavy metal poisoning). So in this instance a dust mask is of more use - and I don't recall anyone here *ever* advocating the use of a full-blown powered respirator when working on a DAC90 with its flaky asbestos-lined dropper shield!

In short, for general use I'd say not to bother with gloves - in this case safety devices are no substitute for good practice; e.g be wary of high voltages, work with an isolation transformer on DC/AC sets (or an RCD on AC sets if they've got big exposed mains terminals), wash hands after work and before eating. In other words, use COMMON SENSE FIRST - something that our ever-nannying government and civil service seem to think that people don't have, but sadly the pax are proving them right.

Oh, I wouldn't worry about the lead content in solder in sets, it's only going to harm you if you eat your radio!
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 10:30 am   #6
Mike Phelan
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by mjizycky
I have the same problem with their premature destruction; I hope that those used in the medical profession are somewhat better made! (Must ask my sister - she's a trainee radiographer and you do *not* want to know what she has to do!).
They are much more robust - I use them all the time, but not for working on radios. They are usually blue or purple in colour.
The cheap beige ones for a fiver a hundred do not like fingernails, petrol, cellulose thinners, LHM or cutting oil
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 12:09 pm   #7
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Phelan
They are much more robust - I use them all the time, but not for working on radios. They are usually blue or purple in colour.
The cheap beige ones for a fiver a hundred do not like fingernails, petrol, cellulose thinners, LHM or cutting oil
Hi Mike,
Is it possible for Mr.Average to obtain these Blue/Purple ones??
Thanks.
Paul
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 12:18 pm   #8
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Quote:
The cheap beige ones for a fiver a hundred do not like fingernails, petrol, cellulose thinners, LHM or cutting oil
I find these totally useless as they just tear when putting them on from my experience, I have two types of rubber gloves: the medical type ones which I use when using wire wool and polish, and some chemical resistant gloves when using chemicals like Nitromors stripper
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 2:33 pm   #9
Mike Phelan
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Quote:
Originally Posted by wireless_paul
Hi Mike,
Is it possible for Mr.Average to obtain these Blue/Purple ones??
Thanks.
Paul
Not as far as I know, Paul - I have 'someone on the inside' at a large hospital.
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Old 28th Dec 2004, 3:41 pm   #10
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Thumbs up Re: Rubber gloves and safety

Hi all.

I often wear regular latex gloves when working on radios simply to keep my hands clean, old waxy caps and years of soot and dust tends to stick under the finger nails and the other half always asks me to hang washing out whenever I escape to the garage!
I suppose these purple gloves can be obtained from a medical supplier; I shall ask a friend of mine who is a chiropodist.

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Old 3rd Jan 2005, 10:09 pm   #11
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Default Re: Rubber gloves and safety

The high voltage gloves are very thick rubber, and elbow length. The ones we have at work have to be sent off for testing every year, to ensure that they are still up to the job.

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