A Mistake, An Ambulance and a Lotta Luck

**Rick** · 09-01-2011, 04:15 PM

Every two years I seal my concrete driveway, patio and front porch. It generally takes two years to forget how bad the sealer smells. I power washed everything on Tuesday and today I rolled out the sealer. I worked my way from the street up to the garage and once the front was finished I sat the paint pan, roller and open can of sealer just inside the garage because the driveway was wet. I needed to move some items away from a side door in the garage that we never use. The front and back access of the house open to fresh sealer and the side door will become the main door for two days while the sealer cures. Since the smell of the sealer was pretty bad I closed the main garage door because I didn't want to pull the smell into the house via the blower on the heat pump, which is in the garage.

After 5 minutes of moving items I was concerned how bad the smell was in the garage. Two more minutes and the side door was open but I wasn't working too well. Then I spotted the paint pan, roller and open can of sealer that I had sat in the garage moments before. In just a simple stupid move I managed to close myself in the garage with some pretty bad fumes and in 7 minutes, give or take, I was nearly on the ground. Ten minutes later I was physically ill, had trouble walking, and was sweating profusely. I called 911 because I knew what I had done to myself.

The ambulance arrived and after 15 or 20 minutes of O2 I was much improved. The nausea was gone, blood pressure was back to normal, headache was nearly gone and I was answering their questions a little better. I'm not 100% yet but doing way better than I was three hours ago.

My point to this? It's simple.

1) It doesn't matter how much you invest in preps. A simple mistake can negate all your planning.
2) Luck trumps smart every time. Sometimes it trumps stupid, too.
3) Don't under estimate how easily simple household chores can get you into trouble. There was a point when I thought, "I should probably be wearing a respirator." In hind sight, yes, I should have.
4) Dont' be so damned macho that you don't ask for help. I waited to call 911. My reasoning for not calling was all good to me (even though I was reasoning about like a three year old at the moment).
5) Yes, it CAN happen to you so take the proper precautions and wear your safety gear.

My guess is the fumes had already affected me by the time I sat the stuff in the garage. That's probably why I closed myself in there in the first place.

**hossthehermit** · 09-01-2011, 04:47 PM

This brings up an interesting point, Rick, the whole respirator/ gas mask/ SCBA issue. I train and fit test people where I work in the care and use of both air purifying respirators and SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus), and it's amazing how many people have SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much wrong "information" about them. If anybody here has an interest or thinks it would be helpful, I can put together some stuff to put on here. Bottom line is, going to the surplus store and getting a WW2 "gas mask" ain't likely gonna do squat to save you in a real SHTF situation. BTW, glad you're OK.

**2dumb2kwit** · 09-01-2011, 04:49 PM

I'm glad to hear that you're almost back to abby-normal.

Please be careful. About a year and a half ago, a friend of mine (and his dog), died in his garage, because of the fumes that he didn't realize were getting bad.

**hunter63** · 09-01-2011, 04:52 PM

Wow, that was close.
Thankfully you had enough sense left to get some help.
Good reminder to all......

I did the same thing when using straight bleach to slow down the green mold on the still drying logs in the cabin.
I had been using a respirator, but was getting dirty, didn't have much to finish....so went with out one......Big mistake!

Had the where-with-all to go next door, Peggy (neighbor) is a EMT person, and she drove me to the clinic.
A 911 call would have meant she had to go to town first and get the squad, then come back and get me........so she didn't do that.

Everything was OK after a bit, but DR orders were to "Not do that any more and relax for one week

**hunter63** · 09-01-2011, 04:55 PM

BTW..... a lot of masks and such do not work so well if you have a full beard....Had to give safety training on some respirators and could really do a good job because of mine.

**flatlander88** · 09-01-2011, 04:55 PM

Glad to hear everything worked out for the better! Be careful.

Flatlander

**Rick** · 09-01-2011, 05:44 PM

Hoss, I think that would be a great idea if you would do it. I have a respirator but I truly don't know if the filters are rated for the stuff that I was using today. I might have had problems even if I had worn it. On the NBC thing, folks seem to forget that the military issues an entire suit along with the mask. Just having the mask, assuming it is good, doesn't do anything if you get some agents on your skin. So I think the right info would serve everyone. Thanks.

Hunter, when I worked outside I couldn't grow a beard. I was low man and we had an oil refinery that we worked in. If you went in you had to be able to wear a mask in case something went wrong and since I was low man I "volunteered. Everyone else grew beards so they didn't have to work there.

**hunter63** · 09-01-2011, 05:55 PM

Well as I was the trainer, I would start my spiel with "We, and when I say we, I mean y'all, need to be clean shaven to use these here masks"
"So it's a do as I say, not as I do....and the reason I have y'all working here is so I don't have to do this stuff.....Now here is how it works....."
I was great to be the Boss.....

But a lot of people don't realize that facial hair is a concern with any kind of masks, respirator's and such.

**BENESSE** · 09-01-2011, 06:21 PM

Glad you pulled through, Rick.
It would be ironic to go on account of some fumes in the garage and yet be prepared to survive a nuclear holocoust.

**hossthehermit** · 09-01-2011, 06:53 PM

Hunter63, great position to be in, eh? That's where I am, and wouldn't have it any other way. My wife is trained and fitted, but she doesn't work where I do. I borrowed the equipment and fitted her at home. I can get a good fit,myself, but can't seem to pass at work when there are any witnesses.
Rick, I'll pull some stuff together, and try to do something with my VERY limited computator skills. I know that some of the material I use at work is probably proprietary stuff, but I can get some links and some information up. If I have to I can put together a VERY basic power point presentation w/ the basics.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 09-01-2011, 07:16 PM

Glad your Ok chief! We would be in a world of hurt without our Minister of Science.

**hossthehermit** · 09-01-2011, 07:21 PM

An overview of respiratory protection

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratory...ion/index.html

**Rick** · 09-01-2011, 07:21 PM

I think I did one incantation too many. It hurt my brain.

Hoss, just something with the basics. See Jane. See Jane's mask. Jane does not have a beard. Jane's mask would not seal......kinda thing.

**Pal334** · 09-01-2011, 07:43 PM

Tsk, tsk. It is sometimes the most obvious that we overlook. Glad you recovered. Have you yet recieved the inevitable "safety brief " and all round a** chewing by the missus? Take it like a man (run and hide)

**Rick** · 09-01-2011, 07:49 PM

911 wanted her name and number. I asked them why since I was the one sick. They said they would call her. You're supposed to fix the problem not make it worse! I told her. So I called my wife after everything was over. Just my luck, no one called her. Now she wants to know why I called. To say I love you? That didn't cut it. She saw right through that. So I spilled my guts. "And what are you going to do now?" she asked. "Uh, nothing?" "That's the answer I wanted to hear". Sometimes even a blind hog finds an acorn.

**crashdive123** · 09-01-2011, 07:55 PM

Glad you're OK. Had any of us F.A.R.T.S. been around we would have given you mouth to mouth recreation.

**LowKey** · 09-01-2011, 07:56 PM

Glad you're still good to go Rick.

Gotta have the right cartridges.
At work we have to use Organic vapor cartridges with a dust prefilter when doing silk screening. In order to pass at work, I had to be fitted with a full face mask rather than just the halfmask. The fitting guy must have been short his quota of full masks that month.

There are a couple shooting ranges where if the oldsters put on their masks, it's good to follow suit, even if the lead filters are a blinding bright pink. Some of the old retired guys who are out at the ranges all day, indoor and outdoor, and reload all their own stuff, say they've had occasional elevated blood lead levels and ask their docs for a check with every physical.

**Rick** · 09-01-2011, 07:58 PM

I have to confess that I have not swapped spit with any F.A.R.T.S. I'm of the opinion that it is not something that is high on my "To Do" list. I'm not saying it wouldn't be fun, mind you or that any of you are not worthy of swapping spit with me it's just that if it comes down to that, please let me die. After I'm dead, if I change my mind, I'll let you know.