[MARTINSR]

Eric, I just wanted to thank you for your candid posts on your zinc fumes exposer. Link to Eric's story

For many years I have had what I thought was a pretty diligent self protection plan at work. But I never gave the welding fumes the respect I have since you told your story.

I wear my welding respirator EVERY TIME now, where I use to skip "aw, it is only a little weld".

This past week, I did a rear floor, frame rails, and rear panel on a 2003 Mazda MPV. There were about 150 plug welds (boy that spot weld driller pays for it's self) and I KNOW that before reading your story I would have fudged on at least some of them.

Being that these welds were INSIDE the back of this van, the fumes stay hanging there and if not protected I would have been breathing some pretty dense stuff, FULL of zinc vapors !!!

When I think of the welding I use to do without it, I am damn lucky I am still alive.

I always have the fan blowing away the fumes. I even wear my mask when spot welding with the STRSW and have the fan blowing right on the welding area.

Really Eric, thank you. I know you didn't plan on "sacrificing" for us, but believe me, at least from my perspective it has not gone to waste.

That would be a damn shame. Because you spoke up, others will not have to suffer.