Well, let’s gab a bit about this cold rolled steel stuff, is it toxic or not? Folks are always worried about somethin’ these days, ain’t they?
Now, lemme tell ya, when you get that steel, straight from the mill, it ain’t gonna hurt ya. It ain’t toxic, not in its solid form. You can touch it, you can look at it, it just sits there like a lump. Kinda like a rock in the field, ya know? It don’t do nothin’.
- Just sittin’ there, it’s harmless.
- No poison or nothin’ like that.
- Solid as a rock, that’s what it is.
But, and there’s always a but, ain’t there? If you start messin’ with it, cuttin’ it, grindin’ it, weldin’ it, well, then things get a bit different. Then you gotta watch out.
Think about it like this, you take a perfectly good apple, it ain’t gonna hurt ya. But you start choppin’ it up, and then you let it sit around, it gets all brown and mushy. Not exactly the same, but you get the idea.
When you start cuttin’ or weldin’ that steel, little bits of it, like dust, can get in the air. And if you breathe that dust in, well, that ain’t good for your lungs. They say it can bother your eyes and skin too, ‘specially if you already got problems.
Them factory folks gotta wear masks and stuff when they’re workin’ with it, keepin’ that nasty dust outta their noses and mouths. It’s like when you’re cleanin’ the hen house – gotta cover your face or you’ll be coughin’ all day. It ain’t the same, mind ya, but same kinda idea.
And that weldin’ smoke, that’s another thing to watch out for. It’s got all sorts of stuff in it, not just steel. It can make you cough and wheeze, and who wants that? Nobody, that’s who.
Now, some folks might say, “Oh, I ain’t workin’ in no factory, I don’t gotta worry ’bout that.” And maybe they’re right. But you see, that steel is everywhere. It’s in your cars, your houses, even in some of your pots and pans. It’s all over the place, just like them weeds in my garden!
So, while the steel itself ain’t toxic, you gotta be careful when it’s bein’ worked on. The dust and fumes, that’s the real problem. You wouldn’t go breathin’ in sawdust, would ya? Same kinda thing. Gotta use your common sense.
They say exposure routes are mainly two: breathin’ it in, like dust and fumes, or gettin’ it on your skin. They make it sound fancy, but it’s just plain old breathin’ and touchin’. Nothin’ complicated about it.
Some smart folks did some tests, and they wrote it all down in somethin’ called an SDS. Sounds complicated, but it just says what’s in the stuff and what to do if you get it on ya or breathe it in. They say as long as it ain’t messed with, cold rolled steel is safe.
But if they’re cuttin’ it, grindin’ it, or weldin’ it, it gets a little hairy. You gotta protect yourself. You gotta be smart about it. Just like you wouldn’t go barefoot in a field full of thorns, you gotta be careful around that steel dust and fumes.
Now some folks say that cold rolled steel costs more money, makes it harder to work with than that hot rolled stuff, but I don’t know about all that. And sometimes you get marks or scratches on it, but that’s just what happens sometimes. Just like when my ol’ cat scratches the furniture, can’t be helped sometimes.
They add stuff to steel, to make it strong and stuff. But the main thing is, solid steel is okay, the dust and fumes are not. That’s the long and short of it. Don’t go breathin’ that stuff in, and you’ll be just fine. Simple as that.
So, there you have it. Cold rolled steel ain’t toxic, unless you start messin’ with it. Then you gotta watch out for that dust and fumes. Just use your head, and you’ll be alright. Now, where did I put my glasses…
