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I just found an article about higher lead concentrations in the bones and blood of locksmiths, largely associated with breathing in small amounts from brass keycutting over a long period of time:


It's not so bad for hardware shops that cut a few a day amongst other jobs, but this would probably be compounded within vans with poor air venting for you automotive locksmiths, and for those of you who pop off the clear shielding on your keycutter after it gets scratched up. Anyone here invested in an air purifier for their own mobile setup? At the minimum it's worth heeding the note about pregnant women and young children receiving secondary exposure risks from the locksmiths come home and haven't changed and cleaned up - these things can be invisible and not feel like anything for you, but can affect a lifetime of the generation after you.

Funny, I was just wondering about that the other day... I've been making a lot of little things out of brass lately, mostly with hand files and a little electric grinder, as well as practicing key impressioning and some soldering here and there, and it occurred to me that I might be exposing myself to a good bit of lead in the process. I did some research into lead content in brass, but my metallurgy and chemistry knowledge is minimal enough that it was a bit tough to follow... about all I managed to figure out is that it used to be a lot worse before California set legal limits on the amount of lead that could be contained in brass (specifically key brass, I believe), but I couldn't really find if the amount that is currently in key brass and other types of brass is dangerous enough to be worried about. I'm also curious to hear what kinds of precautions working locksmiths take, if any, to manage that exposure.

I really don't think about that much - I ate paint chips as a kid

does anyone even remember when paint had lead in it.

Still plenty of old houses around with lead paint on them, and plenty of lead paint still being used on cheap chinese plastic toys and such... makes everything so nice and shiny, it's a shame it's so toxic.

thanks , I thought I was nut's thinking paint from the old days was way better

haven't seen you around for a while, how ya been ??

Yep, lead paint. Heck, probably had a lead pacifier.

Gordon

I hear that GW, but all it did was give a couple cavity's

THE WORLD HAS BECOME TO RESTRICTED - but that's just my 2 cents

From the article - "The brass that is widely used for key manufacturing usually contains 1.5% - 2.5 % of lead" - it also says they usually coat brass for any mass produced good to get that appearance with minimized exposure, but cutting and grinding are enough to coat workclothes and enter the lungs / bloodstream with the metal particulate.

Here's another video I learned from recently from Assa about safety - https://youtu.be/vlxOjVOs1AU - it's mostly about safety goggles, but it has another bit about how it's sound procedure to wipe down your brow and cheeks before you take them off, since it's so easy to wipe your face without thinking and then get the metal smudged into your eyes and go to the hospital (he shares from personal experience!)



yeah; some talk deflation can open doors and make things freer when trust is soundly established. chaotic til then, but when money talks, lead free pennies are nice -- Harriet Tubman 20's, pretty much miraculous if you can print 'em quick enough. a lot more security features in that there paper