Risk of cancer etc from gas and diesel fumes (small tanker delivery)

and to think i wanna haul fuel here soon mmmmm.....something to think about. im sure the respirator will greatly improve the job quality if it was me i would buy the BEST ONE OUT THERE.

 

Burnt fuels are much more dangerous than raw fumes. OSHA doesn't even recognize gas fumes as a imminent hazard. Like others said, wear personal protection. Being hazmat your employer is required to give you a MSDS stating hazard and personal protection required. I'm sure you can find one online.

You can go to NAPA and get you a respirator and cartridges that painters use. Or better yet see if your boss will supply one.


http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_243100.html

 

I disagree about OSHA. They do recognize gasoline as a health hazard and they also breakdown the chemicals. My company checks ever so often for Bezene in the cabs of the truck. They keep a record of what they find and they tell the drivers to stay away from the vapors as much as they can. Diesel is not as bad but if you are exposed to the vapors and can not get away from them then it would be smart to wear a respirator. But wear a proper respirator for the job. You would be wasting your time just wearing any old mask you find.

 

Your exposure was much different than what this guys get now. Not only did you have a lot of bezene you also were exposed to lead. I handled the same stuff and was around when they all went to bottom loading. Not much concern back in those days but all the guys I know from my father and myself have lived a normal life. It's hard to prove a work exposure with all the background crap going around at the same time.

 

Move up wind of the fumes. It's only a step or two away.

 

Additives are a different story. The NAPA respirators are acceptable which they sell different cartridges. Auto painters are dealing with solvents all the time which is the same category cartridge.

 

You basically just need any kind of respirator that has an OV (organic vapors such as benzene) filter....be it a dust mask type with a filter built in, or a half face type with the cartridges. Cost wise, you would be better going with a half face style with the OV cartridges...having to replace the dust mask style could be more expensive than just buying new cartridges.

 

Benzene is not an additive, it comes from the crude. OSHA has not required PEL in the gasoline general industry. That pertains to gasoline stations and some other areas. Bulk plants do have a PEL for benzine especially if you have no vapor recovery. The listed source of benzene is GASOLINE.
http://www.ehso.com/safetylinks.php?URL=http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/benzene/index.html

 

I like vapors.

 

If I were you, I would be a whole lot more concerned about the potential ignition of the vapors that are being released as you load the tank. Depending on weather and humidity you can get a static discharge as you load the tank that can and will ignite the vapors. All it takes is the correct combination of these factors and it can end badly. I have loaded many a tank without vapor recovery, but I always tried to be aware of all conditions that may effect the vapor as I loaded/unloaded.