Author Topic: DTF Cancer risk?  (Read 2965 times)

Offline Atownsend

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DTF Cancer risk?
« on: April 08, 2024, 09:20:26 AM »
Came across this over the weekend in my YT feed. Correlation doesn't imply causation they say... but damn. Cant help but feel bad for this guy regardless. Make sure to have ventilation and PPE if you're going to mess with this stuff. Should be common sense. If you're not going to use PPE, just outsource the transfers. Not worth the risk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBi9uAT8EHo


Offline GoWestRob

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2024, 12:00:54 PM »
interesting, thanks for sharing.

Offline GraphicDisorder

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2024, 12:07:20 PM »
Yikes.
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Offline 3Deep

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2024, 12:19:22 PM »
Just about everything in our shops can cause cancer, sprays, glues, inks, fumes etc....we have mask and respirators we wear or should wear, I open our doors in the back to air the place out when we are printing, I'm thinking that helps a bunch.
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Offline Nation03

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2024, 06:14:10 AM »
That's enough for me to stay away from it going forward. I wear a respirator and gloves when I powder the films but I still feel vulnerable whenever I have to run a DTF job. I'll be 35 next month and I've felt like crap since I was 25. Been in this business since I was 17. Heavily considering learning a new skill and making a career change lol.

Offline Homer

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2024, 06:43:25 AM »
That's enough for me to stay away from it going forward. I wear a respirator and gloves when I powder the films but I still feel vulnerable whenever I have to run a DTF job. I'll be 35 next month and I've felt like crap since I was 25. Been in this business since I was 17. Heavily considering learning a new skill and making a career change lol.

If you think DTF is bad, go clean the air filter on your press and dryer, imagine what our lungs look like! Plus all the other chemicals and inks, I don't care what anyone says, discharge is bad news too
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Offline Nation03

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2024, 08:11:29 AM »
That's enough for me to stay away from it going forward. I wear a respirator and gloves when I powder the films but I still feel vulnerable whenever I have to run a DTF job. I'll be 35 next month and I've felt like crap since I was 25. Been in this business since I was 17. Heavily considering learning a new skill and making a career change lol.

If you think DTF is bad, go clean the air filter on your press and dryer, imagine what our lungs look like! Plus all the other chemicals and inks, I don't care what anyone says, discharge is bad news too

Oh I don't doubt it one bit. Plus the first like 5 years or so I entered the business I wasn't provided a respirator for reclaiming screens. Luckily the company I worked for didn't use a ton of screens, but still. I reclaimed for a number of years without protection at a young age so I'm probably already filled with toxic waste lol. I'm like Brooks in Shawshank in the sense that screen printing is all I know. I literally have no other real work experience or higher education. Plus with a mortgage and a kid now I feel like there isn't a realistic exit from this business.

Offline Atownsend

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Re: DTF Cancer risk?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2024, 08:54:37 AM »
The reclaim chems have come such a long way. Really thankful for all of the progress in that department. When I first started I remember using gallons of that caustic haze remover that would split a 110 if you left it on there too long.

Just wish we could get away from spray tack, screen opener, and spot fluid. We avoid as much as possible but we cant ever eliminate them it seems.

I put a pair of powermatic filters under each press last year, seeing what gets sucked up into those was a real eye opener for us all.