Health Issues and Vinyl?

[DAHVID]

Hi. I'm curious if there are concerns in regards to health related issues and printing on vinyl? Specifically:
Does the Vinyl Chloride in vinyl cause environmental issues that effect the health of those who come into it in contact daily?
How do you mitigate risks associated with vinyl (if there are any)
Does vinyl deteriorate and cause health risks if stored for longer than recommended?

Any thoughts or wisdom in this area are appreciated.

For reference, I use a Roland SG300 in a classroom setting in a high school and we print on a wide range of vinyl products.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[balstestrat]

I would be more concerned of the ink than vinyl.
Can't say that I would have ever heard warnings on working with vinyl...

Ask your students when they come in to the space if they can smell the ink?
I know some people get headache from it.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I have a customer who sent his vinyl to a lab to be tested and certified for safe use with children and they told him he couldn't use calendared vinyl as the phthalate content was too high. He only uses cast for that reason. But I agree with balstestrat. The inks in your SG printer are much more harmful than the vinyl.

 

[Gino]

I'm no lawyer, doctor, researcher, underwriter or anything else, but I'm sure you'll be able to find at least one or two people who have had issues when working around this stuff for a variety of reasons. In a classroom, are you printing with them in the classroom the full hour or 90 minutes ?? If they develop a rash or a headache, tell them to go down to the nurses office and stay put. If you're afraid for yourself, I'd say it's a little late to start thinking about it. Find another job.

I've been working around it since 1995. Sometimes 2 or 3 printers cooking away and sometimes, just one. Like mentioned, I'm more concerned about the inks, but with ample air flow and ventilation..... that can be overlooked. I'd check with your school legal department and have them figure it out, before some kid sues the school for what you're doing to them.

 

[Scotchbrite]

It would be a good idea to get the SDS (safety data sheet) for the inks and any vinyl you are using. You can get a lot of information on those about the safety concerns for any product you use.

For what it's worth, I have not heard of there being concerns about the vinyls in regards to health. As others mentioned, I would be most concerned about the inks.

 

[rjssigns]

I have a customer who sent his vinyl to a lab to be tested and certified for safe use with children and they told him he couldn't use calendared vinyl as the phthalate content was too high. He only uses cast for that reason. But I agree with balstestrat. The inks in your SG printer are much more harmful than the vinyl.

This^^^^

Get stuff tested. You can also have a company come in and test for VOC's and other air borne contaminants. Factory where I used to work did that and would have employees carry tiny air pumps with trap filters that later be analyzed.
Sounds over the top but with this increasingly litigious society you don't want to take any chances.

I teach at a local college and the print lab on campus is closed off from everything else with its own air exchange system. No issues have been reported. The odor of inks, substrates etc...never goes away but it isn't causing any irritation or respiratory issues either.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

 

[Notarealsignguy]

If nothing else was made of plastics, there was no paint on the walls, no drywall, no coil coatings on HVAC systems, no pvc jackets on wiring, no adhesives on the flooring etc etc then I would say the health of PVC on a print could be called into question but this is like pissin in the ocean, not your iced tea.

 

[ChaseO]

I'm not downplaying your concerns, but there are many on this forum that sit next to multiple printers every day, all day with seemingly no issue, spraying more ink in an hour that you probably do in a week. Also, I agree, the ink is the concern, not the vinyl in most cases.

 

[ikarasu]

As long as you don't live in California it's relatively safe!

 

[DanL 57703]

I and others use to joke about California and everything in the state has cancer. But I stopped and actually took a look at their website and I was blown away. I can't believe we as Americans allow corporations to poison us daily for the sake of dollar and they knowing do it. The government department that are suppose to protect us look away.

As far as 3M vinyl & health concerns, this is there response and note "reasonable conditions" how many of use apply or remove vinyl and use a heat gun or open flame or have used a eraser wheel and vinyl has Vinyl Chloride and known cancer causing agent :

"Product Article Letter:
This letter is in response to your request for a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for: 3M™ Scotchcal™ Graphic Film Series 8000LF This product is not required to have a MSDS under the Occupational Health and Safety Administration Hazard Communication Standard, 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200 (b) (6) (IV), and 3M has not prepared a MSDS for this product. This product, when used under reasonable conditions or in accordance with the 3M directions for use, should not present a health and safety hazard. However, use or processing of this product in a manner not in accordance with the product’s directions for use may affect the performance of the products and may present potential health and safety hazards.

What I've noticed is rarely does a company knowingly use a chemical or agent that effects someone rapidly, does using these chemicals really help their bottom line? It's maybe a small amount that they don't need regulations? I remember when it was rare to know someone that had cancer, now it seems everyone has it or will get it and we just joke about California and their cancer labels. I currently live by a air force base and the ground water is contaminated with forever chemicals, they used fire suppressing chemicals for exercises on putting out crashed aircrafts, this was made by Dupont who knew since the 1980's that the chemicals caused cancer and still allowed it to happen.

Now we as tax payers are paying for the clean up. It seems we all pay for it in one way or another. Why do we allow this to happen to us, imagine what it will be for our children in the future, it's scary though.
I wonder what chemical they used to brainwash us all??

 

[Gene@mpls]

If you have a laser, vinyl is a no-no. We use a pvc free film if it will be applied and laser cut.