Health Risks from screen printing

[juneelyn]

Hello everyone! i have been wanting to ask if screen printing could cause illness due to long time exposure to the chemicals we use. I know there ate eco friendly chemicals and inks now but I just still want to ask. I have just read the MSDS sheets of the products I'm planning to buy, and some of them have a "YES" in being carcinogenic, specifically plastisol ink (specifically International Coatings). And I am switching to plastisol ink because I can't handle waterbased ink properly, just dries up and clogs my screen overtime.

i just want an honest opinion and/or experience about the health risks involved in screen printing (inks and chemicals) so that i'll know what to watch out for and hopefully calm down worried relatives of my screen printing hobby (soon to be business). I've asked many printers in Facebook and somehow they don't give me straight answers and just tell me
to read the MSDS sheet. Of course MsDS will be playing it safe saying somehow a person has to wear gloves, masks and even goggles in handling some of the chemicals or to some degree it will irritate skin or the respiratory tract. but when we watch screen printing videos, people print and reclaim screens without the goggles, masks and gloves.

I would appreciate any answers! And I hope Jonathan (hello! I'm a fan!) would make a video about it too
or at least be one of the people who answers this question. Thanks so much!

[kajun1950]

Even water can pose risks if not handled properly. The key is reading the MSDS and wearing the proper protective gear like gloves, apron and eye protection. The other is comparing MSDS and picking the least offensive. This is not just screen printing but almost every profession including sewing and woodworking. Many aerosol products are harmful to homeowners as many cleaning products. It is a matter of knowing your products, taking precautions, and making informed decisions.

John

[ApeShirt]

I wouldn't eat or drink any Seriously, you have a better chance of any risk burning yourself on the flash dryer. Which should be less than a 1% with some common sense.

[Dip.Schlitz]

Reading too much into the MSDS will have you believe that everything will kill you !
Plastisol by itself is usually innocuous, depending on the brand. Many brands are now going PVC and phthalate free, for health and environmental reasons. When printing, make sure you have adequate ventilation. Along with steam and smoke from the garment, burning plastic fumes are rising out of your dryer. So if you're printing out of your home, I wouldn't recommend printing in the kitchen.
There are also environmentally friendly (drain safe, depending on where you live this could be an issue) ink degraders and emulsion removers on the market.
At the end of the day, you're more likely to be killed driving on the freeway than screenprinting.

[juneelyn]

Haha Thanks everyone for the replies! Actually I was more worried of prolonged exposure illnesses. Like smoking or second hand smoking can eventually (not always, and no offense to those who smoke, this is just an obvious example I can make) lead to chronic respiratory problems. Hopefully nothing like that will happen in screen printing, and based on everyone's replies, I'm glad that it most probably didn't make anyone really sick.

[Catspit Productions]

Okay here's my 2 cents. Everyone has great points here and awesome advice. I'll say that I am now 44 years old and I printed with plastisol inks as early as 11 years old. I have been involved with screen printing chemicals and photography chemicals my whole life. I am an old school guy so I mostly do not wear gloves or aprons unless absolutely necessary as with some acid washes in photography.

But I have been around plastisol inks my entire life handling and wearing them, I see a doctor regularly and have no health issues from screen printing whatsoever except for some degenerative arthritis in my arms and shoulders. But I also used to ride BMX and dirt bikes. Well I still ride a trail bike. I personally believe when used properly plastisol inks pose no serious health threats to be worried about. Try not to ingest it of course and use proper ventilation always.

An area to actually consider a respirator if you have breathing issues is in the washout booth. Any chemicals, inks or other materials that are being pushed off the screen by use of a pressure washer can and may "atomize" into the water vapor and air that gusts off the screen as you use a pressure washer in the washout booth. Eye protection, gloves and a real respirator may be a good idea for some. An apron is useful because your clothing will get wet and possibly stained from any stray emulsion bits flying out of the booth with use of the pressure washer. Spray bottles for the chemicals may also do this to some degree when in use. A brush and bucket system is an alternative. There are also dip tanks and recycling sinks that reuse chemicals.

I have never heard of anyone in my entire career getting ill from using any screen printing ink or chemical. Some people are skin sensitive or respiratory sensitive and even eyes can react to fumes of many chemicals but I know of no instance where someone was documented as having a permanent resulting illness from screen printing.

Sorry it took me a bit to reply. I got a little busy recently. I hope that helps out as well.