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I recently watched the etcg1 video on whether or not you want to be a tech and whether you want to work for a dealership,indy,do fleet work or whatever.and eric brought up many excellent pro’s and con’s of being a tech.along with what to expect now that you are a tech.the only thing I would like to see added to that is the toll this work takes on you physically.i am a 30 year tech(professionaly) actually longer.and I have had both rotator cuffs repaired,carpral tunnel surgery on both hands,three ruptured discs in my back,bad knee’s,numb hands,ect.i am not complaining,i just think that we should make sure that the future candidates that we confer with realize what a physical toll this work takes on your body,and who knows the long term affects of the brake cleaner,carb cleaner,asbestos dust,ect.just my opinion.
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Excellent suggestion. I’m going to try and work this into the shooting schedule for ETCG1.
Thanks for the suggestion.
I second that I actually wear a full respirator with cartridges and P95 dust filters when I do work on DPFs and DOCs due to the large amount of carcinogenes in the soot..
Hey guys, I was just wondering on your opinion on how much “toll on the body” a career in auto mechanics can take on a person? With all accidents that can potentially happen,the constant grind on the body, exposure to chemicals , the stress of having to get the job done on time or else-
It would suck having this as a career and when you retire; and then you cannot enjoy your “golden years” (due to bad health caused by your occupation). As well, hopefully you have been able to save for retirement or maybe some sort of pension plan?
I also see some guys” bridging” into over areas like dealer management etc which might not be as hard on the body..I guess you could say Eric did this? I would just hate to see someone work hard for 35 years, retire, and then find out they have some sort of cancer due to exposure to chemicals…(although I have seen people clean their hands with brake cleaner!)I am only a DYI, but sometimes I wonder if I am not careful enough as well..
opps, I saw someone else posted this awhile back…
This one came from the suggestion box. Jethro29 asked about the Health Hazards of working as a technician. It’s true, there are several health hazards, but it’s how you handle them that will make the difference. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one.
Thanks for making the video Eric, it was great that you caught that lung situation before it got worse…
Not to make light of danger in the trades but here are some classic scary old Ontario pubic safety vids..I know of a electrician who died a few years ago who forgot to turn of the power before servicing something…
I like ETCG1 more and more.
Eric, for all my years with your etcg and etcg1 I am happy.
You have nice topics and YOU ARE SMART.
Nice story with your lungs, it may be a lesson for us. Sure for me.
Thanks for your honesty and work.To add, which was touch on, is skin exposure to oils.
I know a guy that is now one of the mechanics that can’t do much, but he has an abundance of knowledge, so they keep him around.
He developed an allergy to motor oils.
His fingers are now sausage fingers because of it.
Another that wasn’t talked about (more in the race industry) is exposure to methanol.
It’s flammable, but first and foremost, it’s labeled as a neurotoxin. It leaches into your skin and causes a lot of neurological issues.Then there is heavy metal poisoning (more in welding).
That stress story really freaked me out. how did you deal with stress after? Picked up a hobby or what I think that would be some pretty helpful info, most mechanics I know just drink the day away which leads to pretty bad health problems, got any pointers on dealing with it?
In my industry, we spend a lot of money and time focusing on safety. One of my favorite things I have seen comes from Newport News Shipbuilding who has a safety song contest every year.
I see so often where people are trained and the supplies are there to work safely, but you still see tradesman choose not to use it. I don’t know how many times I walk off the ship and a guy that I know could of been wearing a respirator all day is blowing all kinds of black gunk out his nose.
You also have to think about what your taking home with you. Don’t give your spouse, children, etc. exposure to some of the nasty substances we work with. It wasn’t just the workers who have died of asbestos poisoning,
wait till you see Particulate filters in cars. You need to clean the matting surfaces for the gaskets. So how do you do this with a whiz wheel of course because you know they only give you .1-.2 to do it in. So you are taking concentrated carcinogens and spewing it all over the place because of it.Illiterately have a full 3m face mask with hazard filters and p95 filters on top of that just for doing those on big rigs. You are all up in the soot/ash too and it gets everywhere and is so fine it gets into your skin and takes a day or 2 to get it all out and that is with using gojo.
I really wonder sometimes if the health organizations turn a blind eye to the trades because it would be that hard and cost prohibitive to impose the proper regulations/health precautions needed. All I know is I don’t feel like dying from that stuff.
You know I really appreciate this thread and the video that it spawned. I am a healthy young person who has gotten into agricultural/heavy duty mechanics and I want to stay healthy for the rest of my life. So thanks jethro29 and Eric for making this topic on the forum and on YouTube. It will make a difference in my life.
Good video. I think anyone in a physical trade (Auto tech, construction, railroad, etc.) ends up with a list of problems by the time they retire (usually early).
Another thing to consider is hearing. I know a lot of people with hearing loss from their job. I’m sure with impact and power tools in a closed shop and close quarters can’t be good for your hearing.
I figure we all just need to take reasonable precautions based on the best information we have at the time and do the job (whatever it is). I think we need to do what we love to do or we are wasting our time. We should work hard, play hard and appreciate life. I get to hang out with guys that are in their 60’s and 70’s (along with younger folks too) who work on cars and have been doing it for 50+ years and they still like doing it. I think about a race car driver – there is huge risk – but I say, if you love it, keep driving! So, if you love what you do, keep doing it! If you don’t, change (no matter how old you are, there’s still time to change). Life is too short to do otherwise.
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