Are you a healthy tiler ?

[Gazzer]

Our industry especially those that are of the older generation will have suffered or will suffer from health issues related to tiling at some point I would have thought.
I feel the main or common areas of concern are,

Bad knees , some more serious than others !
Dermatitis, due to cements etc
Cuts that can go bad if not treated.
Silicosis from inhalation of dust borne particles.
Eye injuries.
Tinitus.
Back problems.

There probably are more but how many of us have taken precautions against them.
For a while now I have worn knee pads , not all the time though.
I am terrible with cuts but seem to have a high resistance to infections.
Had my fair share of back issues but usually just muscle related and my own fault to be honest for going at it like a young un.....although the back always seems to go when least expecting it and doing no more than turning my body.

I guess at a later age in life I think I am immune and always scoffed at H&S .
So how many wear full PPE , safety glasses, ear defenders, Dust masks, knee pads etc

 

[Diggy]

Current site is FULL PPE, gloves , hi vis , glasses, hat. Even in finished flats.

 

[Qwerty]

I wear the lot when needed. Seeing a chiropractor at the moment who has worked wonders on my back!

 

[swanman]

Got a bit of ringing in my ears

 

[robbieraven]

I have another one to add, after a few long job particularily ones where lots of cutting was involved, my skin on my face really started to look bad, red and rash-like, turns out it's the little tile shards hitting me even though I wear goggles and ear defenders, this was mainly my forehead, wet cutter spits them out like crazy Guess it depends where you stand too relative to blast water/shards.

 

[afright]

Yep got a few,Knees,back and breathing getting worse thru inhaling the dust,although wear pads never wear a dustmask so paying for it now,also I've had blood poisoning three times thru cuts one was bad kept me in hospital for three days.

 

[Gazzer]

Yep got a few,Knees,back and breathing getting worse thru inhaling the dust,although wear pads never wear a dustmask so paying for it now,also I've had blood poisoning three times thru cuts one was bad kept me in hospital for three days.

Have you had the breathing checked out ?

 

[afright]

No not yet the wife keeps nagging, its more phlegm in the throat than in the lungs

 

[Gazzer]

Get it checked mate....sorry to sound like your wife !!

 

[Qwerty]

Second that. Don't put it off

 

[afright]

Cheers yes I will go see my GP just kept putting it off.

 

[Gazzer]

You are probably right but better to ask now.

 

[Gaz Tiler Oxon]

always wear ear and eye protection when power cutting, been using knee pads in Snickers trousers for 20+ years, always keep workplace hoovered out to keep dust down, been using washboys for as long as I can remember to keep dust down-I know a lot of old boys used to dry rub grouting afterwards, rarely get cuts even tho I don't wear gloves, my back does have the usual strains if doing floors for weeks on end tho.

 

[swanman]

Get it checked
wont be anything
better to be safe then sorry
let us no how you got on

 

[Sean SML Tiling]

Im a sod for not wearing my glasses amd ear defenders but i always have those thin gloves on to protecty hands. I tend to get alot of dust in my eyes and becomes sore