QuestionQUESTION: When a tempered glass window is broken such as in a 2001 Ford Focus the glass explodes into little fragments...my question is...are these fragments all there is to clean up or does the glass also leave behind smaller shaving/slivery type glass that is just not as visible?
ANSWER: Hi Debbie,
Hi Debbie,
If you could see a tempered glass explode in slow motion like on that cool show on Discovery Channel called: ( TimeWarp ) You would see what would resemble a Sneeze like explosion with large fragments to smaller fragments down to dust like particles traveling everywhere! This glass and dust is now everywhere in your car and could spell trouble down the road, (No pun intended):].
Lets start with the most important items first! Glass dust is not really good to breath in and should be avoided. The smallest amount of glass dust left on any surface could also cause a rash for some people (Like ME!!) who come in contact with it. Small children who sweat from the summer sun are most susceptible. To avoid these problems you must do the following: Infants seats must be removed, fabric taken apart and cleaned with a sponge or washed in a washing machine if possible. Check for any particles in the seat frame itself and clean plastic. Next, check your defrosters by putting on safety glasses or even sunglasses and looking away from dashboard, start car, turn defroster on at high fan and tap on dashboard to shake any particles out that may have fallen down the vents because if there is any particles down there you don't want them shooting into your eye one cold morning after turning defroster on. That could ruin your day!
Next, Vacuum the whole car out with a (Brush Attachment) first so you can get up all the small stuff you can see, and then wipe down everything with a damp cloth to get the rest of the stuff that you can not. Hope this Helps. Stay Safe! Derek :]
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for that explanation, which makes me have another question. This particular situation happened about four months ago when someone put a BB through the back window of my daughters car...the car was vacuumed out by a friend...it wasn't until the other day that I decided to clean the car out for her and found some of these fragments. I vacuumed half the back seat (I did not use any attachments) and then vacuumed the floor board and noticed some shiny, glittery type stuff in the carpet...it hit me that this could be glass and I panicked and since I wear glasses I put on regular goggles and finished vacuuming....I never even thought to wear a dust mask. So now I am wondering....did I put myself in harms way without knowing it, have I harmed my eyes or lungs and just don't know it yet? Thank you.
ANSWER: Hi Debbie
My first question is why your friend did the vacuum job?, did he put in the Glass? I would guess your insurance company sent some MONKEYS over to fix it and they did not even vacuumed it up Right?
Anyway your friend probably got the worst of the dust and I would not worry about it too much unless he starts complaining of breathing problems. If he does he would now have a claim against your insurance company and also with the glass shop who replaced the glass. Insurance company dispatched Auto glass workers are now paid DIRT because the insurance companies are using Satellite to do ALL billing to other glass shops as well as Pricing and since Satellite makes there own glass who would be able to sell under them? If satellite says you glass only sells for 200.00 then your insurance company takes 50-60% off that?, But in reality the glass cost other shops more than the insurance company price and the shop settles for the labor cost to make the profit witch is very little these days But call Satellite to do a Retail/Cash job and they will bang you over the head with there Retail pricing!!!!!! It's a GD Monopoly and I hope the new administration looks into ALL the Insurance industry Glass Claim Monopolizations! Sorry to sound off, but a customer cleaning there own car pisses me off! Derek :)
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Actually the car was vacuumed just so it could be driven without all the mess...maybe the guy who fixed it didn't feel it was necessary to vacuum again I don't know. If this glass dust is a health hazard why can't I find anything about it on the internet? You were the first and only who explained that part of the glass breaking process, other sites just stated that it breaks into small pieces...and you were the only one who explained HOW to clean it up. The only thing you left out is should a person wear protection such as goggles and a mask. I can't be the only one who's ever cleaned up broken auto glass without knowing it is potentially dangerous. I am a little paranoid now thinking I might have that in my eyes and lungs. What would be the signs if I were exposed, how long would it take to see the affects? And by the way, how does a person, such as yourself even figure out that they are allergic to glass dust since it's not something you come in contact with everyday? I am so appreciate of your knowledge on this subject, thank you.
AnswerHi Debbie
The good news is if you had come into heavy contact with this Dust you would most definitely would know it by now! The fact that the car was driven to the shop helps reduce this dust amount significantly.
I found this on the Illinois Dept of Health site.
Remember Glass fibers and glass dust are almost the same thing!
How can fiberglass affect my health?
Health effects from exposure to fiberglass can be different depending on the fiber size and type of exposure. Larger fibers have been found to cause skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation. There are other possible health effects:
A rash can appear when the fibers become embedded in the outer layer of the skin. No long-term health effects should occur from touching fiberglass.
Eyes may become red and irritated after exposure to fiberglass.
Soreness in the nose and throat can result when fibers are inhaled. Asthma and bronchitis can be aggravated by exposure to fiberglass.
Temporary stomach irritation may occur if fibers are swallowed.
Little information is known about the health effects caused by small fibers. Smaller fibers have the ability to reach the lower part of the lungs increasing the chance of adverse health effects.
People who work with fiberglass or who have worn-out duct work lined with fiberglass in their homes or workplace may have long-term exposure to fiberglass. There is no evidence that fiberglass causes cancer in people. Animal studies have shown an increased risk of cancer when fiberglass fibers were implanted in the lung tissue of rats, but these studies are controversial because of how the fibers were implanted. Based on these animal studies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified SOME fibers used in fiberglass as possible human carcinogens (cancer causing agents)
.U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington , DC 20207-001
800-638-2772
Also I have been vacuuming glass out of cars for 30 years now and I only wear glasses and gloves and all I have ever suffered was a Rash that goes away after a good Shower!! Derek :)
