0:00 Every mechanic watching has used this stuff, brake cleaner. And I'm willing to bet nobody has warned what the long-term exposure really does to your body. So, I searched YouTube before making this. And for something that's used daily across automotive, heavy equipment, industrial, and all the trades, nobody is really talking about it. And that's a very big problem. Hey viewers, what's going on? Lance Mechanics here, former automotive tech, windbine wind turbine tech, and now a heavy duty underground mechanic. Well, first I want to say this is not a fear video, and this isn't a ban brake clean video. Um, this is a reality check about something that's going on and has been normalized in every single shop I've worked on, and that's not right.
0:47 So, brake clean, why do we use it? It's cheap, it's fast, it efficient, it cuts down grease instantly, cleans up messes, it helps eliminate a lot of comebacks because of what it does. And it's everywhere. Um, dealerships independents mining underground, surface, you name it. Air or aviation, you can't escape this stuff. Even DIYers are using it. If you ever cleaned a part fast and moved on with your day, you've used it. It's incredible stuff. So, here's what nobody's talking about. exposure and how it actually happens. It's not just the smell. It's not just the fumes. Exposure happens in three ways. Inhalation, skin absorption, and repeated lowd dose exposure over the
1:32 years. And most shops, shitty ventilation, uh no respirators, gloves that dissolve with the slightest look at it. These places are not helping you when it comes to using. So, the short-term signs every mechanic notices or recognizes. Let's be honest, every mechanic knows this feeling. Uh headaches, dizziness, brain fog. Uh we laugh it up. We'll say, "Hey, this this will wake you up." That's not a joke. That's your nervous system reacting to solvents. So, now for the long-term damage that nobody connects. Uh here's where things are going to get uncomfortable. Long-term solvent exposure is linked to neurological damage, memory issues, mood changes, chronic fatigue, reduced coordination. Oh, this boy is a long list. Anyways,
2:18 there's actually a medical diagnos diagnosis for it. It's called chronic solvent induced encilastrophe. Uh that's not a YouTube science, that's occupational medicine. Um wow. And I but here's where I'm going to butcher uh more names. So some brake cleaners, especially the older high powered formulas, contain chemicals like trickle chloroithine. I'm going to put these in the you can read them. Uh techchlorine, benzene contamination. Uh, by the way, these are regulator banned in a lot of other industries, yet mechanics spray them daily. Uh, no respirators, no warnings, no conversation. [snorts] So, the big thing, why does nobody talk about this? Um, because the symptoms are low. Uh, damage happens over years. A lot of time you're exposing yourself to it and you
3:05 move from job to job to job. So, it's hard to pin it down. You can't just blame it on one employer. Uh, again, trade culture says tough it out. We all know what that means. There's no immediate failure like a broken tool. And by the time you guys connect the dots, they're already out of the trade. Again, when you're in retirement, if you make it to retirement. So, if you're wondering why this video I'm doing this video is I've talked about health issues with mechanics over the years, and we get brutalized and there's no recourse for us. You have to take care of yourself. And I'm bringing an awareness to this cuz it's about ventilation. It's about awareness. It's about pretending pretending this stuff is not harmless. It is deadly to mechanics. I would almost say it's one of the top concerns where I go that we should be looking out
3:51 for. So, give you a little background here. When I was teaching at the college, um, if you didn't hook up an exhaust pipe to a car, within 20 seconds, alarms were going off and the entire shop air was ventilated in under 20 seconds and replaced with outside air. In the winter, that's cold, especially - 40. But you'll never ever see a private garage have that kind of ventilation. And you'll never see a dealership have that kind of ventilation. Yet the colleges, knowing what lawsuits they could potentially have, have that mandated at a certain parts per million. It is considered a toxic and they vent that out. And that is only running a car for 30 seconds. And by the way, cars pollute the most within the 30 seconds. And that whole area had to be evacuated of air. So imagine you're spraying this in a shop with poor ventilation, radiant heat. Um,
4:40 it's hard and you can you can minimize what you're using, but you can't stop what the other 12 or 20 guys down in the bays are doing, not putting exhaust hoses on, uh, spraying brake clean like they again, when you're not paying for it. You use the whole can unless you're uh, stingy. So, it adds up over time. Even if you're not doing it, you're still being exposed in that environment. If I don't make this doesn't make sense, I'm just going to say it. Uh, your lungs and your brain are uh, more expensive than a can of brake clean. So, you really got to take care of them. So, I can guarantee a lot of mechanics are going to talk about this like, "Yes, I've felt that. Yes, I'm experiencing this." In my video years ago, what I posted about uh mechanics won't survive retirement. So many mechanics came forward talking about the nerve damage, neurological damage, lung issues they're experiencing. Like, when your hands are
5:26 shaking, maybe that's a sign it's not stress. You may have nerve damage. And it could very well, I'm not saying, by the way, we're not attacking this brand. It just happens to be what I use cuz it's uh in Canada and it's low VOC or Vox. It's the healthier option. But when I spray it, I'm going to open the garage door. I'm going to open a window. I'm going to ventilation. I'm not trying to kill myself working in my garage on YouTube. Again, if you're new to the channel, this is the type of stuff I want to talk about cuz mechanics have it rough. Like I said, I guarantee you there's going to be mechanics that comment saying they've experienced these. If you experience symptoms, drop them in the the the the damn comments. This is huge because again mechanics never talk to each other in a way or they don't post online. Everybody just assumes we're dirty grease monkeys. We're humans at the end of the day and
6:11 we put our bodies through a lot. Uh and for what? Repairing a car and chasing flat rate or just just a paycheck. I don't think it's worth it. Uh I know there's other industries who will say, "Oh, we go through the same thing." I've been in other industries. I built wind turbines. I built houses. I've done Oh, man. I had too much fun as a teenager. But anyways, nothing still compares to automotive. Um, we get beat with everything. And again, this is the tool that nobody warned you about. Hopefully, you had a great shop class, uh, whether you're in Canada or the States, and they warned you about the dangers of this. I really do hope. So, take what you will from this video. If you're a young apprentice, I hate to say this cuz I know what happens when you speak up. You put a target on your back, but you and your co-workers got to rally and make the changes. So many shops are
6:57 unequipped with ventilation and the ways to deal with this. I'm sure if you looked at the MSDS material safety data sheet here, it'll tell you how bad these are and what you need for ventilation. And there are some alternatives, but even that stuff you pump out of the 65gallon drum barrel is still pretty toxic at the end of the day. And in Canada, we know how deadly this stuff is. We've actually banned a lot of it. Uh my friends in the state side, I don't know how well you're fairing, but you should probably look into it. Again, if you're new to the channel, I talk about everything. This is something that's always concerned me is mechanics health. So, drop a like in the comment. And now for some bonus footage. No, this is not for sale. Uh, this is an early birthday gift. I thought it look cool. I'll show you the front. Again, I thought it was really cool. I love neon colors. I love cars. And this is something I'm not
7:44 going to sell stuff like this. I'm not in into making money off the viewers. YouTube can pay the bills as far as I'm concerned. Um, if there is a demand for it one day, I'm going to do it in a way where I don't seem greedy. But yeah, I figured I'd show that for bonus footage.
