plastics industry?

Hey guys. Curious how many or if anyone works in
The plastics industry?

Currently head of manufacturing at injection molding plant here in quebec. I have about 8 years experience. Started as a line worker, went into fork lift driving, then maintenance then tool installation and maintenance then my current position. I enjoy my job quite a bit. Lots of responsibilities. We mold
a lot of storage bins etc.

What do you do?

 

I shape, mold, and cast polyurethane artificial rock climbing holds as an expensive hobby.

 

I do a lot of plastic fabrication

 

Retired, worked in plastics occupations all my life. My products are in the home, in industry, in the air, in orbit, and some products we all hope will never be used. I've worked union and non union, first line supervision, contract, and engineering. Large corporations, small private sector, medium aerospace subs, start-ups, consumer products.

glass layup
TS & TP extrusion
carbon fiber
prepreg
autoclave/hydroclave cure
kevlar wind
glass blanket
vacuum bag
post cure impreg
gov spec
private sector
one off fab
mass production
R&D

Plastics is a good field to get into, but has a hell of a lot of chemical exposure that in my day wasn't considered particularly hazardous. I've routinely washed my hands in acetone, MEK, toluene, I've had acetone sprayed in my eyes, I've almost passed out from toluene, I've had shortness of breath for days from incidental whiffs of black acrid PVC smoke, not once, but half a dozen times. I've used my wife's neckerchiefs across my nose as protection from asbestos dust, the same protection for mica dust. I'm in my 70's and still kicking, but have suspicions that my children's issues were due to my exposures. Protect yourself, the gear is a pain in the ass, but nobody else is going to do it for you. Think of your family if not yourself.