[seabird]

Those hazards usually take a long time to kill you. It's a problem for people who do it 40+ hours a week, but a hobbyist is going to struggle to reach the level of exposure needed for it to matter. You'll learn about them and mitigate them long before it becomes an issue.

I've been swimming in all sorts automotive and manufacturing fluids and fumes and forces for years and it hasn't caught up to me yet. I know a shitload of people that have done it for decades without a scratch, and a lot of them didn't even try to be safe about it.

[mauvehaus]

This is precisely why the hazards are so insidious: you're chugging along fine for years, and boom: you have a weird cancer.

I'm mindful of my finishing materials and proper ventilation and downright religious about hearing protection because the damage is cumulative. I know a bunch of guys I have to half shout at to have a conversation with. I'd rather not be one in 15 years.

[Doxin]

I don't get why anyone would be opposed to wearing ear protection anyways. Loud noises are unpleasant and ear protection is an easy fix.

Though on the other hand perhaps I take it too far by wearing ear protection when hammering in nails or using the vacuum cleaner.

[Freak_NL]

I'll gladly reach for my ear protection even if using a hacksaw is making too much noise. I think my cordless drill, impact driver, and table drill are the only powered tools I use without ear protection (mostly).

[swores]

Anecdotes also lead to me knowing multiple people who've smoked cigarettes for decades without even a scratch (or burn), but that doesn't take away from the fact that we know statistically it's likely to cause serious health problems.

I don't know much about the subject you're talking about, and am definitely not trying to argue that it has the same risk as smoking 20 a day - just making the point that research rather than anecdotes is the best way to judge these things.