Ok, not a particulalry upbeat thread but i am thinking about ditching my profession as a mechanic for something possibly less risky.

am i worrying about nothing or is the carcinogenic chemicals in everyday workshop meterials that may cause trouble in later life? i know about benzene but what else? i've been looking at Wurth safety data sheets and most where it says carcinogenicity: not available at this time. which makes me wonder if there is a connection but not enough to confirm it? Stuff like RTV Silicon, exhaust paste etc.

is it a case of it only effects you if you were to eat alot of it or could it be simply passing usage as and when?

again with benzene, who do the tuners/mechanics on here rate the risks? i've been reading up about it on the internet and it seems anything from just five years contact can be enough to cause cancer.

i don't want to go into details but a very close family member has passed away recently and there is a question mark over the situation possibly linked to being in close proximity to benzene, hence my thinking about it.