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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Awareness issues surround paint spraying activity
HSE has been campaigning for many years to inform employers and employees about the risks and effects of failing to implement controls in spray painting activity that involves exposure to isocyanates and is executing a 3-year national intervention plan. The activity is the biggest single known cause of occupational asthma in the UK and vehicle paint sprayers are the work group at particular risk.
HSE has commissioned research work from the Health and Safety Laboratory reported in An Observational Study of Motor Vehicle Repair Paint Sprayers, HSL/2006/44, to conduct an observational study of the daily practices of motor vehicle paint sprayers, to assist HSE in developing interventions and communicate its key messages on working with isocyanate paint. The project sought to observe and explore work practices, this including interview with sprayers.
The study revealed that awareness of health risks associated with isocyanate exposure was low, with over 50% of the sprayers unaware of the health risks associated with isocyanates and that isocyanate can cause occupational asthma. Visor lifting to inspect work was a widely accepted practice by sprayers and observed during visits, with the majority of sprayers admitting to doing so regularly, although all who admitted this knew there were implications for their health.
Conclusions
Clearance times in all of the organisations were observed to be under 2 minutes but none of the companies visited had conducted a smoke test and therefore were unaware of the appropriate clearance times for their booths.
The main conclusion was that: 'reinforcement is needed on the importance of cascading information to workers by management or representatives attending Safety and Health Awareness Days. This communication needs to include the salience of risk and why various behaviours are necessary to control risks, as well as what sprayers should do to comply with health and safety procedures'.
It is also recommended that organisations are further encouraged to conduct smoke tests for clearance times with benefit accruing from improved information, risk communication and training.
29.08.06
