August 30, 2010
Paint Spray Inhalation Causes Asthma
Paint spray is a known cause of irritation. Painters get used to it and in fact, many find the smell of the paint appealing. Paint smell can be an allergen and cause respiratory disorders leading to asthma.
The truth is that the paint spray contains isocyanates that linger in the mist of air for a long time after the paint job is done. Though the smell is appealing and paint workers don’t mind it, they are exposing themselves to the chronic disease, asthma. Initially an allergy leading to bronchitis and ending in asthma is the main process of risk of occupational exposure.
Body shop workers are particularly at risk as they spray paint large areas of vehicles at one go in a booth with limited space. Though wearing protective gear like visors and air-fed breathing apparatus are being made compulsory, over 20% of body shops do not have any safety protocols in place. In fact of the 500 body shops surveyed, many were unaware of the risks involved while spray painting.
HSE executive Louise Rice expressed concern that though majority of the body shops are following safety protocols there are many who are just not aware of the risk. The aim of the HSE is to educate the managers and sprayers to ensure that they implement precautionary measures to avoid potential respiratory diseases like asthma.
The precautionary measures include air-fed breathing devices, visors and allowing for sufficient clearance at booths between paint jobs. Paint spray mists contain the toxic isocyanates that take some time for dispersal and clearance.
Entering the booth too soon after a paint spray job was the main cause of inhalation of isocyanates leading to asthma. Also, lifting visors during the job to check for drying also results in exposure and quick inhalation leading to chronic respiratory diseases.
These occupational risks can be kept at bay with sufficient precautionary measures and implementation of safety protocols.
Make sure your organisation is aware of its health and safety obligations and has a clear understanding of its statutory duties with a well regarded NEBOSH National General Certificate course. The NEBOSH Distance Learning course is a unique web-based training platform specifically designed to help those with health and safety responsibilities to carry out their duties at work more effectively and to protect the organisations for which they work.