Skin care (personal hygiene)

Systems

All employees should be aware of the importance

of personal hygiene and should follow correct procedures

to clean and protect the skin in order to

avoid irritants causing skin infections and dermatitis.

All personnel should use a suitable barrier

cream before starting work and again when recommencing

work after a break. There are waterless

hand cleaners available which will remove heavy

dirt on skin prior to thorough washing. When the

skin has been washed, after-work creams will help

to restore its natural moisture.

Many paints, refinishing chemicals and bodyshop

materials will cause irritation on contact with the

skin and must be removed promptly with a suitable

cleansing material. Paint solvents may cause dermatitis,

particularly where skin has been in contact

with peroxide hardeners or acid catalysts: these have

a drying effect which removes the natural oils in the

skin. There are specialist products available for the

bodyshop which will remove these types of materials

from the skin quickly, safely and effectively.

Hand protection

Body technicians and painters are constantly handling

substances which are harmful to health. The

harmful effect of liquids, chemicals and materials

on the hands can be prevented, in many cases, by

wearing the correct type of gloves. To comply with

COSHH Regulations, vinyl disposable gloves must

be used by painters to give skin protection against

toxic substances. Other specialist gloves available

are: rubber and PVC gloves for protection against

solvents, oil and acids; leather gloves for hard wear

and general repair work in the bodyshop; and

welding gauntlets, which are made from specially

treated leather and are longer than normal gloves to

give adequate protection to the welder’s forearms.

Protective clothing

Protective clothing is worn to protect the worker

and his clothes from coming into contact with dirt,

extremes of temperature, falling objects and chemical

substances. The most common form of protective

clothing for the body repairer is the overall a

one-piece boiler suit made from good quality cotton,

preferably flame-proof. Worn and torn materials

should be avoided as they can catch in moving

machinery. Where it is necessary to protect the

skin, closely fitted sleeves should be worn down to

the wrist with the cuffs fastened. All overall buttons

must be kept fastened, and any loose items

such as ties and scarves should not be worn.

Protective clothing worn in the paint shop by the

spray painters should be either good quality washable

nylon garments, anti-static, and complete with

hood, elasticated wrists and ankles; or low-linting

60Repair of Vehicle Bodies

disposable coveralls, which offer a liquid barrier

protection from splashes, airborne dusts and paint

overspray. The coveralls must withstand continuous

exposure to a variety of chemicals and must be

suitable for protection when using isocyanatebased

two-pack paints; they also prevent the environment

being contaminated by particles from the

operator’s clothing and hair. They can be of the

one-piece variety or can have separate disposable

hoods (Figure 2.1a, b).

(a)

Figure 2.1(a) Disposable protective coverall (b) protective coverall and face mask in use (Gramos Chemicals

International Ltd )

(b)

Health and safety 61

Head protection

Head protection is very important to the body

worker when working underneath a vehicle or under

its bonnet while it is being repaired. A light safety

helmet, normally made from aluminium, fibreglass

or plastic, should be worn if there is any danger

from falling objects, and will protect the head from

damage when working below vehicles. Hats and

other forms of fabric headwear keep out dust, dirt

and overspray and also prevent long hair (tied back)

becoming entangled in moving equipment.

Eyes and face protection

Eye protection is required when there is a possibility

of eye injury from flying particles when using

a grinder, disc sander, power drill or pneumatic

chisel, or when removing glass windscreens or

working underneath vehicles. Many employers are

now requiring all employees to wear some form of

safety glasses when they are in either the repair or

the paint areas of the bodyshop, because in any

bodyshop location there is always the possibility of

flying objects, dust particles, or splashing liquids

entering the eyes. Not only is this painful but it can,

in extreme cases, cause loss of sight. Eyes are irreplaceable:

therefore it is advisable to wear safety

goggles, glasses or face shields in all working areas.

The following types of eye protection are

available:

Lightweight safety spectacles with adjustable arms

and with side shields for extra protection. There is a

choice of impact grades for the lenses (Figure 2.2).

General-purpose safety goggles with a moulded

PVC frame which is resistant to oils, chemicals

and water. These have either a clear acetate or a

polycarbonate lens with BS impact grades 1 and 2

(Figure 2.3).

Face shields with an adjustable head harness and

deep polycarbonate brow guard with replaceable

swivel-up clear or anti-glare polycarbonate visor

BS grade 1, which gives protection against sparks,

molten metal and chemicals (Figure 2.4a, b).

Welding helmet or welding goggles with appropriate

shaded lens to BS regulations. These must be

worn at all times when welding. They will protect

the eyes and face from flying molten particles of

steel when gas welding and brazing, and from the

harmful light rays generated by the arc when

MIG/MAG, TIG or MMA welding (Figure 2.5a, b).

Foot protection

Safety footwear is essential in the bodyshop environment.

Boots or shoes with steel toecaps will

protect the toes from falling objects. Rubber boots

will give protection from acids or wet conditions.

Never wear defective footwear as this becomes a

hazard in any workshop environment.

Figure 2.2Lightweight safety spectacles

(Racal Safety Ltd )

Figure 2.3General-purpose safety goggles

(Racal Safety Ltd )

62Repair of Vehicle Bodies

(a) (b)

Figure 2.4(a) Face shield (Racal Safety Ltd ) (b) Face shield with protective hood (DeVilbiss Automotive

Refinishing Products)

(a) (b)

Figure 2.5(a) Standard visor-type welding helmet (b) Standard welding goggles with hinged lenses

(Racal Safety Ltd )

Health and safety 63