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