Survey of Dermal Protection in Washington State Collision Repair Industry

Abstract

Substantial exposure to isocyanates may occur during spray painting in autobody shops, yet information is lacking on the efficacy of the protective clothing used during spray painting. We investigated the personal and workplace factors associated with painters’ dermal protection use during a large-scale exposure assessment study. Survey data indicated that 69% of painters always used gloves, with latex gloves (47%) and nitrile gloves (34%) used most frequently. Among latex glove users, 53% used thin latex (0.05–0.13 mm), 6% used medium latex (0.15–0.20 mm), and 12% used thick latex (> 0.20 mm). Among nitrile glove users, 27% used thin nitrile and 45% used medium nitrile. Sixty-three percent of painters always used coveralls, 44% preferring one particular brand. Although overspray presents an opportunity for dermal exposure to the neck and face, only 19% of painters protected these areas with personal protective equipment. Painters who always used coveralls were more likely to use gloves (odds ratio = 7.9, p = 0.061). Painters who reported ever having smoked cigarettes used gloves (p = 0.05) and coveralls (p = 0.04) more frequently. Painters who sprayed more than 34 clear coat jobs per month used coveralls most frequently (p = 0.038). Exact logistic regressions along with random sample calculations indicated that the survey results were independent of the shops. Because of the small sample size in this study, future research is warranted to corroborate these results. Studying the effectiveness of gloves and coveralls against polyurethane paints and understanding the underlying motivators and preferences for painters and business owners is needed for the development of best practices for the selection and use of dermal protection.

Keywords:

• personal protective equipment
• dermal protection, gloves
• coveralls
• collision repair industry
• isocyanates

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the participating collision repair shops and their workers who volunteered in this project. Our thanks also extend to spray paint trainers who shared their knowledge. We are particularly grateful to Joyce Fan (SHARP epidemiologist) and the Biostatistics Consulting Group (University of Washington) for their valuable help with the statistical analysis.

 Special thanks to Professors Michael Morgan and Janice Camp (University of Washington) for their advice and editing of this manuscript; and to Robert Anderson (SHARP industrial hygienist) for his help in the field. This study was funded in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (R01-OH007598, T42/CCT422952, T42 OH008673) and the National Occupational Research Agenda Project.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following supplemental resource: a PDF containing the “Industrial Hygiene Survey.”]