Understanding Factors That Influence Protective Glove Use Among Automotive Spray Painters

Abstract

Dermal contact with isocyanate-based coatings may lead to systemic respiratory sensitization. The most common isocyanates found in sprayed automotive coatings are monomeric and oligomeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Most spray painters use thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves that are not effective at preventing dermal exposures when spraying isocyanate paints. Personal interviews with collision repair industry personnel and focus groups with spray painters were held to characterize risk awareness, to examine perceptions and challenges concerning protective glove use and selection, and to generate ideas for protective glove use interventions. The most popular gloves among spray painters were thin (4–5 mil) and thick (14 mil) latex. We found that medium to thick (6–8 mil) nitrile were not always perceived as comfortable and were expected to be more expensive than thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves. Of concern is the user's difficulty in distinguishing between nitrile and latex gloves; latex gloves are now sold in different colors including blue, which has traditionally been associated with nitrile gloves. Even though spray painters were familiar with the health hazards related to working with isocyanate paints, most were not always aware that dermal exposure to isocyanates could contribute to the development of occupational asthma. There is a need for more research to identify dermal materials that are protective against sprayed automotive coatings. Automotive spray painters and their employers need to be educated in the selection and use of protective gloves, specifically on attributes such as glove material, color, and thickness.

Keywords:

• focus groups
• interviews
• automotive paints
• spray painters
• car painters
• protective glove
• nitrile
• latex
• butyl rubber

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the participating spray painters, collision repair industry personnel, and spray training facilities who volunteered in this project. Thanks also to Mark Davey for his help with data analysis. Special thanks for the support provided by the Automotive Service Association of Washington (ASA-WA). The contract grant sponsors were the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and the National Occupational Research Agenda Project. Financial support was provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (grant number: R01 OH009364-01).