Isocyanates are a component found in either the paint, clearcoat or the hardener for the clearcoat, which is usually the final product applied to protect the paint on the car. A quick search on the internet for the safety data sheets for the three should help determine which one or more contains the isocyanates.
Concerns:
Employees have complained of headaches only when spray painting. They paint with regular car paint and then apply a clearcoat finish.
A quick inspection of the auto body shop reveals that minimal precautions were used to protect their health when repairing the car body and when spray painting.
1) Car body repair hazards
Employees were not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment when grinding, sanding, or welding to repair the body of cars, prior to spray painting the vehicle. Nor was specialized ventilation utilized when using a torch to melt the metal used for repairing sections of the car. The only protection they wore was a non-approved white, single elastic dust mask similar to those found at a dollar store.
2) Current spray painting operations
Employees use a room which had an exhaust fan mounted on an exterior wall to provide the air exchange for when they were doing any painting operations. They also wore half-mask respirators with organic vapour /acid mist cartridges with no pre-filters. The masks were left lying on the benches in the room when not in use.
3) The situation –
The shop has contracted you to conduct a designated substance assessment for the use of isocyanates to be compliant with the MOL order. They have also asked you to perform a hazard assessment for the car repair area of the shop to determine the main hazards and to recommend improvements.
The assignment contains three main tasks:
The first task is to undertake the designated substance assessment of isocyanates, and write it up in accordance with the criteria established by the Ministry of Labour. You can use either the IAPA template found in their workbook (Google IAPA Designated substances) or McMaster Universitys template which you can also find on the internet. The IAPA (Industrial Accident Prevention Association) is now called Workplace Safety Prevention Services (WSPS). The designated substance assessment template may also be found under WSPS designated substances assessments.
The second task is to perform a hazard assessment for the car repair area of the shop, using the recognition, assessment, and control methodology to determine the main hazards and to recommend improvements.
The third task is to prepare a report to the shop owner that identifies and summarizes the gathered information as to why employees have been getting sick, a discussion of the potential hazards for the repair area of the shop, and the steps they must take to correct the situation.
The report section of the assignment, that includes the hazard assessment for the car repair area of the shop, has a maximum page count of 12 pages. This does not include the designated substance assessment, Title Page, Table of Contents, and References sections.
You will need to do some research on how Autobody shops work to complete this assignment. The easiest way would likely be to simply visit an Autobody shop, tell them you are doing this for an assignment and ask them to show you the basic layout and steps along the way. The assignment can be completed without visiting a shop if the visit cannot be arranged.
Additionally, the MOL has on Facebook a video on Autobody shops. To access it, go to Facebook and search MOL or Ministry of Labour and Autobody. The video should show up. It can also be found on Utube.
Report format:
The report should have the following: (The point value for each section is listed in brackets)
1. A cover page with title, author (you), date, intended recipient (me), etc. (course title & number) (1 mark)2. Executive summary which is a Readers Digest version of the report, or a Coles notes version which summarizes the entire report in one to two paragraphs along with the major recommendations. It is not meant to be an introduction or a purpose for the report. It is often used for lengthy reports.) (1 mark)3. Table of contents with page numbers. The report should also contain page numbers. (1 mark)4. Purpose or Introduction which explains briefly in a paragraph or two why the report is being done. You can use the background (scenario) identified at the beginning of this assignment (1 mark)5. Process map and Layout (basically the floor plan of the shop showing the different areas and arrows to show how the car moves from the front door to the back door, having been completely restored and painted) (2 marks)6. Hazard assessment; for the car repair area of the shop, using the recognition, assessment, and control method to determine and assess the main hazards. (4 marks)7. Designated substance assessment for Isocyanates. If the safety data sheet shows it is in the hardener for the clearcoat, go with that. Follow the process flow to determine the tasks involved in preparing for painting, painting and clean up. The assessment can appear as an appendix in your report. (4 marks)8. Discussion on the findings of the hazard assessment for the car repair area and designated substance assessment (Isocyanates) and Recommendations to improve shop conditions. Legal requirements should be reviewed to gauge appropriate controls. (4 marks)
A good place to start would be to visit the Ontario Government E-laws website at
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/navigation?file=home and go to Search or Browse Current Consolidated, then choose O for Occupational, and then click on the + sign, and search for regulations 490/09 Designated Substances and 851/90 Industrial Establishments. Both sets of legislation are applicable for this assignment. Search in 851/90 regarding elimination of hazardous (toxic) dusts and vapours. Regulation 833 Control of Exposure to Biological and Chemical Agents can also be reviewed.
9. Conclusions. The conclusion is a wrap-up of the report. You can identify the most significant recommendations in this section as well. (1 mark)10. Bibliography. For books the title, author, publisher, edition, year of publication and city. For web sites, name of the web site, the specific section of the website, the URL or specific link in the web site and the date it was accessed. Designated substance templates must also be identified, in other words, you cant take one and not identify whose it is. (1 mark)
The total value for this assignment will be 20 points which represents 20% of the total grade for the course. You can use the internet to search out other possible templates for the designated substance assessments.
The report should be typed, either 10 or 11 Arial or Calibri font. The report must be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Please keep everything in one or two files and make sure your name appears in the file name. If you scan the designated substance assessment, please try and keep the file size down to below 2 Meg. Please make sure your name appears in the file name.
Once the report is ready you can upload it into the Assignment section in Blackboard.
