Work year 2007/2008: Inspecting MVR bodyshops spraying 2-pack isocyanate-containing paints

Summary

This SIM alerts Inspectors and Health and Safety Awareness Officers (HSAOs) to the action required during the fourth year of the ‘isocyanate project’. It builds on the extensive work developing and presenting 25 Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs), interventions with intermediary groups and visits carried out by Inspectors and Specialists to bodyshops who did not attend one of the SHADs.

Aim

1. To improve compliance with COSHH and ensure better control of exposure to isocyanates in those Motor Vehicle Repair (MVR) companies who did not attend SHADs.

Background

2. Over a thousand people contract occupational asthma (OA) each year in the UK. The single biggest causative agent is isocyanate and the highest risk group exposed to isocyanates is “vehicle spray painters” in the motor vehicle repair (MVR) industry. Their overall risk is roughly 80 times the average OA for the UK working population.

3. The aims of the National Project are to reduce the risk of respiratory illness from isocyanates and to raise awareness of and reduce the risk of skin disease in MVR bodyshop workers. This contributes to the “Fit 3” Strategic Programme and specifically the Disease Reduction Programme.

Action required

4. HSAOs are asked to visit 900 companies who did not attend one of the MVR SHADs to identify those bodyshops who are not meeting the industry agreed standards (as set out in SIM 03/2006/04 ). An aide memoire is provided to help identify poor compliance. It is not mandatory to complete this, nor is it necessary to return it to the DRP. Details of non-compliant companies should be passed to the B4 Inspectors (who received specific training on health and safety standards in bodyshops in 2006) for inspection and possible enforcement. 180 B4 follow-up visits have been assumed for this project.

Sector support

5. It would be beneficial for all visiting staff involved in the project to attend a SHAD before April 2007 (a list of events is provided on the MVR webpages). If this is not possible, a DVD containing video footage of an entire SHAD together with all of the PowerPoint presentations can be obtained from Andy Manns in the Birmingham office (tel 0121 607 6135, email andy.manns@hse.gsi.gov.uk ). In addition, a comprehensive (32 page) Topic Inspection Pack is available, this SIM should be read in conjunction with the topic pack. The pack covers everything the Inspector needs to know, including information on the project, enforcement expectations, Risk Control Indicators, sample notices, and the latest clearance time measurement method.

Resources

6.HSAOs are asked to visit 900 premises nationally referring on to a Band 4 where conditions are poor and/or enforcement action is envisaged. The FOD Delivery Plan confirms the resource allocation by division.

Premises selection

7. The first priority group for selection is those businesses that were invited to MVR SHADs but did not attend. As SHADs were organised locally any list of non-attendees is held locally therefore, local liaison is necessary to identify these premises. The next priority is to use local knowledge and internet directories search to identify ‘new to FOD premises’ – searches using “garage services”, “accident repair”, “car body repair” may be most useful. These searches may need to be cross referenced against COIN to see if the premises are already known and inspected. Lastly, searches of the COIN database can provide lists of premises to visit.

Start and completion dates

8. Visits by HSAOs should ideally run from April to December 2007 with B4 visits from May 2007 to March 2008

Recording

9. COIN recording details will be notified by FOD

Inspector and HSAO competency and training

10. B4 visits should ideally be carried out by those staff who attended specific training in 2006. HSAOs will need to have attended one of the SHAD events or have viewed the SHAD DVD

HSAO briefing events were carried out in March and April 2007 and relevant supporting material provided on CD.

Health and Safety

11. The Health and Safety Supplements relating to general site visits are available on the Intranet under 'Your Health and Safety'.

12. The main area of concern for visiting staff is breathing airborne mist containing isocyanates. Remember that such mist is invisible to the naked eye and spray booths may take up to five minutes to clear whilst spray rooms may take half an hour. Consequently, do not enter a booth or room where spraying has taken place until the clearance time has elapsed.

Sector contacts

13. Further information can be obtained from Andrew Lake, Manufacturing Sector (Tel: 01342 334243; VPN 503 4243, Email: andrew.lake@hse.gsi.gov.uk )