Issue link: https://sciencecentre.3mcanada.ca/i/1315642
body which makes up a major part of the daily work for the repairer. These vehicle surfaces consist of a steadily growing material mixture of steel, aluminum, plastic, carbon, glass fiber, zinc, styrene and others. 3 The effects of dust on health. The dust that is formed when sanding vehicle surfaces is barely visible to the naked eye and can be dangerous to a worker's health. 4 Sanding dust also has the potential to affect the health of anyone who is in the environment when dust is released into the atmosphere. It can also affect the health of worker's families who are exposed to risk if work clothes are taken home. 5 Dust can remain in the air for long periods of time and can settle in the lungs, on skin and even enter blood circulation. When dust enters the lungs, it can remain there for several hours. In order to be coughed out, the particles are carried away by the mucous membrane that is moved by cilia. This self-cleaning mechanism can be harmed by overload and contamination so that the particles can become enclosed in the lung permanently. Long-term consequences can result in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and even cancer. 6 These dangerous health effects illustrate why it's so important to take actions to prevent the creation of dust. Dust that is created in auto shops can also have economical implications. Tools can become worn down by dust, requiring them to be replaced in order to remain functional and efficient. Implementing regulations to help protect workers from workplace hazards. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) was created in 1978 and serves as a national agency that offers education, information services and training. When it comes to implementing legislation, each province has their own occupational health and safety legislation (OH&S) which applies to most workplaces in their regions. Thus, every provincial department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of their own occupational health and safety acts. 7 For instance, the province of Ontario employs occupational health and safety inspectors to visit autobody repair shops and observe the handling of workplace hazards. 8 That means that body shop owners need to take into consideration the health of their employees along with customer satisfaction. This is incentive for shop owners to purchase high quality equipment that helps mitigate the risk of dust while allowing for efficient service. 3 ZKF-Branchenbericht. Herstellender und reparierender Karosserie- und Fahrzeugbau, published February 2019. 4 „Punktabsaugung – was ist das?" in: Werk & Technik, 1/2010. 5 Enander; Richard T. a.o.: "Lead and Methylene Chloride Exposures Among Automotive Repair Technicians" in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2004, 1: 119-125. 6 „Punktabsaugung – was ist das?" in: Werk & Technik, 1/2010 and Ulmer, W.T.; Reichel G. (ed.): „Pneumokoniosen", page 27. 7 https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/intro.html, downloaded at 26/05/2020. 8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRstojCeyEQ, seen at 05/06/20.