2008 Woodie Awards
Student falls sick from autoshop chemicals
FUMES: Working with chemicals and sanding causes students to feel dizzy, some becoming sick at work.
By: Sylvia Masuda
Issue date: 5/12/05 Section: News
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Editor's note: This article is part of a series that will focus on campuswide
If you work in or around the Industrial and Technical Shop, hold your breath.
Due to poor ventilation and out-of-date safety machinery, students taking the Automotive Collision Repair course are receiving respiratory symptoms, including breathing difficulty, dizziness and coughing.
"In general, it's just a bad situation," Kyle Smith, 19, automotive technology major, said.
"Sometimes, when I come home I notice that I have a lot more chalky-colored phlegm and it's only after my classes," Smith said. "I run and I work out and I've never had health problems until I started taking the course."
Automotive collision repair instructor Ron Dohi is unaware of such ailments.
"I haven't heard of anything," Dohi said. "Here, you find just the type of things that you find at any auto shop."
The course requires that students use a chemical substance called Bondo to prime the car before spray painting it. Afterward, students sand off the Bondo, leaving behind a fine dust that lingers in the air.
"I've noticed that there'll be a cloud of paint or Bondo dust that will loom in the air for a good three or four hours," Smith said.
Students are required to wear a mask when painting, priming or sanding, Dohi said.
"You are susceptible to these chemicals even when you're not working on the car," Smith said. "When someone else is sanding next to you, you're the victim."
Since no core materials are provided, students bring in their own possibly volatile chemicals, Smith said.
Other students have experienced coughing fits, but because it "comes with the job," they ignore the symptoms, Smith said.
"A lot of (my classmates) say they'd never pursue careers in it because of the health issue," Smith said.
Smith attributes students' dizziness to the poor ventilation.
In addition, filters installed throughout the building are not doing an adequate job of purifying the air.
If you work in or around the Industrial and Technical Shop, hold your breath.
Due to poor ventilation and out-of-date safety machinery, students taking the Automotive Collision Repair course are receiving respiratory symptoms, including breathing difficulty, dizziness and coughing.
"In general, it's just a bad situation," Kyle Smith, 19, automotive technology major, said.
"Sometimes, when I come home I notice that I have a lot more chalky-colored phlegm and it's only after my classes," Smith said. "I run and I work out and I've never had health problems until I started taking the course."
Automotive collision repair instructor Ron Dohi is unaware of such ailments.
"I haven't heard of anything," Dohi said. "Here, you find just the type of things that you find at any auto shop."
The course requires that students use a chemical substance called Bondo to prime the car before spray painting it. Afterward, students sand off the Bondo, leaving behind a fine dust that lingers in the air.
"I've noticed that there'll be a cloud of paint or Bondo dust that will loom in the air for a good three or four hours," Smith said.
Students are required to wear a mask when painting, priming or sanding, Dohi said.
"You are susceptible to these chemicals even when you're not working on the car," Smith said. "When someone else is sanding next to you, you're the victim."
Since no core materials are provided, students bring in their own possibly volatile chemicals, Smith said.
Other students have experienced coughing fits, but because it "comes with the job," they ignore the symptoms, Smith said.
"A lot of (my classmates) say they'd never pursue careers in it because of the health issue," Smith said.
Smith attributes students' dizziness to the poor ventilation.
In addition, filters installed throughout the building are not doing an adequate job of purifying the air.