Asbestos and the Auto Industry
For many decades, asbestos has been used by
the
auto industry in brake pads and linings, clutch facings, and
gaskets. Millions of these products remain on vehicles currently in use,
which poses an asbestos exposure risk to auto mechanics across the
nation. Though it may be a shocking fact to many people, some brakes and
clutches in production today are still made with asbestos, just in
smaller quantities than older brakes.
In 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
released a brochure entitled “Current Best Practices for Preventing
Asbestos Exposure Among Brake and Clutch Repair Workers,” which offers
safety recommendations to those working with brakes and
clutches. This brochure warns, “Because
some, but not all, automotive brakes and clutches available or in
use today may contain asbestos, professional automotive technicians and
home mechanics who repair and replace brakes and clutches may be exposed
to asbestos dust.” The document also explains it is impossible to know
if brake or clutch components contain asbestos just by looking at them,
and reports the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
advises “mechanics should assume that all brakes have asbestos-type
shoes.”
Hazard to
Auto Mechanics
When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or
damaged, they release microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Of
course, the nature of brake and clutch functions causes continual
abrasion, and this releases the imbedded asbestos fibers. Much of the
toxic material is trapped inside the clutch space or brake housing, and
this is released with repair and replacement work is performed. The
vacuums used to clean the work area during and after the job can further
spread asbestos fibers into the surrounding air.
The dangerous asbestos fibers are
easily inhaled and can even be ingested if fibers get on their hands and
clothes (poses a problem when eating). The fibers tend to linger in the
air long after a job is done, potentially exposing other mechanics and
even customers who enter the shop. Asbestos can even be carried home on
workers’ clothing, exposing their families to the hazardous material.
This should be a serious concern, as exposure to asbestos can lead to a
variety of deadly diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and
mesothelioma cancer.
Additionally,
nonprofessional home auto mechanics that repair or replace their own
brakes or clutches can also be exposed to asbestos, as well as their
families since no protective measures are likely taken to prevent fibers
from entering the home. Exposure at home can even be worse, as these
auto enthusiasts most often do not have the tools and equipment to make
the job quicker and easier (which leads to actions that further disturb
asbestos, such as aggressive strikes with a hammer to release the older
product).
In 2000, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer funded a study performed by government-certified
laboratories that discovered high levels of asbestos in 21 of the 31
brake-repair shops studied, which spanned six states throughout the
country. The same study also found that most of the workers were under
the impression that asbestos was banned by the EPA a long time ago. If
this study reflects the conditions at auto mechanic shops across the
nation, then thousands upon thousands of mechanics could be at risk of
serious asbestos exposure.
SAFETY MEASURES
The EPA’s brochure offers
information regarding OSHA’s regulations for commercial automotive shops
concerning asbestos. The recommendations are separated into commercial
automotive shops that perform more than five brake or clutch jobs per
week, and those that perform less than five.
OSHA regulations require shops
performing more than five brake or clutch jobs a week to use one of the
following practices:
·
Negative-Pressure
Enclosure/HEPA Vacuum System Method:
This kind of enclosure and vacuum
system features a special box with clear plastic walls (or windows),
which fits tightly around a brake or clutch assembly in order to prevent
asbestos exposure.
·
Low Pressure/Wet
Cleaning Method: This
specially designed low-pressure spray equipment wets the brake assembly
and catches the asbestos-contaminated runoff in a special basin to
reduce or prevent airborne brake dust from spreading.
For shops performing less
than five brake or clutch jobs a week, the following method should be
used:
·
Wet Wipe Method:
This method uses a spray bottle (or other device that can deliver a fine
mist of water), or amended water (water with a detergent), at low
pressure to wet all brake and clutch parts. These parts can then be
wiped with a cloth.
For those who repair or replace their own brakes or clutches at home and
have no way of knowing if the materials contain asbestos (as is the case
in most instances), the EPA recommends having the job done at a
commercial shop to avoid exposure. If this is not an option, the agency
then recommends using the preventative measures required of commercial
shops performing more than five brake or clutch jobs a week. If an
individual lacks the professional equipment required, then the wet wipe
method is recommended.
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