Is your garage a health hazard?

If you have ever spent an hour in a regular motor garage in this country, you must have noticed that there are obvious health hazards. The mechanics, mostly young men in their early 20s to late 30s, work in harsh conditions all day long, every day.

Because the majority of garages are open-air facilities, the mechanics work under the hot tropical sun everyday with no protection for their skin. The floors in the vast majority of garages are not paved, so they are dusty on sunny days and muddy on rainy ones. These young men cut metal without eye protection, leaving them susceptible to hot metallic particles entering their eyes. They grind metals with no particle masks, making it possible for them to breathe in the metallic dust from the grinders.

They also weld with no professional eye protection, leaving the luminous brightness of the welder to hit their eyeballs all day long. Those who try to protect their eyes use sunglasses that they bought off the street for Shs2,000. 

Car paint

Young men, barely in their 20s, spray-paint cars with no protection for either their eyes or the nostrils, while others eat right next to a colleague who is spray-painting without a care in the world. At the end of the day, every part of the mechanic’s body is battered.

Their eyes, nostrils and lungs are likely filled with toxic particles, their ears have been accosted by the unmitigated sound pollution from car engines and electric grinders and cutters, their stomachs are not spared either from eating in this dirty environment, and their skin is suffering with toxic grease, car paint and ultraviolet rays from the sun. Interestingly, the only part protected is the feet as a good number try to wear protective footwear.

As you pass through the garage, you hold your breath or place a handkerchief on your nose for protection but deep down, you know this is not a viable option for those who work here everyday. But from the look of things, it is no cause for concern to them.

Expensive gear

For instance, when we talked to a group of young men in a garage in Ndeeba in Lubaga Division, Kampala, we found that they spray-paint without masks. When asked why they do not try to protect themselves from the harful fumes, their excuse is that the right masks for spray-painting are very expensive. A cheap, poor quality spray-paint mask goes for Shs100,000 and the good quality one costs Shs200,000, they said, adding that even after paying that much money for the mask, it will not last long.

Why not use the cheap surgical masks? “Because they clog very fast,” they answered. They would rather work without them than work through five masks a day. At the end of the day, it is all about saving as much of the money they make in a day. Profit in their hands, health in God’s hands. 

Costly

Mugerwa Umaro, specialises in spray-painting motorcycles. Umaro says he knows the trouble in spraying without a mask.

“But what do you do? We work to get food for our children. If you are working for food, how can you start buying masks? You will end up working for these things and you will end up not eating.”

“We work well-knowing that it is dangerous but you must understand that standard equipment is extremely expensive. And the surgical masks do not last a day in paint,” he says.

Asked if concerned authorities have ever tried to sensitise them about this matter, Mugerwa says in the 10 years he has been in the painting business, no one or no effort has been made to create awareness about the dangers of exposing themselves to these fumes or not wearing protective gear while working.

“We usually find out the hard way when a colleague falls ill and when they go to hospital, they are told that overtime, their lungs have been affected by the prolonged exposure to car paint,” he says, citing an example of his mentor, Joseph Kaggwa, who has been spray-painting cars for more than 20 years.

Lungs in danger

A few months ago, Kaggwa started suffering from constant chest pain. Although he ignored the pain for a while, when it persisted, he went to Lubaga Hospital in Kampala for a checkup and here, he was told his lungs were not functioning optimally, probably as a result of inhaling car paint fumes for a long time.

“I was given medication and I am lucky it alleviated the pain. I am happy that I am fine now, but after that scare, I can never spray-paint without wearing a mask because I know first-hand the dangers of not protecting myself,” he says.

Who should help?

The Ministry of Labour spokesman, Frank Mugabi, says the job of sensitising workers about occupational health and protection falls under local government.  He adds that the Ministry of Labour cannot caution local governments that are not doing their jobs since local governments are autonomous.

“If you are looking for who to blame for this, please blame the local governments that are not doing their jobs,” he says.

According to porterchester.edu, workers can ensure their safety by wearing the following safety gear:

Gloves to avoid burns when engines and other auto parts become hot.

Safety goggles to prevent eye injury while working with chemicals, welding, or grinding.

Work overalls or a protective uniform to protect your whole body from extreme temperatures and dangerous chemicals.

Steel toe work boots with non-slip soles to protect your feet and reduce the risk of slipping or falling.

Ear protection when using loud equipment; common power tools used in auto repair shops, such as disk sanders, impact wrenches and electric drills, can create enough noise to cause hearing damage over time.

A back brace when lifting heavy parts. Use proper lifting techniques and ask a coworker for help or use hoists if needed.

Caution while in the auto shop

• Never eat or drink on the shop floor to avoid contamination from hazardous chemicals.

•Follow proper state guidelines for disposing of chemical waste, especially flammables such as gasoline or oil.

• Vent your shop adequately to reduce the risk of inhaling harmful fumes.

• Never ever smoke in or near the garage. The shop is full of flammable and combustible fluids that can easily ignite if they come into contact with hot ash or a cigarette butt.