Collision Repair Research Articles

Optimising post- collision repair costs with the use of the audanet system with 3d intelligent graphics

Transporting people and goods poses a risk of participating in road collisions which results in damage to be eliminated to bring the car back to operation. When running a business, it is essential to optimise the repair costs. Also, the insurance companies search for repair cost determination methods adequately to the damage incurred. Currently the post-collision cost calculations are supported by specialised IT tools offering various spare parts assortments to be used for repair, painting methods as well as the process of technological replacement of the elements damaged. Cars, due to their complex structure, require a new approach to the process of determining the size of damage and the resulting repair cost. The article covers the problem of optimising the post-collision repair costs while using 3D Intelligent Graphics of AudaNet. The procedures presented in the article can be used by researchers modelling technological post-collision repair processes and they are applicable.

A National Survey of Health and Safety Knowledge and Beliefs Among Technical Vocational Faculty in Autobody Collision Repair Technology.

Career technical education (CTE) programs prepare new generations of technicians in a variety of trades. Even though occupational safety and health (OSH) ought to be included as an essential part of CTE curricula it is frequently absent or inadequately taught. OSH knowledge and beliefs were assessed in a national sample of 125 secondary and post-secondary faculty in autobody collision repair technology. Over 50% of faculty thought at least 75% of OSH knowledge was learned at school, and 9% felt that safety was primarily learned on the job. Knowledge scores ranged from 22% to 78%. Overall knowledge scores were significantly lower high school than post-secondary instructors (42% vs 50%, P ≤ 0.001) and in two categories: hazard recognition (44% vs 54%, P ≤ 0.05) and hazard control and shop equipment (30% vs 37%, P ≤ 0.05). There are substantial gaps in OSH knowledge among secondary and post-secondary CTE instructors. CTE programs should address these gaps by providing trade-specific safety and health education to their instructors upon hiring.

Scheduling a dual-resource flexible job shop with makespan and due date-related criteria

Current struggles for customer satisfaction in make-to-order companies focus on product customization and on-time delivery. For better management of demand-mix variability, production activities are typically configured as flexible job shops. The advent of information technology and process automatization has given rise to very specific training requirement for workers, which indeed turns production scheduling into a dual-resource constrained problem. This paper states a novel dual-resource constrained flexible job-shop problem (DRCFJSP) whose performance considers simultaneously makespan and due date-oriented criteria, where eligibility and processing time are both dependent on worker expertise. Our research comes from an automobile collision repair shop with re-scheduling needs to react to real-time events like due date changes, delay in arrival, changes in job processing time and rush jobs. We have developed constructive iterated greedy procedures that performs efficiently on the large-scale bi-objective DRCFJSP arisen (good schedules in < 5 s), hence providing planners with the required responsiveness in their scheduling of repairing orders and allocation of workers at the different work centres. In addition, computational experiments were conducted on a test bed of smaller DRCFJSP instances generated for benchmarking purposes. Off-the-shelf resolution for an 80% of the medium-sized instances is not fruitful after 9000 s.

Health and Safety Education in Auto Body Collision and Machine Tool Technology Programs in Vocational Colleges: Challenges and Opportunities.

Collision repair, machining, and metal manufacturing are industries with a large percentage of small businesses whose owners face unique challenges implementing health and safety regulatory requirements. Previous research found that 72% of collision repair technicians and 47% of machinists attended some classes or graduated from vocational colleges. Although health and safety is a mandatory part of the curricula for post-secondary vocational education, little is known about what, how, and when health and safety is taught and if teaching is effective. Surveys and discussion groups were used to evaluate health and safety education in two vocational colleges in Minnesota. Six instructors and 76 students in collision repair, and 6 instructors and 130 students in machine tool technology programs participated. Instructors had no formal training in health and safety, few teaching materials, and lacked opportunities to learn about safety in their trade. Teaching was unscripted and heavily influenced by each instructor's™ industry experience, knowledge, perceptions and attitude towards safety, with little or no guidance from school administration, or safety professionals. Student survey results show that graduates have significant gaps in safety and health knowledge. Standardized trade-specific curricula and instructor training are needed to ensure students receive adequate health and safety education.

Determinants of Airborne Solvent Exposure in the Collision Repair Industry.

To assess the determinants of airborne solvent exposures in contemporary vehicle collision repair workplaces. Personal, full-shift airborne solvent exposures (n = 97) were assessed in 85 vehicle collision repair workers from 18 workshops. Peak exposures were assessed using a small number of video exposure monitoring measurements. Solvent exposures were highest in spray painters (geometric mean = 2.7 ppm) followed by panel beaters (0.5 ppm), but were well below workplace exposure standards. The lowest exposure levels were observed for mixing room extraction located away from the mixing bench [exposure ratio (ER) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.30-0.87]. Time spent mixing paint was associated with higher exposures (ER for every 10-min increase = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.24), as was time spent cleaning equipment with solvents (ER = 1.11, 95% CI = 0.88-1.39), spraying primer (ER = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.96-1.27), and spraying clear coat paint (ER = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.00-1.15). Overall, the combined non-spray painting tasks (mixing paint, degreasing, and cleaning equipment) were more strongly associated with exposure (ER = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.03-1.18) than the combined spray painting tasks (ER = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00-1.05). Peak exposures ranged from 10 to 1100 ppm with the strongest and most frequent peaks occurring during paint mixing, decanting of solvents, cleaning of equipment, and painting in a cross-draft spray booth. Airborne solvent exposures in the collision repair industry were associated with job title, the design and location of exhaust ventilation and emission sources, and time spent on specific tasks, with the highest average and peak exposures shown for non-spray painting tasks. These findings provide a contemporary basis for intervention programmes to reduce airborne solvent exposures in this industry.

Neuropsychological performance in solvent-exposed vehicle collision repair workers in New Zealand.

ObjectivesTo assess whether contemporary solvent exposures in the vehicle collision repair industry are associated with objectively measured neuropsychological performance in collision repair workers.MethodsThe RBANS battery and additional tests were administered to 47 vehicle collision repair and 51 comparison workers randomly selected from a previous questionnaire study.ResultsCollision repair workers performed lower on tests of attention (digit span backwards: -1.5, 95% CI -2.4, -0.5; digit span total: -1.7, CI -3.3, -0.0; coding: -6.1, CI -9.9, -2.8; total attention scale: -9.3, CI -15.9, -2.8) and the RBANS total scale (-5.1, CI -9.1, -1.2). Additional tests also showed deficits in visual attention and reaction time (Trails B: -11.5, CI -22.4, -0.5) and motor speed/dexterity (coin rotation dominant hand & non-dominant: -2.9, CI -5.3, -0.4 and -3.1, CI -5.6, -0.7 respectively). The strongest associations were observed in panel beaters. Applying dichotomised RBANS outcomes based on the lowest percentile scores of a normative comparison group showed strongly increased risks for attention (5th percentile: OR 20.1, 95% CI 1.5, 263.3; 10th percentile: 8.8, CI 1.7, 46.2; and 20th percentile: 5.1, CI 1.5, 17.6, respectively). Those employed in the industry for ≤ 17 years (the median work duration) generally had lower scores in the attention domain scale and RBANS total scale compared to those employed >17 years suggesting a healthy worker survivor bias, but trends were inconsistent for other domains.ConclusionsThis study has found significant deficits in cognitive performance in collision repair workers despite low current airborne exposures in New Zealand.

Solvent neurotoxicity in vehicle collision repair workers in New Zealand

ObjectivesTo assess whether solvent use and workplace practices in the vehicle collision repair industry are associated with symptoms of neurotoxicity in spray painters and panel beaters (auto body repair workers). MethodsNeurobehavioural symptoms were assessed using a cross-sectional study design in 370 vehicle collision repair and 211 reference workers using the EUROQUEST questionnaire. Full-shift airborne solvent levels were measured in a subset (n=92) of collision repair workers. ResultsSolvent exposures were higher in spray painters than in panel beaters, but levels were below current international exposure standards. Collision repair workers were more likely to report symptoms of neurotoxicity than reference workers with ORs of 2.0, 2.4 and 6.4 (all p<0.05) for reporting ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 symptoms respectively. This trend was generally strongest for panel beaters (ORs of 2.1, 3.3 and 8.2 for ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 symptoms respectively). Associations with specific symptom domains showed increased risks for neurological (OR 4.2), psychosomatic (OR 3.2), mood (OR 2.1), memory (OR 2.9) and memory and concentration symptoms combined (OR 2.4; all p<0.05). Workers who had worked for 10–19 years or 20+ years in the collision repair industry reported consistently more symptoms than those who had only worked less than 10 years even after adjusting for age. However, those who worked more than 20 years generally reported fewer symptoms than those who worked 10–19 years, suggesting a possible healthy worker survivor bias. ConclusionsDespite low airborne solvent exposures, vehicle collision repair spray painters and panel beaters continue to be at risk of symptoms of neurotoxicity.

0030 Health and Safety in Collision Repair Shops after 2 years of participation in Collision Auto Repair Safety Study (CARSS)

ObjectivesThis study evaluated the sustainability of health and safety improvements in small collision shops 1 year after completion of targeted intervention activities.MethodWorkplace health and safety evaluations were conducted at baseline,...

Workplace Safety and Health Programs, Practices, and Conditions in Auto Collision Repair Businesses

This article describes the results of a pre-intervention safety assessment conducted in 49 auto collision repair businesses and owners’ commitments to specific improvements. A 92-item standardized audit tool employed interviews, record reviews, and observations to assess safety and health programs, training, and workplace conditions. Owners were asked to improve at least one-third of incorrect, deficient, or missing (not in compliance with regulations or not meeting best practice) items, of which a majority were critical or highly important for ensuring workplace safety. Two-thirds of all items were present, with the highest fraction related to electrical safety, machine safety, and lockout/tagout. One-half of shops did not have written safety programs and had not conducted recent training. Many had deficiencies in respiratory protection programs and practices. Thirteen businesses with a current or past relationship with a safety consultant had a significantly higher fraction of correct items, in particular related to safety programs, up-to-date training, paint booth and mixing room conditions, electrical safety, and respiratory protection. Owners selected an average of 58% of recommended improvements; they were most likely to select items related to employee Right-to-Know training, emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and respiratory protection. They were least likely to say they would improve written safety programs, stop routine spraying outside the booth, or provide adequate fire protection for spray areas outside the booth. These baseline results suggest that it may be possible to bring about workplace improvements using targeted assistance from occupational health and safety professionals.

Understanding Factors That Influence Protective Glove Use Among Automotive Spray Painters

Dermal contact with isocyanate-based coatings may lead to systemic respiratory sensitization. The most common isocyanates found in sprayed automotive coatings are monomeric and oligomeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Most spray painters use thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves that are not effective at preventing dermal exposures when spraying isocyanate paints. Personal interviews with collision repair industry personnel and focus groups with spray painters were held to characterize risk awareness, to examine perceptions and challenges concerning protective glove use and selection, and to generate ideas for protective glove use interventions. The most popular gloves among spray painters were thin (4–5 mil) and thick (14 mil) latex. We found that medium to thick (6–8 mil) nitrile were not always perceived as comfortable and were expected to be more expensive than thin (4–5 mil) latex gloves. Of concern is the user's difficulty in distinguishing between nitrile and latex gloves; latex gloves are now sold in different colors including blue, which has traditionally been associated with nitrile gloves. Even though spray painters were familiar with the health hazards related to working with isocyanate paints, most were not always aware that dermal exposure to isocyanates could contribute to the development of occupational asthma. There is a need for more research to identify dermal materials that are protective against sprayed automotive coatings. Automotive spray painters and their employers need to be educated in the selection and use of protective gloves, specifically on attributes such as glove material, color, and thickness.

A comparison of owner and expert evaluation of health and safety in small collision repair shops: a pilot study

Workplace evaluation is one of the first steps in reducing the risk of injuries and illnesses, and is part of several programs that promote a participatory approach to occupational health among small business owners. The usefulness of written safety evaluations is contingent upon non-safety professionals obtaining accurate and reliable results. The purpose of this study was to better understand auto body shop owners' ability to correctly identify occupational health and safety issues within their businesses. In this study, 11 auto body shop owners used a 25-question checklist, developed specifically for this industry, to identify key safety and health problems. Owner results were compared with those of an industrial hygienist (IH) experienced in using the assessment form. The average number of safety problems identified by the IH was twice as large as the number identified by business owners (P = 0.02). The average percentage agreement of answers between owners and the IH was 81% (SD = 21%). Shop owners were more accurate in assessing the presence of written safety programs and records than the presence of unsafe work conditions. Overall, owners' sensitivity (ability to correctly identify a safety-deficient item) was low (0.22). Collision shop owners had some difficulty correctly identifying many unsafe/non-compliant items or situations in their facility. Naïve users' ability to correctly identify potentially hazardous situations--sensitivity--should be the metric of concern for the validity of safety assessments, and efforts should be directed at bringing this number as close to one as feasible.

258 Health and safety in small auto collision repair shops - Outcomes of a 1-year intervention

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the effectiveness of a 1-year intervention to assist owners of small collision shops with workplace safety and health improvements.MethodsA comprehensive evaluation containing 92 safety-related questions was conducted...

Understanding safety climate in small automobile collision repair shops

In the United States, approximately 236,000 people work in 37,600 auto collision-repair businesses. Workers in the collision-repair industry may be exposed to a wide range of physical and chemical hazards. This manuscript examines the relationship of safety climate as reported by collision repair shop workers and owners to: (1) an independent business safety assessment, and (2) employee self-reported work practices. The study was conducted in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. A total of 199 workers from 49 collision shops completed a survey of self-reported work practices and safety climate. Surveys were completed by an owner or manager in all but three shops. In general, self-reported work practices were poor. Workers' scores on safety climate were uniformly lower than those of owners. For workers, there was no correlation between how well the business scored on an independent audit of business safety practices and the safety climate measures they reported. For owners, however, there was a positive correlation between safety climate scores and the business safety assessment. For workers, safety rules and procedures were associated with improved work practices for those engaged in both painting-related and body technician-related activities. The enforcement of safety rules and procedures emerged as a strong factor positively affecting self-reported work practices. These findings identify a simple, cost effective path to reducing hazards in small workplaces.

Airborne Isocyanate Exposures in the Collision Repair Industry and a Comparison to Occupational Exposure Limits

Isocyanate exposure was evaluated in 33 spray painters from 25 Washington State autobody shops. Personal breathing zone samples (n = 228) were analyzed for isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) monomer, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer, IPDI polyisocyanate, and three polyisocyanate forms of HDI. The objective was to describe exposures to isocyanates while spray painting, compare them with short-term exposure limits (STELs), and describe the isocyanate composition in the samples. The composition of polyisocyanates (IPDI and HDI) in the samples varied greatly, with maximum amounts ranging from up to 58% for HDI biuret to 96% for HDI isocyanurate. There was a significant inverse relationship between the percentage composition of HDI isocyanurate to IPDI and to HDI uretdione. Two 15-min STELs were compared: (1) Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) STEL of 1000 μg/m3 for HDI polyisocyanate, and (2) the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive (UK-HSE) STEL of 70 μg NCO/m3 for all isocyanates. Eighty percent of samples containing HDI polyisocyanate exceeded the OR-OSHA STEL while 98% of samples exceeded the UK-HSE STEL. The majority of painters (67%) wore half-face air-purifying respirators while spray painting. Using the OR-OSHA and the UK-HSE STELs as benchmarks, 21% and 67% of painters, respectively, had at least one exposure that exceeded the respirator's OSHA-assigned protection factor. A critical review of the STELs revealed the following limitations: (1) the OR-OSHA STEL does not include all polyisocyanates, and (2) the UK-HSE STEL is derived from monomeric isocyanates, whereas the species present in typical spray coatings are polyisocyanates. In conclusion, the variable mixtures of isocyanates used by autobody painters suggest that an occupational exposure limit is required that includes all polyisocyanates. Despite the limitations of the STELs, we determined that a respirator with an assigned protection factor of 25 or greater is required to protect against isocyanate exposures during spray painting. Consequently, half-face air-purifying respirators, which are most commonly used and have an assigned protection factor of 10, do not afford adequate respiratory protection.

A qualitative evaluation of owner and worker health and safety beliefs in small auto collision repair shops

About 223,000 people are employed in approximately 34,500 auto collision repair businesses. In general, employees and owners in these establishments lack knowledge of health and safety practices and do not have the technical expertise to make their place of work safer. Three employee and three owner focus groups were conducted. The goal of these focus groups was to characterize health and safety beliefs of owners and employees and to determine the best methods for motivating safety improvements in collision repair shops. A total of 11 owners and 19 workers participated in these focus groups. Employees and owners were aware of a wide range of hazards. Both groups noted difficulty in staying informed. Employers were hesitant to set and enforce safety and health rules. Employees perceive owners to be unwilling to dedicate the resources to make the workplace safer and provide personal protective equipment. Both groups felt insurance reimbursement practices placed undue pressure on employees. Focus groups provide important insights into intervention development in very small enterprises in general and auto collision shops in specific. Employers were conflicted about allowing employees a certain level of independence while also maintaining a safe workplace. From the employee perspective, owners frequently fail to provide adequate personal protective equipment and make improvements needed to ensure safe work. The unique managerial needs of very small enterprises must be accounted for if health and safety programs are to be implemented in these establishments.

Airborne Isocyanate Exposures in the Collision Repair Industry and a Comparison to Occupational Exposure Limits

Airborne Isocyanate Exposures in the Collision Repair Industry and a Comparison to Occupational Exposure Limits

Survey of Dermal Protection in Washington State Collision Repair Industry

Substantial exposure to isocyanates may occur during spray painting in autobody shops, yet information is lacking on the efficacy of the protective clothing used during spray painting. We investigated the personal and workplace factors associated with painters’ dermal protection use during a large-scale exposure assessment study. Survey data indicated that 69% of painters always used gloves, with latex gloves (47%) and nitrile gloves (34%) used most frequently. Among latex glove users, 53% used thin latex (0.05–0.13 mm), 6% used medium latex (0.15–0.20 mm), and 12% used thick latex (> 0.20 mm). Among nitrile glove users, 27% used thin nitrile and 45% used medium nitrile. Sixty-three percent of painters always used coveralls, 44% preferring one particular brand. Although overspray presents an opportunity for dermal exposure to the neck and face, only 19% of painters protected these areas with personal protective equipment. Painters who always used coveralls were more likely to use gloves (odds ratio = 7.9, p = 0.061). Painters who reported ever having smoked cigarettes used gloves (p = 0.05) and coveralls (p = 0.04) more frequently. Painters who sprayed more than 34 clear coat jobs per month used coveralls most frequently (p = 0.038). Exact logistic regressions along with random sample calculations indicated that the survey results were independent of the shops. Because of the small sample size in this study, future research is warranted to corroborate these results. Studying the effectiveness of gloves and coveralls against polyurethane paints and understanding the underlying motivators and preferences for painters and business owners is needed for the development of best practices for the selection and use of dermal protection.

Exposure Assessment in Auto Collision Repair Shops

Workers in auto collision shops are exposed to a variety of chemical and physical hazards. Previous studies have focused on measuring levels of isocyanates, but little is known about exposures to dust, noise, and solvents. In preparation for an intervention effectiveness study in small collision repair businesses, sampling was conducted on 3 consecutive days in four representative businesses with three to seven employees. Full-shift and task-specific exposures were measured for dust and solvents (for operations other than painting and spray gun cleaning). Full-shift personal exposures and tool-specific noise levels were also evaluated. Samples of banded earplugs were distributed to employees and feedback was collected after 1 week of wear time. Dust and solvent exposures did not exceed the OSHA PELs. Noise exposure doses were below the OSHA PEL; however, 4 of the 18 measurements were in excess of the ACGIH® threshold limit value. The majority of tools generated noise levels above 85 dBA. Air guns, wrenches, cutoff wheels, and air drills generated noise levels with the 5th percentile above 90 dBA. Mean noise levels generated by hammers, grinders, and ratchets were also above 95 dBA. Three pairs of banded earplugs had the best reviews in terms of comfort of use. This study was conducted during a time when all shops reported relatively low production levels. Noise exposure results suggest that it is likely that technicians’ 8-hr time-weighted average exposures may be in excess of 85 dBA during periods of higher production, but exposures to dust and solvents are unlikely to approach OSHA exposure limits. These pilot test results will be useful when developing recommendations and technical assistance materials for health and safety interventions in auto collision repair businesses. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: a PDF containing a table on employee feedback on seven hearing band models, an example of an HP feedback card, a table showing a tool for selecting the solvents to be analyzed for area samples, a table containing MSDS and sample information for degreasing compounds, additional information for degreasing operations, an excerpt from the discussion with the AssayTech lab manager, and an image from the paint mixing room that returned the highest styrene and acetone concentrations.]

Automotive Aftermarkets: A Case Study in Systems Competition

As automobiles have become more durable and complex, manufacturers have denied access to parts, information, and training to anyone but authorized dealers. Increased intellectual property law protection has greatly contributed to these developments. This article examines the aftermarket for collision repair parts and the aftermarket for maintenance and repair services, and finds that problems such as consumer myopia and third-party payers keep consumers from factoring the total cost of ownership into the price of an automobile. Even robust competition in the primary market for new automobiles may not inhibit manufacturers from reaping monopoly profits in these aftermarkets. Potential solutions to these issues in the aftermarket for maintenance and repair services may be found in mandating access for independent service providers. In the aftermarket for collision repair parts, a potential solution may be found by creating an exception to design patent law for third-party collision repair parts.

A laboratory comparison of analytical methods used for isocyanates

Monomeric and oligomeric 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) are components of catalyst hardeners in two-part polyurethane coating systems. Exposure to these isocyanates in the collision repair industry has been associated with increased risk for work-related asthma; however their quantitation remains a challenging task. Four analytical methods were compared: modified version of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Method 5525 (NIOSH); liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC/MS) using 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine (MPP) as the derivatizing reagent; modified version of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration Method 42/PV2034 (OSHA); and modified version of the Omega ISO-CHEK® Method (WA-DOSH). Five levels of a widely used clear coat hardener were spiked onto sampling media. A reference value was calculated by using a hardener NCO titration and manufacturer composition data. Intra- and inter-method variability was determined. All methods measuring NCO-HDI monomer, NCO-IPDI monomer, NCO-IPDI oligomers, and total NCO mass (except OSHA method) compared well against the reference values (slopes ≥ 0.816, R2 > 0.90). The NCO-HDI oligomer results for the NIOSH method compared well with the reference values (slope = 1.161, standard error = 0.046 and R2 = 0.98, p < 0.001) while WA-DOSH were above (slope = 2.293, standard error = 0.055 and R2 = 0.99, p < 0.001) and LC/MS were below (slope = 0.264, standard error = 0.011 and R2 = 0.98, p < 0.001) the reference values. The principal challenges associated with comparing methods were: 1) the reporting metrics were not always directly comparable and 2) not all methods reported all isocyanate species of interest. Although this present study provided valuable information, a more extensive investigation is required in order to critically evaluate these methodological differences.