Isocyanates

You've been working as a spray painter for about a year. One afternoon, you've just resumed spraying a car when you feel a tightness in your chest and a choking sensation. When they see you gasping for breath, your workmates get you outside into the fresh air. You're so shaken, you go home early.

Next morning, on entering the workshop, you experience the same coughing, chest tightness and shortage of breath. It's like having an asthma attack - yet you've never had asthma in your life. Just what's going on?

What's happened, unfortunately, is that you have have become allergic to chemicals called isocyanates, which are present in two-pack mixes of polyurethane paint. The bad news is that you'll have these astthma-like attacks whenever you're exposed to paint containing isocyanates, and you'll have to give up working with them permanently.

It is possible, however, to prevent these health problems from occurring in the first place. The most important safety measure is to wear a compressed air fed respirator mask or hood, with eye protection, whenever you spray with isocyanate-containing paints. This will prevent you from breathing in the fine mists of paint, which is how isocyanates are absorbed into your lungs.

There is a Department of Labour code of practice governing work with isocyanates which details the responsibilities employers have for safety and health.