The Safe Shops Project

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Boston Safe Shops Auto Shop Pollution Prevention
http//www.bphc.org/bphc/oeh_safeshop.asp
Presented by Paul Shoemaker, MPH
Thomas M. Menino, Mayor Barbara Ferrer, Executive
Director
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Overview

• Environmental Concerns - Auto Shops in Boston
• The Safe Shops Model and Interventions
• Outcomes and Results to Date
• Lessons Learned

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Auto Shops in Boston

• More than 550 shops in densely packed mixed
  zoning areas
• Most with less than 5 employees paid per-job with
  no health insurance or other benefits
• Few have resources for worker protection or
  pollution prevention
• Provide an important source of employment in low
  income, minority, and immigrant communities

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Auto Shops Environmental Concerns

• Air emissions of solvents and paint fumes
• Worker contact with hazardous chemicals
• Storage of flammable chemicals
• Spills and soil/groundwater contamination and
  chemical waste storage
• Solid waste storage and disposal, physical injury
  risk from junk parts, etc.

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Target Neighborhood Demographics
DATA SOURCE Boston Public Health Commission
Health of Boston 2005 Report and U.S. Department
of Commerce, Bureau of Census, American FactFinder
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A spray booth exhaust system?
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Hazardous waste storage area?
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Flammable storage cabinet?
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Solid waste storage?
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Safe Shops Project Model
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Partners
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Activities

• Partner meetings
• Environmental Assessments and worker surveys
• Safe Shops training session
• Provision of resources and assistance
• Business development assistance (finding funding)
• Identifying alternative products and vendors
• Worker training in best practices
• Health Van and health insurance enrollment
• Follow-up env. assessments and worker surveys
• Continued training, assistance and follow-up

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Results to Date

• 238 auto shops inspected and/or surveyed
• 95 shops and 1 vocational school received
  training sessions
• 430 workers and 124 vocational students
  participated in trainings
• 9 shops have made major operational/purchasing
  changes
• New city ordinance passed to regulate auto shops
• Newsletter of shop success stories published and
  mailed to shops resulting in calls requesting
  training
• Expansion of the program citywide

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Selected Results to Date (shops that received
training)

• Increase in compliance in labeling of waste area
  containers from 56 to 90
• Increase in compliance for labeling and closing
  of lids for solvents and parts cleaners from 80
  to 96
• Increase in cleanliness and the sanitary
  conditions from 83 to 100

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Using Less Toxic Products

• Using aqueous based brake cleaners
• Arthurs Sunoco, Mattapan,
• Auto Service and Tire, Mattapan
• Foreign Auto Clinic, Brighton
• G G Auto Services, Mattapan
• J P Auto Repair, Dorchester
• Mecca Motors, Allston
• Woodings Garage, Allston

• Using EPA-approved Gun Washer
• Moreno Auto Body, Roxbury
• Supreme Auto Center, Mattapan

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Case Study Supreme Auto Center

• Participated in S.T.A.R. paint training to reduce
  paint overspray
• Purchased HVLP spray guns w/ detachable paint
  cups
• Purchase vacuum capture sanders and EPA-approved
  paint gun cleaner
• 98 reduction in acetone and 56 decrease in
  toluene in shop indoor air
• Report saving hundreds of dollars of paints that
  would have been wasted with old methods and paint
  guns without detachable cups

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Case Study Moreno Auto Body

• Participated in S.T.A.R. paint training to reduce
  paint overspray
• Purchased a supplied air respirator for painting
  to replace the paper dust mask previously used
• Switched to low VOC paints and EPA-approved gun
  cleaner
• 94 reduction in acetone and 88 decrease in
  toluene in shop indoor air

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