Fairmont Shop Description

While the list had a very large number of different materials that were located in the shop, I only will list the chemicals that would present an industrial health hazard to an employee using them and chemicals that are used in every battery repair. Since some repairs use different chemicals and different processes, I decided to narrow it down to a very basic battery repair that would be done at the Fairmont shop I visited. First would be sulfuric acid, which is used in the cells of the battery in a liquid solution form. The hazards associated with sulfuric acid range from eye hazards, skin contact hazards, inhalation hazards, and ingestion hazards. If the corrosive acid comes into contact with any part of the skin or eyes, it can dissolve the skin and create “chemical burns and blisters” …show more content…
If the lead comes in contact with eyes or skin it can be “absorbed into the bloodstream” (OSHA 1995) or if the lead is in the process of being melted, it can also burn the eyes or skin it comes into contact with. The most dangerous part, in my opinion, in working with the burning of lead is the inhalation or ingestion that can occur from the fumes from the lead that is being melted down. Inhalation or ingestion of lead fumes can cause lead poisoning. Lead poisoning occurs in the bloodstream and because of that, it can spread to all the different parts of the body if it goes unchecked. The severity and whether the poisoning is acute or chronic depends on how much and how long the employee is exposed. Lead poisoning can cause a variety of health effects such as “nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fatigue, headache, nervous, urinary, and reproductive system damage, and can eventually cause death” (OSHA 1995) if not treated properly. Compressed Oxygen and Propane are used in the process of melting the lead sticks