Auto-body repair shops encouraged to be more eco-friendly

With the recent launch of Aquabase Plus, operators of auto-body repair shops and garages now have a more environmentally-friendly automotive paint on which they can rely to deliver a better quality finish, provide a healthier workspace and by extension a healthier community.

Berger Paints launched Aquabase Plus, an environmentally-friendly revolution in automotive technology, recently at the Sissons Colour Centre located at #1 Observatory Road, Wildey, St. Michael. The Aquabase Plus paints are said to provide an environmentally-progressive solution for the repair of the original basecoat, as well as to provide direct gloss finishes and is built on the heritage of the world’s first waterborne basecoat, introduced in 1992.

Ron Payton, Technical Training Instructor at PPG Industries, whilst giving details about the product, however stressed that whilst the products are much more environmentally-friendly, all safety precautions must still be observed with the paints being used.

“Aquabase Plus really is the state of the art waterborne base coat. It’s 100 per cent water, latex and it offers colour match above and beyond solvent. So what you see is really what you get. As far as the product goes, it’s a full range, all the way from primer, all the way up to clear coat. So it’s really a one stop shop as far as waterborne technology [is concerned]” he explained.

In terms of safety precautions, he however noted, “The misconception is, because it is water it is not going to hurt me, but the reality is – it can. It can affect every part of your body. It just doesn’t give you the warning signs that you have been very exposed, like solvent would. You don’t get the dizzy feeling like solvent would give you, so it’s affecting your body when you breathe it, you just don’t realise it.”

“So wearing fresh respirator protection is best. You could get by with a charcoal mask, but not every paint spray booth is the same. You are going to have different airflow that removes the overspray from the booth, therefore you may not need the elaborate respirator protection,” he added.

He however expressed his view that the local auto body repair industry is moving in the right direction, by becoming more environmentally-friendly.

“It’s all about [preventing] air-pollution, because as far as air pollution goes, when that solvent evaporates into the atmosphere, it starts to deplete the ozone and as it is with waterborne paint, especially the Aquabase Plus, it has less than one pound of evaporating solvent in a gallon. In contrast, solvent can have as much as six and a half pounds of solvent evaporating, so it is really minor as far as the evaporation of solvents is concerned. So environmentally wise, it is so much better,” Payton said. (RSM)