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Workshop hygiene in the academy check
Skin contact with oil, dust and road dirt is unavoidable in everyday workshop life. Fortunately, there are protective and cleaning products developed by hygiene specialists that ensure cleanliness and minimize health risks. An academy check of the latest anti-dirt strategies.
Workshop hygiene in the academy check
The topic of workshop hygiene is neglected in many companies, even though the health of employees is one of a company's most important assets. According to surveys by the General Accident Insurance Institute AUVA, skin diseases have been at the forefront of occupational disease statistics for years. Automotive technicians, for example, can be affected by the extremely unpleasant oil acne. Constant skin contact with oil-soiled clothing can lead to painful rashes on the hands, arms and upper body. But now the good news: Work-related skin diseases can be avoided with the right prevention, careful cleaning measures and the use of special skin-friendly detergents. In addition, the hygiene specialists serving the industry are constantly developing cleaning and cleaning aids that can be used to minimize the amount of dirt that accumulates in the workshop. The latest generation of cleaning cloths are characterized by their ease of use, strong absorbency and the greatest possible environmental compatibility. As part of the automotive industry academy check, the young Viennese automotive technician Katja Haller carried out a practical test with the latest cleaning cloths and hand washing products for workshop use. Below is a market overview with selected products.
HAGLEITNER
SYSTEMATIC HAND HYGIENE
The Austrian family business from Zell am See has been producing innovative hygiene solutions since 1971 and provided us with its Xibu XL senseFluid system for hand hygiene. The handwashing and disinfectant dispensers, which can be mounted in a row, are equipped with a sensor and automatic dispensing; they can either be battery operated or connected to the mains. If the usage frequency is low, a power saving mode is activated. The dispensing quantity of the dispenser can be adjusted as required; depending on the product, one refill is sufficient for up to 1,000 dispensings. The product range, presented in a clear skin protection plan, includes a skin protection lotion that is applied before starting work, a silicone, soap and paraben-free cleaning gel that has been awarded the EUEcolabel, an abrasive cleaner against oil residues, a disinfectant gel and a nourishing hand cream. Hagleitner also offers all products in a practical hand hygiene kit, which is housed in a small bag and can be taken anywhere. Hagleitner also provided us with its Standard H2 cleaning paper, which was specially developed for the automotive industry for wiping up oils, grease and emulsions. Further information: www.hagleitner.com
“Today’s detergents smell really good, like oranges or lemons.”
LIQUI MOLY
SKIN PROTECTION AS PLANTED
The lubricant specialist from Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, has developed a comprehensive skin protection concept for tradesmen specifically in the automotive industry, which consists of skin protection cream, anti-dirt cream, hand cleaner, skin care lotion and hand care cream. A skin protection plan with pictograms and a color coding system makes application easier. The color blue stands for protection, green means cleaning, red symbolizes care. The colors are placed on two-liter soft bottles that fit into special lockable wall-mounted plastic dispensers. When you insert a new bottle, all components that come into contact with the cleaning agents are replaced, preventing bacteria and germs from entering. The dosage quantity is adjusted via a dosing flap in the dispenser. As a take-home cleaning solution, Liqui Moly offers a soap- and solvent-free hand wash paste in a plastic bottle. The particularly mild and skin-friendly cleaning agent contains environmentally neutral abrasives, is free of bleach and preservatives and does not clog drains or pipes. Further information: www.liqui-moly.de
MEWA
CLEANING CLOTHS FOR PROFESSIONALS
The textile service provider based in Vienna-Schwechat provided us with cleaning cloths that are characterized by particularly high absorbency. The robust Mewatex cleaning cloth can absorb up to 90 ml of liquid with a weight of only around 40 grams. Mewa is one of the few textile service providers to produce its own cloths. The fibers and yarns come from selected suppliers, and the weave with its special combination of weft and warp yarns contributes to good absorbency. Compared to disposable cleaning solutions, the Mewa reusable system scores with a positive environmental balance. Mewa collects the used cloths, washes them in an environmentally friendly manner in compliance with all legal regulations and delivers the clean cloths back to the customer. Mewa has also developed the Mewa Multitex oil collection mat especially for car repair shops, which can absorb up to three liters of liquid at high speed. Engine and gear oils, solvents, cooling lubricants and alkalis are immediately transported from the outer fabric into the interior and stored in the suction core. This “oil guzzler” is also cleaned as part of the reusable system and is therefore a cost-effective way to avoid waste and save on disposal costs. Further information: www.mewa.at
KIMBERLY CLARK
FAST AND POWERFUL
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a long-established toiletries manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, provided us with its latest Wypall ForceMax industrial wipes, designed specifically for demanding shop floor wiping operations. The blue-grey cloths absorb 40 percent more oil and do so five times faster than rags or washed cloths. The so-called Hydroknit technology ensures that each cloth is tear-resistant and absorbent and can be used several times. Wypall wipes are supplied in the ForceMax Box system, a controlled dispensing solution with an inventory indicator on the side showing the number of wipes remaining. The product includes a box of 480 gray single-layer wipes. The dimensions of a cloth are 33.5 × 34.5 cm. Further information: www.kcprofessional.at
WURTH
CLEANING EVEN WITHOUT WATER
Workshop supplier Würth sent us two complementary hygiene products for the academy check. The washable skin protection foam serves to prevent contamination from water-soluble and water-insoluble substances. Dirt-binding emulsifiers prevent dirt from adhering. The foam is sprayed onto clean palms and rubbed in before starting work. After a short exposure time, it forms a dry, elastic and grip-stable protective film that ensures a secure tool grip. After the work is done, Würth recommends using its universal cleaning cloths, which can be used to clean both tools and hands without water, soap or a brush. The orange-scented cloths can simply be washed with water after use and reused. Further information: www.wuerth.at
“I don’t really like soap dispensers with sensors because I always have to fidget with them until something finally comes out.”
SALESIAN RENTAL EX
RENT INSTEAD OF THROWING AWAY
The traditional Viennese textile management company Salesianer Miettex provided us with, among other things, its 40 × 40 centimeter cotton cleaning cloths for the academy check, which can be used by workshops in the reusable system. The white cloths with red inscriptions are intended for oily contamination in mechanic shops; blue roll boxes with red lids serve as containers. As part of the reusable system, the cloths are collected in the roll boxes, picked up by Salesianer Miettex, professionally cleaned and processed. Salesianer Miettex also provided us with a dispenser including hand cleaning products for the washroom. The orange-scented hand cleansing gel is alkali-free and contains natural moisturizing active substances so that the skin does not dry out even after repeated use. A microporous plastic granulate supports deep pore cleaning and prevents the pipes from clogging. One filling is enough for around 200 hand washes. Further information: www.salesians.com
NORTH FLEECE
CLOTHES FOR ALL CASES
Hygiene specialist Nordvlies from Bargteheide, Germany, also offers a complete program for protecting the stressed hands of workshop employees. A refillable dispenser with Wipex Wet Hand & Tool cloths arrived in the editorial office, which is first filled with the cloths and then with a cleaning solution. The 20 × 38 centimeter cloths have a soft surface (white) on one side and an abrasive surface (orange) on the back. The cleaning solution is gentle on the skin and exudes a pleasant citrus scent. Nordvlies also provided us with its Wipex Fullpower special cleaning cloths for degreasing vehicle windows during window repairs. The polyester-reinforced pulp is tear-resistant, absorbs liquids quickly and cleans without leaving streaks or lint. Compared to paper towels, Wipex Fullpower wipes can be used up to nine times more often, promises Nordvlies. Further information: www.nordvlies.de
OUR TEST SUBJECT
KATJA HALLER
Automotive technology apprentice
Age: 22
Year of training: 4
Katja tested a selection of hygiene products for us that provide indispensable services in everyday workshop life. After work, they ensure that you can't immediately tell what the user's job is by looking at their hands.
In the workshop of the Automotive Academy in Vienna-Liesing, we took a closer look at the current products for workshop hygiene. Protective, cleaning and care products for the hands, developed according to the latest dermatological findings, were provided to us by Liqui Moly, Hagleitner, Salesianer and Würth. The advantages of the latest generation of hand detergents: efficient dirt removal, pleasant scent and no drying out of the hands even after repeated use. Developments have not stopped when it comes to cleaning cloths for tools, vehicle parts and rough cleaning of hands. Nordvlies provided us with a dispenser with particularly absorbent wet wipes as well as a box with special paper towels that were developed for degreasing windows. Mewa and Salesianer sent their tried and tested cleaning cloths into the race, which particularly scored points with their ecologically exemplary reusable system. A wipe arrived from Kimberly Clark that was specially developed for the heavily oily workshop environment. Workshop supplier Würth sent us a spray can with skin protection foam and a dispenser with reusable universal cleaning cloths for cleaning hands and tools without water.
CONCLUSION FROM KATJA HALLER
I'm currently completing my fourth year of training and working in the workshop on vehicles of all ages. When repairing the chassis or changing the oil, it is often unavoidable that your hands come into contact with dirt and oil. To get a better feel for the tool, I rarely use gloves. I wash my hands before every break and of course especially thoroughly after work. Every now and then I use cleaning cloths to get rid of the worst dirt and clean the tools.My personal favorite among the products tested is the Hagleitner hand hygiene kit.You can always have the little bag with cleaning and care lotions with you, for example when you help a friend with car tinkering. It’s also practical when camping or at festivals. I also like the universal cleaning cloths from Würth, they are great for cleaning tools and hands, and I also like the scent of oranges. The cleaning cloths from Mewa and Salesianer are very practical and the reusable system is of course exemplary environmentally friendly. To be honest, the old T-shirts and towels that we used to absorb the dirt even better, but that was just a disposable solution and therefore ecologically unacceptable. Of the detergent dispensers, I liked the Liqui Moly version the best because it allows you to dose the amount of detergent best.