for fire safety in paint spraying processes (excluding ... … · RC32: Recommendations for fire safety in paint spraying processes (excluding automotive refinishing) 3 CONTENTS Scope

for fire safety inpaint sprayingprocesses(excludingautomotiverefinishing)

RC32

I ' Fi R h S f di h

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RC32: Recommendations for fire safety in paint spraying processes (excluding automotive refinishing)

First published byFire Protection AssociationLondon RoadMoreton in MarshGloucestershire GL56 0RH

Tel: +44 (0)1608 812500 Fax: +44 (0)1608 812501E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.thefpa.co.uk

2008 © The Fire Protection Association, on behalf ofInsurers’ Fire Research Strategy

Copies of this document may be obtained from thepublications department of the FPA, at the aboveaddress.

Printed by Alden Press 0.9/07.08

Front cover image © mjl84 - Fotolia.com

LOSS PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS

The aim of the FPA series of Recommendations is toprovide loss prevention guidance for industrial andcommercial premises and systems. The series continues along tradition of providing authoritative guidance on lossprevention issues started by the Fire Offices’ Committee(FOC) of the British insurance industry more than ahundred years ago and builds upon earlier publicationsfrom the Loss Prevention Council and the Association ofBritish Insurers.

Lists of other publications on loss control including otherdocuments in the RC series are available atwww.thefpa.co.uk and from the FPA at London Road,Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0RH. Copies of publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.fpadownloads.co.uk or purchased from the FPA by calling +44 (0)1608 812500 or [email protected].

Technical contact:

Adair Lewis

Email: [email protected]

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Insurers’ Fire Research Strategy scheme (InFiReS) membershipcomprises a group of UK insurers that actively support a number ofexpert working groups developing and promulgating best practice forthe protection of people, property, business and the environmentfrom loss due to fire and other risks. The technical expertise for thisdocument has been provided by the Technical Directorate of the FireProtection Association (FPA), external consultants, and experts fromthe insurance industry who together form the various InFiReSSteering Groups. Although produced with insurer input it does not(and is not intended to) represent a pan-insurer perspective.Individual insurance companies will have their own requirementswhich may be different from or not reflected in the content of thisdocument.

The FPA have made extensive efforts to check the accuracy of theinformation and advice contained in this document and it is believedto be accurate at the time of printing. However, the FPA make noguarantee, representation or warranty (express or implied) as to theaccuracy or completeness of any information or advice contained inthis document. All advice and recommendations are presented ingood faith on the basis of information, knowledge and technology asat the date of publication of this document.

Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the FPA makeno guarantee, representation or warranty (express or implied) thatthis document considers all systems, equipment and procedures orstate of the art technologies current at the date of this document.

Use of, or reliance upon, this document or any part of its content isvoluntary and is at the user’s own risk. Anyone considering using orimplementing any recommendation or advice within this documentshould rely on his or her own personal judgement or, as appropriate,seek the advice of a competent professional and rely on thatprofessional’s advice. Nothing in this document replaces or excludes(nor is intended to replace or exclude) entirely or in part mandatoryand/or legal requirements howsoever arising (including withoutprejudice to the generality of the foregoing any such requirements formaintaining health and safety in the workplace).

Except to the extent that it is unlawful to exclude any liability, theFPA accept no liability whatsoever for any direct, indirect orconsequential loss or damage arising in any way from the publicationof this document or any part of it or any use of or reliance placed onthe content of this document or any part of it.

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CONTENTS

Scope 3

Synopsis 3

Definitions 3

Introduction 4

Recommendations

1. General 5

2. Ventilation 5

3. Ignition 6

4. Containment 8

5. Exchange 8

6. Separation 8

7. Housekeeping 9

8. Maintenance 10

9. Fire protection 10

10. Fire safety management 10

11. Powder coating 10

12. Checklist 12

References 22

Further reading 22

SCOPE

These Recommendations concern the key aspects ofproperty protection in processes involving the sprayingof paint and similar surface treatments using powdersand flammable or highly flammable liquids, withsubsequent stoving and curing. Many of theseRecommendations may apply equally to other coatingprocesses such as dipping, roller or flow coating, andfluidised bed coating. Automotive refinishing processesare excluded; these are addressed in RC31 (ref. 1).

Guidance is limited to ways in which the hazards of fireand explosion initiation and spread may be reduced to aminimum. Some liquids, vapours and dusts may betoxic or irritants, when extra precautions to those givenin these Recommendations may be necessary (see, forexample, ref. 2).

For further information relating to life safety issues andfire safety regulations, the Health and Safety Executiveor the local fire authority should be consulted.

SYNOPSIS

These Recommendations provide guidance for thosemanaging and undertaking spraying processes,including powder treatments, in premises other thanthose where automotive refinishing is carried out. Theneed for the DSEAR ‘VICES’ acronym to be appliedand suitable fire protection measures to be provided areemphasised, together with the importance of aneffective fire safety management regime.

DEFINITIONS

Classification of hazardous areas

(BS EN 60079-10: 2003) (ref. 3)

(This classification refers to areas in which openprocesses are carried out. Areas in which closedprocesses are undertaken should be subject to a riskassessment.)

Zone 0: An area in which an explosive gas atmosphereis present continuously or for long periods.

Such zones are uncommon, but include the interior ofextract ductwork (where there may be gassing off fromdeposited solids, particularly just after switching off thefan on completion of work).

Zone 1: An area in which an explosive gas atmosphereis likely to occur in normal operation.

Such zones should include:

(a) the interior of a spray booth; and

(b) within 2m horizontally around any source offlammable vapour and vertically upwards from thefloor to 1m above the source, over the whole 2mhorizontal radius.

In zones where there are many vapour sources, it isrecommended that the whole zone from floor level upto 1m above the highest source be designated Zone 1 toallow flexibility in rearranging plant and simplifying

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INTRODUCTION

The dusts and vapours that are evolved during thespraying process and the flammable nature of the solidresidues may present serious fire and explosion hazards.Deposits of material used in the processes may besusceptible to spontaneous heating, particularly if severallayers of deposits are allowed to build up over time.

Drying, baking and curing processes often involve theuse of heaters and ovens, which present additional fireand explosion hazards.

Flammable liquids fall within the definition of a‘dangerous substance’ as defined in the DangerousSubstances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations2002 (DSEAR) (ref. 4). Therefore, if flammable solventsor paints are used, this legislation will apply and asuitable and sufficient assessment of the hazardsassociated with these materials has to be undertaken.

Where an explosive atmosphere may occur, theworkplace must be classified into zones based on thefrequency and duration of the explosive atmosphere (seeBS EN 60079-10: 2003, ref. 3) and the zones checkedby a competent person.

It is a legal requirement for employers to carry out anassessment of the risk from fire to their employees,visitors and other ‘relevant persons’ in compliance withthe Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and theequivalent legislation in Scotland and Northern Ireland(refs 6 to 9). As a result, the ‘responsible person’ for firesafety in the premises for the purposes of the Ordermust make a suitable and sufficient assessment of therisks to which relevant persons are exposed for thepurpose of identifying the general fire precautions toensure the safety of both employees and non-employeesin and about the premises.

The assessment process must be reviewed if it issuspected that it is no longer valid or when changes havebeen made to the layout of the premises, the processescarried out, the amounts or types of hazardoussubstances present or the number and character of thepeople who may be present. The insurers of the businesswill often be able to offer assistance with this process.

As fire safety legislation is only concerned with life safetyissues, it is recommended that when the fire riskassessment process is carried out, consideration mustalso be given to an assessment of the risks to thebuilding, its contents and the continuing smoothrunning of business operations.

The fire risk assessment should thus identify plant thatis essential to the business but may be unique or difficultto replace. Equipment of high intrinsic value should alsobe identified. An action plan should be prepared toreduce the risk of damage from fire to such equipmentor installations and a suitable contingency plan shouldbe prepared. Further guidance on the preparation ofsuch a plan can be found in Business resilience. A guide toprotecting your business and its people (ref. 10).

maintenance. This would include paint kitchens/mixingareas and paint shops containing several booths.

Zone 2: An area in which an explosive gas atmosphere isnot likely to occur in normal operation. If it does occur,is likely to do so only infrequently and will exist for ashort period only.

Such zones include:

(a) a further horizontal zone extending 2m beyondthe Zone 1 above, and from floor level up to theheight of the Zone 1 or 3m minimum; and

(b) store rooms containing sealed tins of paint (anystore room containing open tins, or wherecontainers are opened, should be Zone 1).

Zone 20: A place in which an explosive atmosphere inthe form of a cloud of combustible dust in air is presentcontinuously, for long periods or frequently.

Zone 21: A place in which an explosive atmosphere inthe form of a cloud of combustible dust in air is likely tooccur in normal operation occasionally.

Zone 22: A place in which an explosive atmosphere inthe form of a cloud of combustible dust in air is notlikely to occur in normal operation but, if it does occur,will persist for a short period only.

Explosive Limits

(BS EN 60079-10: 2003) (ref. 3)

Lower explosive limit (LEL): The concentration offlammable gas or vapour in air, below which the gasatmosphere is not explosive.

Upper explosive limit (UEL): The concentration offlammable gas or vapour in air, above which the gasatmosphere is not explosive.

Fire resistance

In this document, fire resistance refers to the materialproperties of both insulation and integrity.

Flammable liquid

A liquid (etc) as defined below for highly flammableliquid but with a flashpoint up to 55°C.

Highly flammable liquid

The definition of ‘highly flammable liquid’ in DSEAR2002 (ref. 4) is as follows:

‘Highly flammable liquid’ means any liquid, liquidsolution, emulsion or suspension, other than aqueousammonia, liquefied flammable gas, and liquefiedpetroleum gas which:

(a) when tested in accordance with Part A.9 of theAnnex to the Directive has a flashpoint ofless than 32°C; and

(b) when tested at 50°C using the procedure referredto in Appendix B to the ‘Approvedrequirements and test methods for theclassification and packaging of dangerousgoods for carriage’ (ref. 5) with a heatingtime of 60 seconds supports combustion.

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Other legislation may impose additional requirementsto the provisions contained within this document (seerefs 11 and 12). Due regard should also be given toenvironmental protection, particularly the disposal ofwaste solvents and solid residues.

To reduce the fire hazards on the premises, attentionshould always be given to the possibility of replacingflammable liquids with non-flammable liquids or, atleast, with those having a flashpoint above 55°C.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. General

1.1 Wherever potentially hazardous materials arestored or used, a list of the substances presentshould be maintained, along with details of theirquantities and locations, as required in theCOSHH Regulations (ref. 12). These detailsshould be readily available for use by the firebrigade.

1.2 The HSE guidance in booklet HS (G) 51 (ref. 13)suggests the use of the acronym VICES to helpapply five basic principles which ensure that anyflammable or highly flammable liquid is used andstored with appropriate care.

The acronym may be explained as follows:

V Ventilation (see section 2)

• Is there sufficient ventilation to keep theconcentration of the liquid’s vapour below itslower explosive limit?

I Ignition (see section 3)

• Have all possible ignition sources beenremoved?

• Is the electrical and heating equipment usedin this area suited to the risk category?

C Containment (see section 4)

• Are the liquids stored in suitable containers?

• Is only the minimum quantity for the workperiod kept in the workplace?

• Is explosion relief provided?

E Exchange (see section 5)

• Can flammable substances be eliminated?

• Can the substance be replaced by a lessflammable one?

S Separation (see section 6)

• Is the storage of liquids separated from otherstored materials?

• Is the area where the liquids are usedadequately separated from those used forother purposes?

• Are physical barriers (examples might bewalls, doors, cabinets and bins) present asrequired?

1.3 Suitable staff training should be in place to ensureall personnel are aware of the hazards in theworkplace and apply VICES to ensure a saferworking environment for all.

1.4 Additional guidance on the application of VICESto the storage and use of flammable liquids is setout in RC20: Parts 1 and 2 (refs 14 and 15)

2. Ventilation

2.1 Flammable vapours and paint overspray should beremoved from the process area by means ofadequate mechanical ventilation at low level,preferably having free discharge direct to the openair. Only clean air should be used to replenish airsupplies and sufficient inlets should be provided ata high level. Inlets should be positioned so as toprovide a cross flow.

2.2 Exhaust ducts should not have sharp bends orledges and should preferably be taken directly tothe open air through an external wall or the roof.Any ducts that pass through other parts ofbuildings should have a minimum fire resistanceof 30 minutes, or other appropriate level tomaintain the fire integrity of the buildingcompartment.

2.3 The points of discharge of vapours should be sitedwell clear of both potential ignition sources andentry points to buildings. Controls on dust andvapour emissions may be required by theprovisions of various environmental protectionlegislation (refs 16 to 21).

2.4 There should be a separate ventilation fan andduct for each booth. Motors should not be locatedwithin the ductwork.

2.5 Fans and ducts should be accessible for cleaning,with access hatches provided at ductwork bends.Cleaning should be carried out regularly,following an assessment of the build-up ofdeposits. The deposits will be readily combustibleand care is necessary in removal and storage. Non-metallic scrapers should be used. The build-up ofdeposits in filters has been known to cause firesand thus filters should be regularly cleaned and/orreplaced, as appropriate.

Deposits should be collected and disposed of inaccordance with environmental regulations. See‘Waste Materials’ below (sections 6.12 to 6.16).

2.6 Fans should be started at least two minutes beforethe process commences and should continue for atleast five minutes after the process has ceased.

2.7 If an automatic timer is used, means of immediateshutdown should be provided for emergency use.

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2.8 An airflow or differential pressure switch whichmonitors the flow of air should be provided in theinlet or exhaust duct and maintained at the settingdetermined by the COSHH assessment (see ref.12). The switch should be interlocked with theelectrical supply if the unit is electrically heated,or otherwise with the fuel supply to the burnerand to an audible alarm. The interlock shouldhave manual reset facilities.

2.9 Adequate ventilation should be provided bymechanical means to prevent concentrations ofvapour or dust approaching the lower flammablelimit. The degree of ventilation required willdepend on the properties of the materials, thequantities used, the location of the work and thetype of process in use. The ventilation willnormally be designed taking into account theresults of the COSHH assessment (see ref. 12). Itis normally deemed sufficient if the vapourconcentration does not exceed 25% of the lowerexplosive/flammable limit (LEL).

2.10 The use of water-wash or water-backed booths is recommended for removing airborne residuesand vapours.

2.11 When spraying is performed outside a booth,flammable liquids are exposed during transfer, or coated objects are air dried, sufficientventilation should be provided to ensure theflammable vapour concentrations do not exceed25% of the lower explosion limit (LEL) in anypart of the room.

3. Ignition

3.1 All sources of ignition such as naked flames, hotsurfaces and unprotected electrical equipmentshould be excluded. In particular, welding andother forms of hot work must not be undertakenin or in the immediate vicinity of the sprayingfacilities.

Heating

3.2 The spraying or storage area may be heated by:

3.2.1 A heating system providing ducted warm air orsupplying hot water or steam to pipes andradiators. The system should incorporate a heatexchanger, so as to prevent flammable vapoursfrom coming into contact with an ignition source.

Any furnace or heat exchanger should besegregated and located outside the process area, inthe open, or in a separate building of brick orconcrete construction with a fire-resisting self-closing door to each opening. Combustionproducts should be exhausted to the open, clear ofwindows or other openings.

Hot water or steam should circulate at atemperature not exceeding 120°C.

3.2.2 Electrical heaters of the low temperatureflameproof type, certificated for the use. Thetemperature of the external surface of such heatersshould not exceed 120°C and they should belocated where they are unlikely to receive paintdeposits from overspray etc.

3.2.3 Electric under-floor or ceiling heating withheating elements totally embedded in concrete.

Booth temperatures

3.3 Operating temperatures should be controlled bythermostats, interlocked with the heating source,to prevent the temperature rising above the design level.

3.4 The possibility of the temperature overshootingthe set point should not be ignored. Thus the ovenshould be equipped with a separate high-temperature limit control, of the non-self-resetting type.

3.5 Drying/curing times should be restricted by theuse of automatic timing devices.

3.6 All combustion units should be fitted with flamefailure devices.

3.7 Automatic fire safety valves should be fitted toshut off the fuel supply in the event of fire.

Electrical equipment

3.8 An assessment of the work areas and storage areasshould be carried out, and appropriate ‘zones’assigned in accordance with BS 60079-10 (ref. 3).Expert advice may need to be sought for thisassessment. Certified explosion-protectedelectrical apparatus and cabling appropriate forthe relevant zones should then be selected.

3.9 When flammable liquids or dusts are present,although control measures are taken to minimisetheir uncontrolled release as far as is reasonablypracticable, there will always remain thepossibility of an explosive/flammable atmosphereforming. In such ‘hazardous areas’, all sources ofignition, including those associated with electricalsparks or hot surfaces of electrical apparatus,should be excluded or protected. Hazardous areasare classified into zones as described in thedefinitions section above.

3.10 Should it be necessary to use electrical apparatus(including wiring) in hazardous areas, it isimperative that it is suitably explosion-protected,with the degree of protection selected according toits probability of being exposed to a flammableatmosphere.

Additional advice is contained inRecommendations for the selection of electrical andnon-electrical equipment for use in atmospherescontaining flammable and explosive gases or vapours(ref. 22).

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3.11 All fixed containers, pipe work, mixers and otherequipment should be electrically bonded andearthed.

3.12 Flexible leads should be provided to bond portableor mobile containers during mixing, filling ordischarging operations when static electricity islikely to be generated.

3.13 Portable lights or electrical equipment shall beprohibited, unless it is suitable to operate withinthe appropriate zone.

Smoking

3.14 Smoking must be prohibited inside the premisesand in all areas (including external areas) whereflammable liquids are used or stored. Appropriatenotices should be prominently displayed.

3.15 Where a smoking shelter is provided it must be:

• subject to a specific fire risk assessment;

• constructed of non-combustible materials;

• where practicable, sited at least 10m awayfrom any building or structure (20m on a sitewhere a timber framed structure is beingerected);

• provided with suitable metal ashtrays and aseparate metal waste bin with a fitted metallid; and

• provided with a suitable fire extinguisher.

3.16 The immediate area around the shelter and theshelter itself should be kept clear of combustiblematerials including windblown debris andvegetation.

3.17 Raised, slatted floors or decking should not beused and concealed or semi-open spaces should besealed to ensure combustible debris cannotaccumulate beneath the shelter.

3.18 The use of combustible curtains, canopies anddrapes to protect smokers from the elements mustbe avoided.

3.19 In no circumstances should the shelter be sitednear:

• windows;

• ventilation intakes or extracts;

• entrances and exits from the premises;

• hazardous materials;

• waste storage containers (such as skips orbins); or

• beneath a canopy or low slung eaves.


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3.20 Areas where smoking is allowed but no shelter isprovided must be free of combustible materialsand be equipped with firefighting equipment,metal ash trays and a separate metal waste bin witha fitted metal lid.

3.21 A ‘no smoking’ policy must be established inoutside areas where fire hazards exist. Such areasmay include refuse and storage areas containingcombustible materials, flammable liquids, gascylinders, foam plastics, fibreboard and timber.‘NO SMOKING’ notices must be displayedprominently in these areas.

Electrostatic spraying and coating process (powder-and solvent-based paints)

3.22 Only equipment certified for use in the relevanthazard zone should be used. Electrostatic sprayingsystems for powder should be in accordance withBS EN 50177: 1996 (ref. 23).

3.23 Only the spraygun or electrodes and the cablesconnected to them should be sited within thespray booth or enclosure, unless speciallyprotected.

3.24 High tension cables leading to automaticreciprocating guns should be protected againstmechanical damage during operation.

3.25 Regular inspection of high voltage lines should becarried out to ensure that they remain in a safecondition.

3.26 Airflow interlocks should be provided to cut offthe power in the event of cessation or reduction ofthe exhaust airflow.

3.27 All personnel, equipment and structures within aradius of 3m of the charged electrodes of the gunor equipment should be effectively connected to acommon earth. This includes the floor, or floorcovering which should be of conducting material,the spray booth or enclosure, ventilating ducts andpipe work carrying flammable liquids or powders,and in particular any paint solvent cans in whichthe gun or head is cleaned after use. Whereverpossible, containers of flammable paint should beoutside the 3m zone; any within must be of metaland be earthed.

3.28 Operators should wear anti-static conductingfootwear. The wearing of plastic or rubber soledshoes, or plastic or rubber gloves, should beavoided.

3.29 To ensure that earth conductivity is maintained,regular tests should be carried out. Hangers fromwhich items are suspended for spraying, and alsoconveyor hooks, should be cleaned weekly,particularly where the conveyor passes through adrying or baking oven after leaving the sprayingarea. The resistance to earth of any metal surfacesin the spraying area should not exceed 1ohm.

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3.30 When cleaning electrostatic guns and feed lines,the high voltage supply should be switched off,and when dismantling guns for further cleaningor nozzle changes, the air and fluid suppliesshould also be switched off.

3.31 On automatic plant, interlocks should beprovided to prevent personnel access when theplant is in operation.

3.32 Further guidance is available in the BritishCoatings Federation Code of Practice (ref. 24).

Stoving/curing

3.33 Ovens should not be located immediatelyadjacent to the area used for surface finishapplication work, unless separated by non-combustible 30-minute fire-resistant partitioning.

3.34 Attention should be paid to building constructionto ensure that any combustible materials are keptto a minimum and are properly protected againstexposure. Combustible materials should be sitedno closer than 1m to ovens.

3.35 Oven design should incorporate smooth interiorsurfaces and good interior access to allow easycleaning. Fittings such as racks, trays and hooksshould be non-combustible and readily removableor accessible for easy cleaning.

3.36 Oven walls should be insulated to keep theexterior surfaces at modest temperatures. Wherethis is not possible, guard rails and warning signsshould be provided to keep personnel andproperty clear.

3.37 Ovens should be provided with explosion venting,in accordance with Annex D of BS EN 1539:2000 (ref. 25).

3.38 Oven ductwork should be metal, have a clearancefrom combustible materials of at least 225mmand vent to the open in a safe place.

3.39 Service openings should be provided for cleaningaccess.

3.40 Ducts should avoid passing through firebreakfloors or walls.

3.41 Ducts from separate ovens should not bemanifolded together.

3.42 Ovens should comply with BS EN 1539: 2000 (ref. 25).

3.43 Ovens should have the manufacturer’s operatingrequirements for loading capacity, temperature,ventilation requirement, any restricted solventsand other important details clearly shown on thenameplate.

3.44 Ovens should have a remote manually operatedfuel cut-off valve, which is easily accessible in anemergency.

3.45 Automatic controls should initiate an ovenshutdown in the event of flame failure, ventilationfan failure, conveyor and turntable drive failureand excess oven temperature. Restart should onlybe on a manual reset system.

4. Containment

4.1 Only the minimum quantity of paint and otherflammable liquids should be present in the mixingroom and all containers should be kept closedwhenever possible to reduce the amount ofevaporation.

4.2 Dispensing drums should be fitted with self-closing taps and drip trays or containers. The useof hand-operated pumps is recommended.

4.3 The use of water-wash or water-backed booths isrecommended for removing airborne residues andvapours.

4.4 Explosion relief panels should be at least half thearea of the smallest side of the enclosure andvented to a safe area.

5. Exchange

5.1 At the outset, attention should always be given toeliminating flammable and highly flammableliquids from the workplace wherever possible.Serious consideration should be given to the needfor the use of such liquids in the process and thepossibility of replacing them with non-combustible liquids as alternatives – or at leastwith those having a flashpoint above 55°C.

6. Separation

6.1 The process should, wherever possible, be carriedout in a separate building away from otherworkshop areas, or a room or compartmentexclusively reserved for such work and separatedfrom the rest of the premises by walls, partitions,doors or ceilings (including glazing) providing atleast 30-minutes fire resistance.

Any glazing should be fixed and suitably sealed toconfine vapours, mists, residues, dusts anddeposits to the spray area.

6.2 The spraying enclosure should be of sufficient sizewholly to accommodate the articles to be painted,and to provide adequate working space, while atthe same time allowing unobstructed access toemergency exits.

6.3 Booths shall be provided with means of escape.

6.4 All doors to the spraying enclosure should be self-closing, and should be kept closed during the process.

6.5 The interior wall surface finish should be smooth.This assists and eases cleaning operations.

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Storage

6.6 It will normally be necessary for a suitable store tobe provided for all liquids, whether they are‘highly flammable’ or ‘flammable’. They should be kept in accordance with the Recommendationsfor fire safety in the storage and use of highlyflammable and flammable liquids series ofdocuments (refs 14 and 15).

6.7 The quantity of materials for immediate useshould be kept to a minimum and in no caseexceed the maximum quantity required for theoperation of one shift.

6.8 Storage of highly flammable and flammableliquids should be minimised and be subject to arisk assessment in accordance with DSEAR (ref. 4). Stored liquids should be kept inside asuitably marked, approved design safety locker orbin. At the end of the shift or day, any unused full or partially used containers should be returnedto the bulk store.

6.9 All drums and cans should be kept securely closedwhen not in use and when empty they shouldagain be closed and removed from the building.

Waste materials

6.11 In order to comply with the various environ-mental regulations (refs 16 to 21), it will usuallybe necessary to account for all discharges ofpotentially harmful materials and also to returnwastes for suitable treatment. This generallyresults in a need to store wastes until such time assufficient volume has been accumulated foreconomic handling.

6.12 Liquid waste materials will usually contain someproportion of highly flammable liquid, and thusthe same precautions for waste as for cleanmaterials should be taken, unless it can bepositively demonstrated that there is no fire riskfrom the waste concerned.

6.13 Liquid waste materials will often be collected in205-litre drums. These will need to be storedunder the conditions specified in theRecommendations set out in refs 14 and 15.

6.14 There can be a significant risk of a build-up ofstatic electricity when pouring flammable liquidsinto drums. A long-necked metal funnel should beused, to prevent splash filling, and earth bondingbetween the drum, funnel and the vessel beingemptied should be provided.

6.15 There is also a significant fire risk from thepresence of ‘empty’ tins and used air extract filterscontaining large quantities of combustibledeposits. All materials such as these should be keptin a suitable store (see refs 14 and 15). Cleaningrags soaked in thinners should be stored in metalreceptacles with metal lids.

6.16 Contaminated air extract filters may contain largequantities of combustible deposits and present asignificant fire risk, particularly if they have beenexposed to multi-coating processes in which thecombined coatings may be susceptible to chemicalreaction or spontaneous heating. Contaminatedfilters should be removed from the building assoon as they have been replaced, wetted down andkept in a suitable store or in external metalcontainers with metal lids.

Mixing rooms and distribution systems

6.17 The mixing of paints and other surface finishingsshould be undertaken in a purpose-built mixingroom.

6.18 Piping that conveys flammable liquids from mixingrooms or similar areas should be:

• constructed of steel or other materialcompatible with the hazard;

• secured in position;

• subject to a weekly visual inspection; and

• suitably bonded and earthed.

6.19 Piping should not pass through fire compartments,kitchens or ducting.

6.20 Shut-off valves linked to raise an alarm should beprovided where flexible tubing or hose is used.

6.21 The walls, ceiling and floor of a mixing roomshould be of at least 30-minutes’ fire resistance,with a self-closing 30-minute fire-resisting door.

6.22 The floor should be sloped or sills be formed acrossdoor openings to retain any spilt or leaking liquids.

7. Housekeeping

7.1 In view of the flammable nature of solid residues ofcellulose solutions, and in particular cellulosenitrate, strict attention should be paid to cleanlinesswhen these are used.

7.2 All places in booths where dusts and dry depositscan accumulate should be cleaned at least once aweek. Powders and dusts should be removed usinga vacuum cleaner, not by brushing.

7.3 Cleaning utensils should not be made ofaluminium, ferrous metals or other sparkingmaterials. Highly flammable liquids should not beused for cleaning purposes.

7.4 To facilitate cleaning, suitable peelable coatingsmay be used to line the booth. (Polythene sheetingheld in place with water or a detergent solution isnot suitable for this purpose.)

7.5 Scrapings and sweepings from spray depositsshould be placed immediately in metal receptacleswith metal lids, wetted down and removed fromthe building at the end of each day.

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7.6 Any oily waste, disposable overalls and usedcleaning cloths should be deposited in metalreceptacles with metal lids and also be removedfrom the building at the end of each day.

7.7 Non-combustible absorbent material should bereadily available to soak up spillages. After use itshould be swept up, put in a metal receptacle witha metal lid and stored outside the building to awaitdisposal in accordance with the supplier’srecommendations.

7.8 In view of the risk of spontaneous ignition,enclosures used for cellulose finishes should not be used for vegetable oil paint (oil-basedsynthetics) and varnish processes unless theenclosures and ventilation ducting are thoroughlycleaned in accordance with the manufacturer’srecommendations before each changeover.

7.9 There are a number of proprietary cleaning unitsavailable which provide for the safe, efficient andquick cleaning of sprayguns and nozzles. It isrecommended that such a unit be installed andused in accordance with manufacturer’sinstructions.

7.10 Combustible materials should be kept at least 1maway from the outside of the booth.

7.11 The roof of the booth should not be used forstorage.

8. Maintenance

8.1 All equipment should be maintained in good orderin accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8.2 Booths should be maintained on a regular basis, but at least every six months, as determined by an assessment. The maintenance, which shouldbe carried out by a competent engineer, should include testing of the safety controls andinspection of the ducting. When necessary, theductwork should be thoroughly cleanedthroughout its length.

8.3 The roof filters should be inspected, cleaned orreplaced at the time of the planned maintenancevisits.

8.4 Extract filters should be replaced monthly.

8.5 All maintenance or contractors’ work should becarried out under a permit to work system. Specialprecautions are necessary when work may generate heat or sparks and strict safety proceduresmust be followed in respect of any work involvingplant or equipment containing or used for thehandling of hazardous materials. Furtherinformation is provided in the FPA publicationRecommendations for hot work (ref. 26).

9. Fire protection

9.1 A suitable number of appropriate portable fireextinguishers – approved and certificated by an

independent, third-party certification body –should be provided in accordance with BS 5306-8and maintained in accordance with BS 5306-3 (refs 27 and 28).

9.2 Consideration should be given to installing a fixedfirefighting system, such as sprinklers or suitablegaseous systems. This will be particularly relevantto very hazardous plant or processes that are criticalto the wellbeing of the business. When installing a sprinkler system, the guidance set out in BS EN 12845 and the associated TechnicalBulletins should be observed (ref. 29).

9.3 The design, installation, commissioning andmaintenance of fixed fire suppression systemsshould be undertaken by a company approved andcertificated by an independent, third-partycertification body

9.4 Sprinkler heads, dry powder or gas dischargenozzles and fusible links where installed in processareas should be protected from accumulation ofpaint spray deposits and consequent clogging bymeans of paper coverings which should be changedat least weekly.

10. Fire safety management

10.1 A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment of thepremises must be undertaken in compliance withthe Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 orequivalent legislation in Scotland and NorthernIreland (refs 6 to 9). An assessment should also beundertaken in compliance with the DangerousSubstance and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations2002 (DSEAR).

10.2 A scheme should be established and monitored forthe training and periodic refresher training ofpeople who are using or could be using potentiallyhazardous materials. The training should includean understanding of: fire hazards, fire safetyprecautions and action in the event of a fire.

11. Powder coating (electrostatic, cloud chambers andfluidised bed)

11.1 Powder coating should only be carried out in apurpose-built non-combustible booth or enclosure,ideally constructed of metal or metal and wiredglass (some plastics are now used but should besubject to a specific risk assessment). Thebooth/enclosure should contain as few ledges orother horizontal surfaces on which powder depositscan accumulate as possible, and be of sufficient sizeto accommodate the articles being coated.

11.2 Airflow rates should be sufficient to ensure that thepowder concentration does not exceed 50% of theminimum explosive concentration. Where this isnot known, a figure of 10g/m should not beexceeded. For booths, the airflow at the openingshould not be less than 0.4m/s.

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 10


11

11.3 An airflow switch should be incorporated so thatthe powder application plant cannot be usedwithout the ventilation systems running.

11.4 When small articles are being coated, grilles shouldbe fitted across the air extract inlet, to prevent thembeing sucked into the ductwork or fan.

11.5 Powder handling equipment such as hoppers,feeders, sieves, filters and collectors shouldpreferably be located outside the workroom butmust be close enough to minimise the length ofducting necessary.

11.6 Ducts should be metal, as short as possible and haveno sharp bends or internal obstructions on whichpowder deposits can accumulate.

11.7 Fans and ducts should be accessible for cleaning.

11.8 Excess powder or dust should be removed from thespray booth or other enclosure by means ofadequate mechanical ventilation to a filter, collectoror similar separator, and the cleaned air either re-circulated or exhausted to the open.

11.9 To avoid the creation of dust clouds, cleaningshould be by industrial vacuum cleaner.

11.10Powder hoppers, filters, sieves and collectors shouldhowever be provided with explosion venting; therequired vent area depending on the expectedintensity of an explosion, the strength of thestructure, the type of vent closure and other factors.Explosion vents should vent directly, or via straightmetal ducts not exceeding 3m in length, into theopen air at a safe place.

11.11The temperature of preheated articles, whenentering the coating plant, should be below theignition temperature of the paint powder. Toachieve this, the temperature of the preheating ovenshould be thermostatically controlled to a lowerlevel and an interlock fitted to cut off the heatsupply should the conveyor system stop moving.

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 11

12


Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

n12

.1G

ener

al (

Sect

ion

1)co

mpl

etio

n

12.1

.1W

here

ver

pote

ntia

lly h

azar

dous

mat

eria

ls ar

e st

ored

or

used

, is

a lis

t of

the

su

bsta

nces

pre

sent

mai

ntai

ned,

alo

ng w

ith d

etai

ls of

the

ir q

uant

ities

and

loca

tions

, as

req

uire

d in

the

CO

SHH

Reg

ulat

ions

?

12.1

.2Is

sui

tabl

e st

aff t

rain

ing

in p

lace

to

ensu

re a

ll pe

rson

nel a

re a

war

e of

the

haz

ards

in

the

wor

kpla

ce a

nd a

pply

VIC

ES

to e

nsur

e a

safe

r w

orki

ng e

nvir

onm

ent

for

all?

12.2

Vent

ilati

on (

Sect

ion

2)

12.2

.1H

as a

dequ

ate

mec

hani

cal v

entil

atio

n be

en p

rovi

ded

at lo

w le

vel w

here

ne

cess

ary,

with

dire

ct d

ischa

rge

to t

he o

pen

air?

12.2

.2A

re e

xhau

st d

ucts

free

of s

harp

ben

ds o

r le

dges

and

tak

en d

irect

ly t

o th

e op

en a

ir t

hrou

gh a

n ex

tern

al w

all o

r th

e ro

of?

12.2

.3A

re t

he p

oint

s of

disc

harg

e of

vap

ours

site

d w

ell c

lear

of b

oth

pote

ntia

l ign

ition

so

urce

s an

d en

try

poin

ts t

o bu

ildin

gs?

12.2

.4Is

the

re a

sep

arat

e ve

ntila

tion

fan

and

duct

for

each

boo

th, w

ith m

otor

s lo

cate

d ou

tsid

e th

e du

ctw

ork?

12.2

.5A

re fa

ns a

nd d

ucts

acc

essib

le fo

r cl

eani

ng, w

ith a

cces

s ha

tche

s pr

ovid

ed a

t du

ctw

ork

bend

s?

12.2

.6A

re fa

ns s

tart

ed a

t le

ast

two

min

utes

bef

ore

the

proc

ess

com

men

ces

and

left

to

run

for

at le

ast

five

min

utes

aft

er t

he p

roce

ss h

as c

ease

d?

12.2

.7If

an

auto

mat

ic t

imer

is u

sed,

are

mea

ns o

f im

med

iate

shu

tdow

n pr

ovid

ed fo

r em

erge

ncy

use?

12.2

.8Is

an

airf

low

or

diffe

rent

ial p

ress

ure

switc

h w

hich

mon

itors

the

flow

of a

ir

prov

ided

in t

he in

let

or e

xhau

st d

uct

and

mai

ntai

ned

at t

he s

ettin

g de

term

ined

by

the

CO

SHH

ass

essm

ent?

12.2

.9In

the

cas

e of

pro

cess

es c

arri

ed o

ut o

ther

tha

n in

pro

prie

tary

veh

icle

fin

ishin

g un

its, i

s ad

equa

te v

entil

atio

n pr

ovid

ed b

y m

echa

nica

l mea

ns

to p

reve

nt c

once

ntra

tions

of v

apou

r or

dus

t ap

proa

chin

g th

e lo

wer

fla

mm

able

lim

it of

the

mat

eria

ls in

use

?

12.2

.10

Are

wat

er-w

ash

or w

ater

-bac

ked

boot

hs u

sed

for

rem

ovin

g ai

rbor

ne

resid

ues

and

vapo

urs?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 12


13

Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.2

.11

Whe

n sp

rayi

ng is

per

form

ed o

utsid

e a

boot

h, fl

amm

able

liqu

ids

are

expo

sed

duri

ng t

rans

fer

or c

oate

d ob

ject

s ar

e ai

r dr

ied,

is s

uffic

ient

ve

ntila

tion

prov

ided

to

ensu

re t

he fl

amm

able

vap

our

conc

entr

atio

ns

do n

ot e

xcee

d 25

% o

f the

low

er e

xplo

sion

limit

(LE

L) in

any

par

t of

the

roo

m?

12.3

Igni

tion

(Se

ctio

n 3)

12.3

.1A

re a

ll so

urce

s of

igni

tion

such

as

nake

d fla

mes

, hot

sur

face

s an

d un

prot

ecte

d el

ectr

ical

equ

ipm

ent

excl

uded

from

the

spr

ayin

g ar

ea?

Hea

ting

12.3

.2Is

the

spr

ayin

g or

sto

rage

are

a he

ated

by

an a

ccep

tabl

e fo

rm o

f equ

ipm

ent?

(s

ee s

ectio

ns 3

.2.1

to

3.2.

3)

Boo

th te

mpe

ratu

res

12.3

.3A

re t

he o

pera

ting

tem

pera

ture

s co

ntro

lled

by t

herm

osta

ts, i

nter

lock

ed w

ith

the

heat

ing

sour

ce, t

o pr

even

t th

e te

mpe

ratu

re r

ising

abo

ve t

he d

esig

n le

vel?

12.3

.4Is

the

ove

n eq

uipp

ed w

ith a

sep

arat

e hi

gh t

empe

ratu

re li

mit

cont

rol,

of t

he

non-

self-

rese

ttin

g ty

pe?

12.3

.5A

re d

ryin

g/cu

ring

tim

es r

estr

icte

d by

the

use

of a

utom

atic

tim

ing

devi

ces?

12.3

.6A

re a

ll co

mbu

stio

n un

its fi

tted

with

flam

e fa

ilure

dev

ices

?

12.3

.7A

re a

utom

atic

fire

saf

ety

valv

es fi

tted

to

shut

off

the

fuel

sup

ply

in t

he

even

t of

fire

?

Elec

tric

al e

quip

men

t

12.3

.8H

as a

n as

sess

men

t of

the

wor

k ar

eas

and

stor

age

area

s be

en c

arri

ed o

ut,

and

appr

opri

ate

haza

rd ‘z

ones

’ ass

igne

d?

12.3

.9A

re a

ll so

urce

s of

igni

tion,

incl

udin

g th

ose

asso

ciat

ed w

ith e

lect

rica

l spa

rks

or h

ot s

urfa

ces

of e

lect

rica

l app

arat

us p

rote

cted

, exc

lude

d fr

om h

azar

d zo

nes?

12.3

.10

Is e

lect

rica

l app

arat

us (

incl

udin

g w

irin

g) in

haz

ardo

us a

reas

sui

tabl

y ex

plos

ion-

prot

ecte

d, w

ith t

he d

egre

e of

pro

tect

ion

sele

cted

acc

ordi

ng t

o its

pr

obab

ility

of b

eing

exp

osed

to

a fla

mm

able

atm

osph

ere?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 13

14


Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.3

.11

Are

all

fixed

con

tain

ers,

pipe

wor

k, m

ixer

s an

d ot

her

equi

pmen

t el

ectr

ical

ly

bond

ed a

nd e

arth

ed?

12.3

.12

Are

flex

ible

lead

s pr

ovid

ed t

o bo

nd p

orta

ble

or m

obile

con

tain

ers

duri

ng m

ixin

g,

fillin

g or

disc

harg

ing

oper

atio

ns w

hen

stat

ic e

lect

rici

ty is

like

ly t

o be

gen

erat

ed?

12.3

.13

Are

por

tabl

e lig

hts

or e

lect

rica

l equ

ipm

ent

proh

ibite

d, u

nles

s it

is su

itabl

e to

op

erat

e w

ithin

the

app

ropr

iate

zon

e?

Smok

ing

12.3

.14

Is s

mok

ing

proh

ibite

d in

side

the

prem

ises

and

in e

xter

nal a

reas

whe

re fl

amm

able

liq

uids

are

use

d or

sto

red,

with

app

ropr

iate

sig

ns d

ispla

yed?

12.3

.15

If a

sm

okin

g sh

elte

r ha

s be

en p

rovi

ded

has

it be

en:

• su

bjec

t to

a s

peci

fic fi

re r

isk a

sses

smen

t;•

cons

truc

ted

of n

on-c

ombu

stib

le m

ater

ials;

• w

here

pra

ctic

able

, site

d at

leas

t 10

m a

way

from

any

bui

ldin

g or

str

uctu

re

(20m

on

a sit

e w

here

a t

imbe

r fr

amed

str

uctu

re is

bei

ng e

rect

ed);

• pr

ovid

ed w

ith s

uita

ble

met

al a

shtr

ays

and

a se

para

te m

etal

was

te b

in w

ith a

fit

ted

met

al li

d; a

nd•

prov

ided

with

a s

uita

ble

fire

extin

guish

er?

12.3

.16

Is t

he im

med

iate

are

a ar

ound

the

she

lter

and

the

shel

ter

itsel

f kep

t cl

ear

of

com

bust

ible

mat

eria

ls in

clud

ing

win

dblo

wn

debr

is an

d ve

geta

tion?

12.3

.17

Is t

here

an

abse

nce

of r

aise

d, s

latt

ed fl

oors

or

deck

ing

with

any

con

ceal

ed o

r se

mi-o

pen

spac

es s

eale

d to

ens

ure

com

bust

ible

deb

ris

cann

ot a

ccum

ulat

e be

neat

h th

e sh

elte

r?

12.3

.18

Has

the

use

of c

ombu

stib

le c

urta

ins,

cano

pies

and

dra

pes

to p

rote

ct

smok

ers

from

the

ele

men

ts b

een

avoi

ded?

12.3

.19

Is t

he s

helte

r sit

ed a

way

from

:•

win

dow

s;•

vent

ilatio

n in

take

s or

ext

ract

s;•

entr

ance

s an

d ex

its fr

om t

he p

rem

ises;

• ha

zard

ous

mat

eria

ls;•

was

te s

tora

ge c

onta

iner

s (s

uch

as s

kips

or

bins

);•

a ca

nopy

or

low

slu

ng e

aves

?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 14


15

Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.3

.20

Are

are

as w

here

sm

okin

g is

allo

wed

but

no

shel

ter

is pr

ovid

ed fr

ee o

f com

bust

ible

m

ater

ials

and

equi

pped

with

fire

fight

ing

equi

pmen

t, m

etal

ash

tray

s an

d a

sepa

rate

m

etal

was

te b

in w

ith a

fitt

ed m

etal

lid?

12.3

.21

Is a

‘no

smok

ing’

pol

icy

esta

blish

ed in

out

side

area

s w

here

fire

haz

ards

exi

st

with

‘NO

SM

OK

ING

’ not

ices

disp

laye

d pr

omin

ently

?

Elec

tros

tatic

spra

ying

and

coa

ting

proc

ess

12.3

.22

Is o

nly

equi

pmen

t ce

rtifi

ed fo

r us

e in

the

rel

evan

t ha

zard

zon

e us

ed?

12.2

.23

Are

ele

ctro

stat

ic s

pray

ing

syst

ems

for

pow

der

in a

ccor

danc

e w

ith

BS

EN

501

77: 2

006?

12.3

.24

Are

onl

y th

e sp

rayg

un o

r el

ectr

odes

and

the

cab

les

conn

ecte

d to

the

m s

ited

with

in t

he s

pray

boo

th o

r en

clos

ure,

unl

ess

spec

ially

pro

tect

ed?

12.3

.25

Are

hig

h te

nsio

n ca

bles

lead

ing

to a

utom

atic

rec

ipro

catin

g gu

ns p

rote

cted

ag

ains

t m

echa

nica

l dam

age

duri

ng o

pera

tion?

12.3

.26

Are

reg

ular

insp

ectio

ns o

f hig

h vo

ltage

line

s ca

rrie

d ou

t to

ens

ure

that

the

y re

mai

n in

a s

afe

cond

ition

?

12.3

.27

Are

air

flow

inte

rlock

s pr

ovid

ed t

o cu

t of

f the

pow

er in

the

eve

nt o

f ce

ssat

ion

or r

educ

tion

of t

he e

xhau

st a

irflo

w?

12.3

.28

Are

all

pers

onne

l, eq

uipm

ent

and

stru

ctur

es w

ithin

a r

adiu

s of

3m

of t

he c

harg

ed

elec

trod

es o

f the

gun

or

equi

pmen

t ef

fect

ivel

y co

nnec

ted

to a

com

mon

ear

th?

12.3

.29

Do

oper

ator

s w

ear

anti-

stat

ic c

ondu

ctin

g fo

otw

ear

and

is th

e w

eari

ng o

f pla

stic

or

rub

ber

sole

d sh

oes,

or p

last

ic o

r ru

bber

glo

ves

avoi

ded?

12.3

.30

Are

reg

ular

tes

ts c

arri

ed o

ut t

o en

sure

tha

t ea

rth

cond

uctiv

ity is

mai

ntai

ned?

A

re h

ange

rs fr

om w

hich

item

s ar

e su

spen

ded

for

spra

ying

, and

also

con

veyo

r ho

oks,

clea

ned

wee

kly,

par

ticul

arly

whe

re t

he c

onve

yor

pass

es t

hrou

gh a

dry

ing

or b

akin

g ov

en a

fter

leav

ing

the

spra

ying

are

a?

12.3

.31

Whe

n cl

eani

ng e

lect

rost

atic

gun

s an

d fe

ed li

nes,

is th

e hi

gh v

olta

ge s

uppl

y sw

itche

d of

f, an

d w

hen

dism

antli

ng g

uns

for

furt

her

clea

ning

or

nozz

le c

hang

es, a

re t

he a

ir

and

fluid

sup

plie

s al

so s

witc

hed

off?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 15

16


Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.3

.32

Are

inte

rlock

s pr

ovid

ed o

n au

tom

atic

pla

nt t

o pr

even

t pe

rson

nel a

cces

s w

hen

the

plan

t is

in o

pera

tion?

Stov

ing/

Cur

ing

12.3

.33

Are

ove

ns lo

cate

d aw

ay fr

om a

reas

imm

edia

tely

adj

acen

t to

the

are

a us

ed fo

r su

rfac

e fin

ish a

pplic

atio

n w

ork,

unl

ess

sepa

rate

d by

non

-com

bust

ible

30-

min

ute

fire

resis

tant

par

titio

ning

?

12.3

.34

Has

att

entio

n be

en p

aid

to b

uild

ing

cons

truc

tion

to e

nsur

e th

at a

ny c

ombu

stib

le

mat

eria

ls ar

e ke

pt t

o a

min

imum

and

are

pro

perly

pro

tect

ed a

gain

st e

xpos

ure?

12.3

.35

Doe

s ov

en d

esig

n in

corp

orat

e sm

ooth

inte

rior

sur

face

s an

d go

od in

teri

or a

cces

s to

allo

w e

asy

clea

ning

, and

are

fitt

ings

– s

uch

as r

acks

, tra

ys a

nd h

ooks

–

non-

com

bust

ible

and

rea

dily

rem

ovab

le o

r ac

cess

ible

for

easy

cle

anin

g?

12.3

.36

Are

ove

n w

alls

insu

late

d to

kee

p th

e ex

teri

or s

urfa

ces

at m

odes

t te

mpe

ratu

res?

(W

here

thi

s is

not

poss

ible

, are

gua

rd r

ails

and

war

ning

sig

ns p

rovi

ded

to k

eep

pers

onne

l and

pro

pert

y cl

ear?

)

12.3

.37

Are

ove

ns p

rovi

ded

with

exp

losio

n ve

ntin

g, in

acc

orda

nce

with

Ann

ex D

of

BS

EN

153

9: 2

000?

12.3

.38

Is o

ven

duct

wor

k m

etal

, with

a c

lear

ance

from

com

bust

ible

mat

eria

ls of

at

leas

t 22

5mm

and

ven

ts t

o th

e op

en in

a s

afe

plac

e?

12.3

.39

Are

ser

vice

ope

ning

s pr

ovid

ed fo

r cl

eani

ng a

cces

s?

12.3

.40

Do

duct

s av

oid

pass

ing

thro

ugh

fireb

reak

floo

rs o

r w

alls?

12.3

.41

Do

duct

s w

hich

are

from

sep

arat

e ov

ens

rem

ain

inde

pend

ent

thro

ugho

ut

thei

r le

ngth

?

12.3

.42

Do

oven

s co

mpl

y w

ith B

S E

N 1

539:

200

0?

12.3

.43

Do

oven

s ha

ve t

he m

anuf

actu

rer’s

ope

ratin

g re

quire

men

ts fo

r lo

adin

g ca

paci

ty,

tem

pera

ture

, ven

tilat

ion

requ

irem

ent,

any

rest

rict

ed s

olve

nts

and

othe

r im

port

ant

deta

ils c

lear

ly s

how

n on

the

nam

epla

te?

12.3

.44

Do

oven

s ha

ve a

rem

ote

man

ually

ope

rate

d fu

el c

ut-o

ff va

lve,

whi

ch is

eas

ily

acce

ssib

le in

an

emer

genc

y?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 16


17

Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.3

.45

Do

auto

mat

ic c

ontr

ols

initi

ate

an o

ven

shut

dow

n in

the

eve

nt o

f fla

me

failu

re,

vent

ilatio

n fa

n fa

ilure

, con

veyo

r an

d tu

rnta

ble

driv

e fa

ilure

and

exc

ess

oven

te

mpe

ratu

re?

Is r

esta

rt o

nly

on a

man

ual r

eset

sys

tem

?

12.4

Con

tain

men

t (S

ecti

on 4

)

12.4

.1Is

onl

y th

e m

inim

um q

uant

ity o

f pai

nt a

nd o

ther

flam

mab

le li

quid

s pr

esen

t in

the

m

ixin

g ro

om, w

ith a

ll co

ntai

ners

kep

t cl

osed

whe

neve

r po

ssib

le t

o re

duce

the

am

ount

of e

vapo

ratio

n?

12.4

.2A

re d

ispen

sing

drum

s fit

ted

with

sel

f-cl

osin

g ta

ps a

nd d

rip

tray

s or

con

tain

ers?

12.4

.3A

re e

xplo

sion

relie

f pan

els

at le

ast

half

the

area

of t

he s

mal

lest

sid

e of

the

enc

losu

re,

and

do t

hey

vent

to

a sa

fe a

rea?

12.5

Exch

ange

(Se

ctio

n 5)

12.5

.1Is

att

entio

n al

way

s gi

ven

to e

limin

atin

g fla

mm

able

and

hig

hly

flam

mab

le li

quid

s fr

om t

he w

orkp

lace

whe

reve

r po

ssib

le?

12.6

Sepa

rati

on (

Sect

ion

6)

12.6

.1Is

the

pro

cess

car

ried

out

in a

sep

arat

e bu

ildin

g aw

ay fr

om o

ther

wor

ksho

p ar

eas,

or a

roo

m o

r co

mpa

rtm

ent

excl

usiv

ely

rese

rved

for

such

wor

k an

d se

para

ted

from

th

e re

st o

f the

pre

mise

s by

wal

ls, p

artit

ions

, doo

rs o

r ce

iling

s (in

clud

ing

glaz

ing)

pr

ovid

ing

at le

ast

30-m

inut

es fi

re r

esist

ance

?

12.6

.2Is

the

spr

ayin

g en

clos

ure

of s

uffic

ient

siz

e w

holly

to

acco

mm

odat

e th

e ar

ticle

s to

be

pai

nted

and

to

prov

ide

adeq

uate

wor

king

spa

ce, w

hile

at

the

sam

e tim

e al

low

ing

unob

stru

cted

acc

ess

to e

mer

genc

y ex

its?

12.6

.3A

re b

ooth

s pr

ovid

ed w

ith m

eans

of e

scap

e?

12.6

.4A

re a

ll do

ors

to t

he s

pray

ing

encl

osur

e se

lf-cl

osin

g, a

nd k

ept

clos

ed d

urin

g th

e pr

oces

s?

12.6

.5Is

the

inte

rior

wal

l sur

face

fini

sh s

moo

th t

o as

sist

and

ease

cle

anin

g op

erat

ions

?

Stor

age

12.6

.6Is

the

sto

rage

of p

aint

s an

d so

lven

ts m

ade

the

subj

ect

of a

fire

risk

ass

essm

ent?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 17

18


Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.6

.7Is

a s

uita

ble

stor

e pr

ovid

ed fo

r al

l liq

uids

, whe

ther

the

y ar

e ‘h

ighl

y fla

mm

able

’ or

‘fla

mm

able

’?

12.6

.8Is

the

qua

ntity

of m

ater

ials

for

imm

edia

te u

se k

ept

to a

min

imum

and

in n

o ca

se

allo

wed

to

exce

ed t

he m

axim

um q

uant

ity r

equi

red

for

the

oper

atio

n of

one

shi

ft?

12.6

.9Is

the

sto

rage

of h

ighl

y fla

mm

able

liqu

ids

min

imise

d an

d su

bjec

t to

a r

isk a

sses

smen

t in

acc

orda

nce

with

DSE

AR

?

12.6

.10

Are

all

drum

s an

d ca

ns k

ept

secu

rely

clo

sed

whe

n no

t in

use

and

, whe

n em

pty,

ke

pt c

lose

d an

d re

mov

ed fr

om t

he b

uild

ing?

Was

te m

ater

ials

12.6

.11

Are

the

dru

ms

used

to

stor

e liq

uid

was

te m

ater

ials

kept

und

er t

he c

ondi

tions

sp

ecifi

ed in

the

app

ropr

iate

reg

ulat

ions

(re

fs 2

0 to

25)

?

12.6

.12

Is a

long

-nec

ked

met

al fu

nnel

use

d to

pre

vent

spl

ash

fillin

g, a

nd a

re t

here

pr

ovisi

ons

for

bond

ing

and

eart

hing

the

dru

ms,

funn

els

and

vess

els

bein

g em

ptie

d?

12.6

.13

Are

mat

eria

ls su

ch a

s ‘e

mpt

y’ t

ins

and

used

air

ext

ract

filte

rs c

onta

inin

g la

rge

quan

titie

s of

com

bust

ible

dep

osits

kep

t sa

fely

in a

sui

tabl

e st

ore?

Mix

ing

room

s and

dist

ribu

tion

syste

ms

12.6

.14

Is t

he m

ixin

g of

pai

nts

and

othe

r su

rfac

e fin

ishin

gs u

nder

take

n in

a

purp

ose-

built

mix

ing

room

?

12.6

.15

Is p

ipin

g th

at c

onve

ys fl

amm

able

liqu

ids

from

mix

ing

room

s or

sim

ilar

area

s co

nstr

ucte

d of

ste

el o

r ot

her

mat

eria

l com

patib

le w

ith t

he h

azar

d, s

ecur

ed in

pos

ition

su

bjec

t to

a w

eekl

y vi

sual

insp

ectio

n, a

nd s

uita

bly

bond

ed a

nd e

arth

ed?

12.6

.16

Is p

ipin

g ro

uted

so

as n

ot t

o pa

ss t

hrou

gh fi

re c

ompa

rtm

ents

, kitc

hens

or

duct

ing?

12.6

.17

Are

shu

t-of

f val

ves

linke

d to

rai

se a

n al

arm

pro

vide

d w

here

flex

ible

tu

bing

or

hose

is u

sed?

12.6

.18

Are

the

wal

ls, c

eilin

g an

d flo

or o

f a m

ixin

g ro

om o

f at

leas

t 30

-min

utes

’ fire

re

sista

nce,

with

a s

elf c

losin

g 30

-min

ute

fire-

resis

ting

door

?

12.6

.19

Is t

he fl

oor

slope

d or

hav

e sil

ls be

en fo

rmed

acr

oss

door

ope

ning

s to

ret

ain

any

spilt

or

leak

ing

liqui

ds?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 18


19

Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.7

Hou

seke

epin

g (S

ecti

on 7

)

12.7

.1In

vie

w o

f the

flam

mab

le n

atur

e of

sol

id r

esid

ues

of c

ellu

lose

sol

utio

ns a

nd in

pa

rtic

ular

cel

lulo

se n

itrat

e, is

str

ict

atte

ntio

n pa

id t

o cl

eanl

ines

s w

hen

thes

e ar

e us

ed?

12.7

.2A

re a

ll pl

aces

in b

ooth

s w

here

dus

ts a

nd d

ry d

epos

its c

an a

ccum

ulat

e cl

eane

d at

le

ast

once

a w

eek?

12.7

.3A

re c

lean

ing

uten

sils

mad

e of

mat

eria

ls ot

her

than

alu

min

ium

, fer

rous

met

als

or

othe

r sp

arki

ng m

ater

ials?

12.7

.4To

faci

litat

e cl

eani

ng, a

re s

uita

ble

peel

able

coa

tings

use

d to

line

the

boo

th?

12.7

.5A

re s

crap

ings

and

sw

eepi

ngs

from

spr

ay d

epos

its p

lace

d im

med

iate

ly in

met

al

rece

ptac

les

with

met

al li

ds, w

ette

d do

wn

and

rem

oved

from

the

bui

ldin

g at

th

e en

d of

eac

h da

y?

12.7

.6A

re a

ny o

ily w

aste

, disp

osab

le o

vera

lls a

nd u

sed

clea

ning

clo

ths

depo

sited

in m

etal

re

cept

acle

s w

ith m

etal

lids

and

also

rem

oved

from

the

bui

ldin

g at

the

end

of

each

day

?

12.7

.7Is

a n

on-c

ombu

stib

le a

bsor

bent

mat

eria

l rea

dily

ava

ilabl

e to

soa

k up

spi

llage

s?

12.7

.8Is

the

use

of v

eget

able

oil

pain

t (o

il-ba

sed

synt

hetic

s) a

nd v

arni

sh p

roce

sses

av

oide

d in

enc

losu

res

norm

ally

use

d fo

r ce

llulo

se fi

nish

es?

12.7

.9A

re p

ropr

ieta

ry c

lean

ing

units

use

d w

hich

pro

vide

for

the

safe

, effi

cien

t an

d qu

ick

clea

ning

of s

pray

guns

and

noz

zles

?

12.7

.10

Are

com

bust

ible

mat

eria

ls ke

pt a

t le

ast

1m a

way

from

the

out

side

of t

he b

ooth

?

12.7

.11

Is t

he r

oof o

f the

spr

ay b

ooth

free

from

sto

rage

?

12.8

Mai

nten

ance

(Se

ctio

n 8)

12.8

.1Is

all

equi

pmen

t m

aint

aine

d in

goo

d or

der

in a

ccor

danc

e w

ith t

he

man

ufac

ture

rs’ i

nstr

uctio

ns?

12.8

.2A

re b

ooth

s m

aint

aine

d on

a r

egul

ar b

asis,

but

at

leas

t ev

ery

six m

onth

s, as

de

term

ined

by

an a

sses

smen

t?

12.8

.3A

re t

he r

oof f

ilter

s in

spec

ted,

cle

aned

or

repl

aced

at

the

time

of t

he p

lann

ed

mai

nten

ance

visi

ts?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 19

20


Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.8

.4A

re e

xtra

ct fi

lters

rep

lace

d m

onth

ly?

12.8

.5Is

all

mai

nten

ance

or

cont

ract

ors’

wor

k ca

rrie

d ou

t un

der

a pe

rmit

to w

ork

syst

em?

12.9

Fire

pro

tect

ion

(Sec

tion

9)

12.9

.1W

here

haz

ardo

us m

ater

ials

are

used

or

stor

ed, a

re a

sui

tabl

e nu

mbe

r of

app

ropr

iate

po

rtab

le fi

re e

xtin

guish

ers

prov

ided

, app

rove

d an

d ce

rtifi

cate

d by

an

inde

pend

ent,

third

-par

ty c

ertif

icat

ion

body

?

12.9

.2H

as c

onsid

erat

ion

been

giv

en t

o in

stal

ling

a fix

ed fi

refig

htin

g sy

stem

, suc

h as

sp

rink

lers

or

suita

ble

gase

ous

syst

ems?

12.9

.3Is

the

des

ign,

inst

alla

tion,

com

miss

ioni

ng a

nd m

aint

enan

ce o

f fix

ed fi

re s

uppr

essio

n sy

stem

s un

dert

aken

by

a co

mpa

ny a

ppro

ved

and

cert

ifica

ted

by a

n in

depe

nden

t th

ird-p

arty

cer

tific

atio

n bo

dy?

12.9

.4W

here

spr

inkl

er h

eads

, dry

pow

der

or g

as d

ischa

rge

nozz

les

and

fusib

le li

nks

are

inst

alle

d in

pro

cess

are

as, a

re t

hey

prot

ecte

d fr

om a

ccum

ulat

ion

of p

aint

spr

ay

depo

sits

and

cons

eque

nt c

logg

ing

by m

eans

of p

aper

cov

erin

gs w

hich

are

cha

nged

at

leas

t w

eekl

y?

12.1

0Fi

re s

afet

y m

anag

emen

t (S

ecti

on 1

0)

12.1

0.1

Has

a s

uita

ble

and

suffi

cien

t fir

e ri

sk a

sses

smen

t of

the

pre

mise

s be

en u

nder

take

n in

com

plia

nce

with

the

Reg

ulat

ory

Ref

orm

(Fi

re S

afet

y) O

rder

200

5 or

equ

ival

ent

legi

slatio

n in

Sco

tland

and

Nor

ther

n Ir

elan

d?

12.1

0.2

Has

an

asse

ssm

ent

been

und

erta

ken

in c

ompl

ianc

e w

ith t

he D

ange

rous

Sub

stan

ce

and

Exp

losiv

e A

tmos

pher

es R

egul

atio

ns 2

002

(DSE

AR

)?

12.1

0.3

Has

a s

chem

e be

en e

stab

lishe

d an

d m

onito

red

for

the

trai

ning

and

per

iodi

c re

fres

her

trai

ning

of p

eopl

e w

ho a

re u

sing,

or

coul

d be

usin

g, p

oten

tially

ha

zard

ous

mat

eria

ls?

12.1

1Po

wde

r co

atin

g (S

ecti

on 1

1)

12.1

1.1

Is p

owde

r co

atin

g on

ly c

arri

ed o

ut in

a p

urpo

se-b

uilt

non-

com

bust

ible

boo

th

or e

nclo

sure

, ide

ally

con

stru

cted

of m

etal

or

met

al a

nd w

ired

glas

s?

12.1

1.2

Doe

s th

e bo

oth/

encl

osur

e co

ntai

n as

few

ledg

es o

r ot

her

hori

zont

al s

urfa

ces

as

poss

ible

, on

whi

ch p

owde

r de

posit

s ca

n ac

cum

ulat

e?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 20


21

Yes

No

N/A

Act

ion

requ

ired

Due

dat

eSi

gn o

nco

mpl

etio

n

12.1

1.3

Are

air

flow

rat

es s

uffic

ient

to

ensu

re t

hat

the

pow

der

conc

entr

atio

n do

es n

ot e

xcee

d 50

% o

f the

min

imum

exp

losiv

e co

ncen

trat

ion?

(W

here

thi

s is

not

know

n, a

figu

re

of 1

0g/m

sho

uld

not

be e

xcee

ded.

)

12.1

1.4

Is a

n ai

rflo

w s

witc

h in

corp

orat

ed s

o th

at t

he p

owde

r ap

plic

atio

n pl

ant

cann

ot b

e us

ed

with

out

the

vent

ilatio

n sy

stem

s ru

nnin

g?

12.1

1.5

Whe

n sm

all a

rtic

les

are

bein

g co

ated

, are

gri

lles

fitte

d ac

ross

the

air

ext

ract

inle

t, to

pr

even

t th

em b

eing

suc

ked

into

the

duc

twor

k or

fan?

12.1

1.6

Is p

owde

r ha

ndlin

g eq

uipm

ent

– su

ch a

s ho

pper

s, fe

eder

s, sie

ves,

filte

rs a

nd

colle

ctor

s –

loca

ted

outs

ide

the

wor

kroo

m b

ut c

lose

eno

ugh

to m

inim

ise t

he le

ngth

of

duc

ting

nece

ssar

y?

12.1

1.7

Are

duc

ts m

etal

, as

shor

t as

pos

sible

with

no

shar

p be

nds

or in

tern

al o

bstr

uctio

ns

on w

hich

pow

der

depo

sits

can

accu

mul

ate?

12.1

1.8

Are

fans

and

duc

ts a

cces

sible

for

clea

ning

?

12.1

1.9

Is e

xces

s po

wde

r or

dus

t re

mov

ed fr

om t

he s

pray

boo

th o

r ot

her

encl

osur

e by

m

eans

of a

dequ

ate

mec

hani

cal v

entil

atio

n to

a fi

lter,

colle

ctor

or

simila

r se

para

tor,

and

the

clea

ned

air

eith

er r

e-ci

rcul

ated

or

exha

uste

d to

the

ope

n?

12.1

1.10

To a

void

the

cre

atio

n of

dus

t cl

ouds

, is

clea

ning

by

indu

stri

al v

acuu

m c

lean

er?

12.1

1.11

Are

pow

der

hopp

ers,

filte

rs, s

ieve

s an

d co

llect

ors

prov

ided

with

sui

tabl

e ex

plos

ion

vent

ing?

12.1

1.12

Is t

he t

empe

ratu

re o

f pre

heat

ed a

rtic

les,

whe

n en

teri

ng t

he c

oatin

g pl

ant,

belo

w

the

igni

tion

tem

pera

ture

of t

he p

aint

pow

der?

Is

the

tem

pera

ture

of t

he p

rehe

atin

g ov

en t

herm

osta

tical

ly c

ontr

olle

d to

a lo

wer

leve

l and

an

inte

rlock

fitt

ed t

o cu

t of

f th

e he

at s

uppl

y sh

ould

the

con

veyo

r sy

stem

sto

p m

ovin

g?

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 21

22


REFERENCES

1. RC31: Recommendations for fire safety inautomotive refinishing and spraying processes, FireProtection Association, 2007.

2. Health and safety series booklet HS (G) 203:Controlling exposure to coating powders, Health andSafety Executive, 2000.

3. BS EN 60079-10: 2003: Electrical apparatus forexplosive gas atmospheres: Classification ofhazardous atmospheres, British StandardsInstitution.

4. Dangerous Substances and ExplosiveAtmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), SI2002 No 2776, The Stationery Office.

5. Supplement to the Approved requirements and testmethods for the classification and packaging ofdangerous goods for carriage, HSE Books, 1999.

6. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005,SI 2005 No 1541, The Stationery Office.

7. The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, asp 5. TheStationery Office.

8. Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, ScottishSI 2006 No 456. The Stationery Office.

9. Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland)Order 2006, SI 2006 No 1254 (NI9), TheStationery Office.

10. Business Resilience. A guide to protecting yourbusiness and its people, Fire Protection Association,2005.

11. The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 (asamended by DSEAR), The Stationery Office.

12. The Control of Substances Hazardous to HealthRegulations 2002 (COSHH), SI 2002 No 2677,The Stationery Office.

13. Health and safety booklet HS (G) 51: Storage offlammable liquids in containers, Health and SafetyExecutive, 1998.

14. RC20 Part 1: Recommendations for fire safety in thestorage and use of highly flammable and flammableliquids: General principles, Fire ProtectionAssociation, 2006.

15. RC20 Part 2: Recommendations for fire safety in thestorage and use of highly flammable and flammableliquids: Storage of flammable liquids in drums, cansand containers other than external fixed tanks, FireProtection Association, 2007.

16. Environmental Protection Act 1990, (c.43), TheStationery Office.

17. Groundwater Regulations 1998, SI 1998 No2746, The Stationery Office.

18. Water Resources Act 1991, (c.57), The StationeryOffice.

19. Environmental Protection (Duty of Care)Regulations 1991, SI 1991 No 2839, TheStationery Office.

20. Anti-Pollution Works Regulations 1999, SI 1999No 1006, The Stationery Office.

21. Control of Waste (Registration of Carriers andSeizures of Vehicles) Regulations 1991, SI 1991No 1624, The Stationery Office.

22. RC30: Recommendations for the selection ofelectrical and non-electrical equipment for use inatmospheres containing flammable and explosivegases or vapours, Fire Protection Association, 2005.

23. BS EN 50177: 1997: Automatic electrostaticspraying installations for flammable coating powder,British Standards Institution.

24. Application of powder coatings by electrostaticspraying (Code of safe practice), British CoatingsFederation, 2001.

25. BS EN 1539: 2000: Dryers and ovens, in whichflammable substances are released – Safetyrequirements, British Standards Institution.

26. RC7: Recommendations for hot work, FireProtection Association, 2001.

27. BS 5306-8: 2000: Fire extinguishing installationsand equipment on premises. Selection andinstallation of portable fire extinguishers. Code ofpractice, British Standards Institution.

28. BS 5306-3: 2003: Fire extinguishing installationsand equipment on premises. Code of practice for theinspection and maintenance of portable fireextinguishers, British Standards Institution.

29. LPC Rules for automatic sprinkler installationsincorporating BS EN 12845, Fire ProtectionAssociation, 2003.

FURTHER READING

1. HS (G) 178: The spraying of flammable liquids,Health and Safety Executive, 1998.

2. HS (G) 140: Safe use and handling of flammableliquids, Health and Safety Executive, 1996.

3. NFPA 33: Spray application using flammable orcombustible materials, National Fire ProtectionAssociation (USA), 2007.

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 22


23

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 23

RC32

I ' Fi R h S f di h

for fire safety inpaint sprayingprocesses(excludingautomotiverefinishing)

RC 32 Paint 4/8/08 11:04 Page 24

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for fire safety in paint spraying processes (excluding ... … · RC32: Recommendations for fire safety in paint spraying processes (excluding automotive refinishing) 3 CONTENTS Scope