The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a targeted inspection campaign of motor vehicle repair businesses to tackle occupational asthma.
Many skilled vehicle paint sprayers develop this life-changing and debilitating disease each year, forcing them to leave their profession permanently. The British Thoracic Society estimates that around one in six adult-onset asthma cases are caused by occupational exposures.
This inspection campaign will focus on workplaces that use isocyanate-containing paints and coatings, the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK.
Once asthma develops, even small amounts of isocyanate exposure can trigger severe attacks, making continued work in the industry impossible for affected workers.
Legal Requirements Under COSHH
The inspections will assess compliance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, which requires employers to prevent or control worker exposure to isocyanates using effective control measures and safe working procedures.
Employers must also verify these measures are working by arranging regular health surveillance and biological monitoring – both are legally required for workers exposed to isocyanates.
Protecting Workers Through Health Checks and Testing
Health surveillance involves regular medical screening by competent occupational health professionals to detect early signs of health conditions like occupational asthma or dermatitis.
Biological monitoring involves laboratory analysis of samples taken from workers to detect chemical isocyanate exposure before health problems develop. This provides an early warning for employers to investigate and correct control failures. The HSE recommends urine testing as the most practical and cost-effective method for measuring isocyanate exposure.
Isocyanate-containing materials, commonly known as two-pack (2k) paints, coatings and lacquers, are widely used for their durability and finish quality. However, when sprayed, these paints release invisible mist that spreads rapidly and can reach dangerous levels within minutes.
Three Essential Protection Measures
Employers must implement three critical safety measures during spray painting operations:
1. Proper Spray Booth Ventilation
Maintain spray booths or rooms with adequate extraction systems that create negative pressure. This prevents paint vapours escaping into workshop areas and contaminating the wider workplace.
2. Correct Respiratory Protection Equipment
Workers must use air-fed breathing apparatus certified to the appropriate standard. Filtering respirators do not provide enough protection against paint mist and vapours during spray operations. Breathing apparatus should ideally be full-visor type, but half-mask type with appropriate eye protection is acceptable with more frequent biological monitoring. However, if half face masks are used, workers will need to receive face fit testing to ensure RPE is compatible with the wearer and to prevent exposure when worn.
3. Safe Clearance Procedures
Display measurable clearance times clearly for all workers to see. Workers must not remove respiratory protection until they are safely outside the spray area, or the required clearance time has fully elapsed.
Information, Instruction and Training
In addition, employers must provide information, instruction and training on:
- hazards and health risks
- safe working procedures to be followed, including the correct use of RPE, spraying behaviour (no lifting visor), cleaning protocols, and emergency response.
If you require further information, please visit the HSE’s website Isocyanates Awareness or contact our team at tcms@thomas-carroll.co.uk or on 02920 853731.
