Health and Safety Executive

OCE Painting by spraying

Offshore COSHH Control approach R essentials Respiratory protective equipment

This information will help offshore What this sheet covers dutyholders (owners, operators and This sheet describes good practice for mixing and spraying solvent- contractors) to comply with the Control based paint but does not apply to water-based paint. It covers the key of Substances Hazardous to Health points you need to follow to help reduce exposure to an acceptable Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, to level, as part of your COSHH assessment. protect workers’ health. Hazards This guidance consolidates good control 3 Exposure to solvent vapours practice and reinforces existing knowledge may result in a number of health with additional information. effects, eg the central nervous system, irritation of eye, skin and It will help you carry out COSHH respiratory system. assessments, review existing assessments, 3 Reactive products (eg epoxy and deliver training and in supervising activities isocyanate-containing paints) involving substances hazardous to health. may cause asthma by breathing in paint mist. They can also It is aimed at staff whose responsibilities cause dermatitis by skin contact. include the management of substances hazardous to health on offshore Access installations (eg occupational health 3 Make a specific assessment where rope work or over-side work is specialists, COSHH assessors, supervisors required. etc). It is also useful for trade union and 3 Where possible, erect an enclosure or habitat. employee safety representatives. 3 Otherwise, erect barriers and notices. 3 Restrict access to authorised personnel. Following this guidance is not compulsory 3 Where necessary post a stand-by or sentry to raise the alarm in an and you are free to take other action. But emergency. if you do follow this guidance, you will 3 Where possible have a ventilated enclosure/habitat. normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek Storage to secure compliance with the law and may 3 Provide a well-ventilated, flameproof store with spill containment and refer to this guidance as illustrating good spill clean-up kits. practice. 3 Segregate incompatible materials, and segregate waste. 3 Minimise the amount of product stored. Also see essential information on the back 3 Keep lid on containers when not in use. of the sheet. 3 Provide eyewash equipment close to the work site. 3 Provide appropriate firefighting equipment. 3 Label and segregate waste.

Equipment and procedures Mixing and cleaning 3 Designate a room for paint mixing. This may be the paint store. 3 Wire in the room ventilation with lighting circuit to provide good standards of general ventilation. 3 Discharge extracted air outside the building, away from walkways and air inlets. 3 Always open cans and mix paints inside the room. 3 Clean mixing equipment as soon as possible after use. 3 Spray guns contain paint residues. Clean them only in dedicated enclosed and extracted gun washing equipment. 3 If this is not possible, use air-fed breathing apparatus for spraying washings in extracted booth or room with the extraction turned on.

Spray painting. 3 Provide ‘compliant’ spray guns that minimise paint mist. 3 Measure the clearance time for the habitat (if provided). 3 Set the habitat extraction running before spraying begins. Keep it running for at least the clearance time after spraying. 3 Ensure that air-fed breathing apparatus is worn for spraying and that the users check it works properly every time they use it. 3 Workers must keep their breathing apparatus in until they have left the habitat.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) – see OCM4 3 Provide air-fed CE-marked RPE with an assigned protection factor of at least 20. Use either an air-fed half-mask with a visor (LDM2) or an air- fed visor (LDH3). Provide dedicated connectors to prevent accidental connection to non-breathing lines, eg nitrogen. 3 Provide a disposable cover to protect the visor from spray. Other protective equipment 3 Provide disposable coveralls. Discard these at the end of the shift. 3 Provide chemical resistant gloves, eg nitrile. Single-use gloves are preferred. 3 Tell workers to discard single-use gloves every time they take them off. Caution: ‘Barrier creams’ or ‘liquid gloves’ do not provide a full barrier and should not be used as an alternative to properly selected protective gloves.

Maintenance, examination and testing Checking and maintenance 3 Keep all equipment in effective working order – follow instructions in user manuals. 3 Before use, check the air lines for supplied-air breathing apparatus. 3 At least once a week, check that airflow indicators work properly. 3 At least once a month, check that the gun cleaning equipment is working properly. 3 Keep this information in your testing logbook.

Examination and testing Employee checklist 3 Extraction systems require statutory ‘thorough examination and testing’ Are you sure about safe (TExT). work procedures? 3 Get a competent ventilation engineer to perform the TExT at least once every 14 months (see HSE publication HSG258). Is the stand-by person in 3 Carry out all actions arising from the TExT. place?

Is the equipment in good RPE condition and working 3 Examine and test RPE thoroughly at least monthly and infrequently properly? used RPE at least three monthly. Replace worn parts. 3 Check the airflow and air quality to air-fed RPE at least once every Is the extraction working? three months, or before use. Check in-line filters. Is your respirator working 3 Ensure that breathable air compressors take in clean air. properly? Check it every time. Records 3 Keep records of all examinations and tests for at least five years. Do you have a spill clean- up kit handy? Exposure monitoring Look for signs of wear 3 Prove that you are using the right level and type of RPE – use and damage to monitoring records or carry out personal air monitoring. equipment. 3 Biological monitoring is needed to monitor RPE effectiveness when spraying isocyanate-based products. If you find any problem, get it fixed. Don’t just Cleaning and housekeeping carry on working. 3 Clean the mixing and spraying equipment with any extraction turned Co-operate with health on. surveillance. 3 Clean the area after the task, or as specified in working procedures. 3 Keep a small spill clean-up kit nearby during painting. Discard single-use gloves 3 Deal with spills immediately – use air-fed RPE for large spills of every time you take them hardener. off. Discard other gloves at the end of the shift. Waste Wash hands before 3 Decontaminate all epoxy and isocyanate residues, including eating, drinking or using empty hardener containers. The safety data sheet should give a the lavatory. decontaminant recipe. 3 Dispose of waste paint and thinner as ‘hazardous waste’ Personal decontamination and skin care 3 Provide warm water, mild skin cleansers, nailbrushes, and soft paper, fabric towels or hot air for drying. Avoid abrasive cleansers. 3 Instruct workers in how to clean their skin effectively. 3 Tell workers to wash hands before every break. 3 Provide pre-work skin creams, which will make it easier to wash dirt from the skin, and after-work creams to replace skin oils.

Caution: Never use thinners to clean skin.

Health surveillance 3 Conduct high-level health surveillance for asthma where products are classified with a ‘respiratory sensitiser’ hazard. 3 Conduct low level health surveillance for dermatitis involving skin checks by suitably trained responsible person.

Training and supervision Other hazards 3 Provide supervision – ensure that safe work procedures are followed. n Substances harmful to the

3 Tell workers, including maintenance workers, what the hazards and marine environment risks are. Further information 3 Explain the early signs of asthma and dermatitis. Respiratory protective 3 Training includes toolbox talks on: equipment at work: A practical n following safe working procedures; guide HSG53 (Third edition) n how to use equipment properly; HSE Books 2005 n how to check that extraction is working properly; ISBN 978 0 7176 2904 6 n how to use RPE and check that it is working; www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/ n how to clean up spills correctly; and hsg53.htm n what to do if something goes wrong.

3 Involve managers and supervisors in health and safety training. Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide Essential information to local exhaust ventilation (LEV) OCE0 Advice for managers HSG258 HSE Books 2008 OCM2 Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) ISBN 978 0 7176 6298 2 OCM3 Personal protective equipment (PPE) www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/ OCM4 Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) hsg258.htm OCM5 Emergency planning Urine sampling for isocyanate OCM7 Health surveillance exposure measurement G408 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ guidance/g408.pdf

Workplace exposure limits EH40 www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/table1.pdf

You can find the full Offshore COSHH essentials series at www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm

This guidance was developed by representatives from the UK offshore oil and gas industry and trade unions, with HSE.

© Crown copyright 2011 Published by the Health and Safety Executive 03/11