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Myth 5: "I can go in the booth/spray room as soon as the mist has cleared"

Truth 5:

One in 10 of people who get asthma from isocyanates in bodyshops is not a sprayer. This means they are getting exposed some other way. One of those ways is entering a spraybooth/spray room before all of the fine, invisible mist has cleared. Even the most efficient booths take over a minute to clear after spraying has finished. Some take significantly longer. A spray room can take up to half and hour to clear.

Anyone entering a spray booth or spray room needs to know what the clearance time is (see appendix 2 in HSL/2006/43 - 'Review of commercially available party fog machines suitable for determining the clearance time of paint spray booths and rooms' (PDF) [51]).

Link URLs in this page

  1. Motor vehicle repairhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/index.htm
  2. Introductionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/introduction.htm
  3. Overview - Common MVR topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/index.htm
  4. Benzenehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/benzene.htm
  5. Choosing the correct gloveshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/gloves.htm
  6. Cleaning/degreasing substances including valetinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/degreaser.htm
  7. Electric and hybrid vehicleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/electric-hybrid.htm
  8. Falls from heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/falls.htm
  9. Fire and explosionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/fire.htm
  10. Fluoroelastomershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/fluoroelastomers.htm
  11. General COSHH essential sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/general-coshh.htm
  12. Hand-arm vibrationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/vibration.htm
  13. Harmful dusts - Inhalation and Dermatitis riskshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/dusts.htm
  14. Manual handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/manual.htm
  15. Noisehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/noise.htm
  16. Safety in the use of two-post vehicle liftshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/fallofflifts.htm
  17. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/slips.htm
  18. Storing and handling airbagshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/storing-handling-airbags-seat-belt.htm
  19. Struck by...https://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/struckby.htm
  20. Updated guidance on vehicle liftshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/updated-guidance-on-vehicle-lifts.htm
  21. Used engine oilhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/oil.htm
  22. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/transport.htm
  23. Overview - Bodyshopshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/index.htm
  24. 2-pack isocyanate paintshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm
  25. Bodyshop mythshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/myths/index.htm
  26. COSHH essential sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/coshh-paintspraying.htm
  27. Measuring paint spray booth clearance timehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/cleartime.htm
  28. Overview - Mechanical repairhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/index.htm
  29. Asbestoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/asbestos.htm
  30. Hot work on wheelshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/hot-work-on-wheels.htm
  31. Tyre removal, replacement and inflationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/tyreremoval.htm
  32. Vehicle exhaust emissions (Diesel)https://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/exhaust.htm
  33. Welding and flamecuttinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/welding.htm
  34. Wheel and tyre explosionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/wheel-and-tyres.htm
  35. Working under vehicleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/under-vehicles.htm
  36. Overview - Roadside repair and recoveryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/roadside-repair/index.htm
  37. Automotive glazinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/roadside-repair/glazing.htm
  38. Essential precautionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/roadside-repair/essential-precautions.htm
  39. Repair or recovery of buses and coaches fitted with air suspensionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/roadside-repair/buses.htm
  40. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/index.htm
  41. COSHH essentialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/essentials/direct-advice/mvr.htm
  42. Overview - Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/statistics/index.htm
  43. Ill health statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/statistics/illhealthstats.htm
  44. Injury statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/statistics/injurystats.htm
  45. Useful external websiteshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/links.htm
  46. Videoshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/videos/index.htm
  47. Contactshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/contact.htm
  48. Video: Spray booths and clearance time demohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/videos/video5.htm
  49. Video: Shows smoke circulating around a light fillethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/videos/video4.htm
  50. Video: Speeded up footage of smoke in spray room shows slow dispersal and random air movementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/resources/videos/video10.htm
  51. HSL/2006/43 - 'Review of commercially available party fog machines suitable for determining the clearance time of paint spray booths and rooms'https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230103120103/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2006/hsl0643.pdf
  52. Health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg261.htm
  53. Tyre removal, replacement and inflationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/tyreremoval.htm
  54. Fatal accident during maintenance on multipiece vehicle wheel with pneumatic tyreshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/wheel-and-tyres.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

MVR
Motor Vehicle Repair
COSHH
Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health

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Updated 2023-08-08