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810 Hand and Power Tool Safety
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Spray Guns

One of the most frequent types of spray operations is spray painting, with spray booths as a common engineering control used to protect workers. Spray booths must confine and limit the escape of spray, vapor, and residue, and to safely conduct or direct them to an exhaust system.

Spray booths serve two main purposes:

  1. to protect the health of the painter
  2. to reduce fire and explosion hazards

All spraying areas must be provided with mechanical ventilation adequate to remove flammable vapors, mists, or powders to a safe location and to confine and control combustible residues so that life is not endangered.

Indoor worker fully suited with PPE while spray painting
Mechanical ventilation must be kept in operation at all times while spraying.

Spray booths must be designed to sweep air currents toward the exhaust outlet. Mechanical ventilation must be kept in operation at all times while spraying operations are being conducted and for a sufficient time thereafter to allow vapors from drying coated articles and drying finishing material residue to be exhausted.

For more information on spray booth requirements see OSHA 1926.66.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

5-13. What must spray booths be equipped with to sweep air currents toward exhaust outlets?