Solvent-Based Paints & Coatings (xylene/toluene/white spirit base)
COSHH assessment
A COSHH assessment for solvent-based paints & coatings (xylene/toluene/white spirit base) on a UK construction site: what it does to people, how it gets into them, the controls that stop it, the PPE for what is left, and what to do when it goes wrong. Copy it into your assessment and change what does not fit your job.
Hazards to health
CNS depression (dizziness, headache, narcosis), liver and kidney effects, dermatitis, occupational asthma, fire/explosion risk (flashpoint typically 21-55°C). Xylene WEL 50 ppm 8-hr TWA, toluene 50 ppm.
Routes of exposure
Inhalation, Skin contact, Eye contact
Control measures
- Substitute with water-based or low-VOC alternatives where the spec permits.
- Mechanical ventilation in enclosed spaces, minimum 6 air changes per hour, monitored with LEL meter.
- Confined spaces: forced extraction plus airfed RPE.
- No naked flames or hot work within 6m.
- Earth-bond drums when decanting.
- Decant only what is needed for the shift.
PPE for what is left
- Half-mask with A2 organic vapour cartridges (or A2P3 if spraying), Nitrile gloves (check breakthrough time vs solvent), Chemical splash goggles, Type 5/6 coveralls, Antistatic footwear
Emergency procedures
- Skin: remove contaminated clothing, wash with soap and water, do not use solvents on skin.
- Eyes: irrigate 20 mins, A&E.
- Inhalation: fresh air, recovery position if drowsy, 999 if unconscious.
- Fire: CO2 or foam extinguisher (not water on solvent fires).
Questions people ask
Do I need a COSHH assessment for solvent-based paints & coatings (xylene/toluene/white spirit base)?
If the substance is hazardous to health and your work exposes people to it, yes. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, regulation 6, require a suitable and sufficient assessment before the work starts, with the significant findings recorded if you employ five or more. The safety data sheet is an input to the assessment, not a substitute for it. Guidance, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a safety data sheet and a COSHH assessment?
The data sheet is the manufacturer describing the product in general. The assessment is you describing how your people use it on your job: how much, how often, for how long, in what ventilation, with what controls. Two firms using the same tin can have very different assessments.
What is a WEL?
A Workplace Exposure Limit, the maximum airborne concentration averaged over a reference period, set in HSE document EH40. For this substance: WEL 50 ppm 8-hr TWA, toluene 50 ppm.
Is PPE enough?
No. COSHH puts PPE last: eliminate the substance, substitute for something less harmful, control at source with ventilation and enclosure, then organise the work to reduce exposure, and only then PPE for what is left. An assessment that jumps straight to gloves and a mask is the kind an inspector questions. Guidance, not legal advice.
How often should it be reviewed?
When the product, the method, the quantities or the people change, if there is any sign the controls are not working, and at least every year or so regardless. Health surveillance may be required where exposure could cause an identifiable disease, such as dermatitis or occupational asthma.
The COSHH assessment writes itself
Pick the substance in the SiteLynx RAMS editor and the COSHH assessment fills in with the hazards, controls and PPE, alongside the HAVS and noise assessments for the tools you chose. Signed on site on a phone. 14 days free.
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