1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses
The HSE has announced a campaign of 1,000 targeted inspections of motor vehicle repair businesses across Great Britain, aimed at tackling occupational asthma in skilled vehicle paint sprayers.
The campaign is going to focus on workplaces that use isocyanate-containing paints and coatings, this is the lead cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Once this has developed, even small amounts of exposure can trigger severe attacks, making continued work in the industry impossible for those affected.
This renewed HSE attention signals heightened regulatory focus on airborne hazards, underlining the critical importance of effective engineering controls such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems.
At Plant and Safety, we provide thorough LEV inspection, testing and thorough examination to help ensure your extraction systems meet the standards.
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What the HSE campaign covers
The inspection campaign focuses on workplaces using isocyanate-containing paints and coatings, identified as the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK.
The HSE sets out three essential protection measures:
- Proper spray-booth ventilation – (spray booths/rooms with adequate extraction creating negative pressure) to prevent paint vapours escaping into the wider workshop.
- Correct respiratory protection equipment – workers must use air-fed breathing apparatus certified to the appropriate standard.
- Safe clearance procedures – measurable clearance times must be clearly displayed and adhered to before workers remove respiratory protection.
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers must prevent or control exposure to isocyanates using effective control measures and safe working procedures. They must also verify that control measures are working via health surveillance and biological monitoring.
Consequences of non-compliance
Businesses that fail to comply with COSHH may face:
- Improvement notices
- Prohibition notices
- Prosecution and unlimited fines
Although the HSE campaign focuses on spraying processes using isocyanates, the underlying message is clear:
Engineering control performance matters and ventilation/extraction systems are a key part of that.
If LEV systems are not functioning correctly, contaminants can escape into the workplace, increasing health risks and raising the likelihood of enforcement during an HSE inspection.
A documented LEV inspection and test provides evidence that your system is performing effectively and that you are actively controlling airborne hazards.
Read the full HSE article here: HSE launches workplace safety inspections for motor vehicle repair →
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WHAT WE OFFER
At Plant & Safety Ltd we specialise in Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Inspection, Testing & Certification engineered to align with your engineering-testing-inspection-certification needs and help you meet regulatory expectations in the motor-trade environment.
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To learn more or if you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us. You can also request a call back using our online form.
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