Best Practice for Spray Paint Booth Maintenance

A spray booth is one of the biggest capital investments that your business will make. It allows you to produce high-quality finishes and provides safer working conditions. For these reasons, a spray paint booth maintenance programme should be firmly embedded in your routine operations. A booth that runs at optimum efficiency will keep production costs down and supports health and safety compliance.

The cost of improper maintenance for your bottom line

Improper booth care can drastically affect your productivity and plant maintenance costs. The booth is more likely to break down, resulting in costly downtime and repair bills. Dust and debris will reduce your finish quality and increase the need for reworks.

The cost of improper maintenance for worker health and safety (and your bottom line)

In the UK, exposure to isocynate is the single biggest cause of occupational asthma. This is a particular concern in workshops that use paints and lacquers containing isocyanate hardener. A booth's extractors and filters play a critical role in reducing exposure to contaminants and harmful fumes, like isocyanates. If the booth is not properly maintained, its filters and extractors will be less effective. This can result in:

• Breach of CoSHH Regulations and WELs and potential fines
• Increased worker sickness absence, litigation and associated costs
• Low workforce morale
• Potential increase in insurance premiums

Spray paint booth maintenance tips 

These best practice tips will help you to keep your booth in top condition and your painters safe.

1. Reduce contamination

When contaminants find their way into your booth, they clog filters and affect finish quality. Taking the following steps will reduce the amount of dust and dirt entering your booth from the workshop floor:

• Blow off and tack workpieces before bringing them into the booth. Also, tack the air hose before bringing it in.
• Turn the booth on when bringing workpieces into the booth.
• Keep traffic into and out of the area to a minimum during spraying.
• Don't sand inside the booth.
• Seal and caulk around entrances, frames and any other openings.
• Have a daily cleaning routine. With the booth switched on, sweep the floor and wipe walls with a soft cloth dipped in soapy water or a weak detergent solution.

2. Change filters regularly

Good filtering is essential for effective ventilation and removal of contaminants. For a booth that is used daily, we recommend changing your filters every three weeks. Make sure you know where all the filters are in your booth and continually monitor and replace them as necessary. Always use high-quality filters.

3. Conduct routine checks

Schedule the following daily, weekly and monthly checks into your maintenance programme:

Daily

• Booth pressure

• Signs of damage to the booth and its door seals

Weekly

• Signs of damage to the ducting, fan and filters

• Pressure gauges

Monthly

• Use a smoke generator to test for leaks from the booth and ductwork

Every 14-months

• Conduct a thorough examination test (TExT)

Keep records of all tests and examinations for a minimum of 5 years.

4. Use booth protection products

You can make the cleaning procedure easier by protecting the inside of your booth from overspray. There are several booth protection products on the market: Peelable booth coatings - liquid or spray-on treatments that dry to a protective film. Once soiled, peel them off according to the manufacturer's instructions and recoat. Self-adhering film - easy to fit and remove and available in a range of lengths and widths to meet your needs. Matting - durable, padded matting that can be vacuumed daily to remove contaminants. Spray-on floor coating - a daily floor treatment that traps contaminants. It neutralises the electrical charge of air particles so that up to 50% of contaminants fall to the floor instead of sticking to your workpiece.

5. Have a deep clean protocol

Your schedule should include regularly cleaning your booth using the following protocol:

Step 1:

• Shut off the power supply and ensure the booth is sealed.
• Close all vents and switch off fans before beginning the cleaning process.
• Remove exhaust filters for washing.

Step 2:

• Wear appropriate PPE: painter suit with hood; lint-free, nitrile gloves; and mask.
• Clean the booth, getting into all hard to reach areas. For smaller booths, use a scrubbing brush and a solution of water and paint remover. Use a pressure washer in larger booths.
• Rinse well with water.

6. Measure spray booth clearance times

It can take 20 minutes or more for isocyanates to fully clear from the booth after spraying. To maintain safe working practices, the HSE recommends that you do the following:

• Include a clearance time smoke test in your 14-month thorough maintenance examination. More frequent testing may be necessary.
• Clearly display the clearance time on the booth.
• Instruct sprayers not to remove their airline breathing apparatus during the clearance time.

7. Take extra precautions with water spray booths

Water wash paint booths pose additional health hazards if the water isn't treated routinely. A build-up of paint sludge creates an ideal environment for bacterial and fungal growth. This can cause Legionnaires' disease and biological odours.

8. Test and maintain RPE

Paint booth maintenance also extends to looking after respiratory protection equipment.

Before each use

• Visually check the compressed airlines for signs of damage.

Monthly

• Check the quality of the air supply to the airline breathing apparatus.
• Check for and replace damaged parts.  Change valves if there are signs of overspray on them.

9. Adhere to the manufacturer's maintenance schedule

Your maintenance programme should follow the maintenance schedule provided by the booth manufacturer. The schedule should include guidance on how often to inspect, clean and replace key components of your booth, such as filters.

10. Build a responsible team

A spray paint booth maintenance programme needs someone to oversee and manage it. It also needs a team of trained painters who understand their maintenance responsibilities. If you would like further guidance on booth protection products, filters or water treatments, please contact our sales team.  

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