Painting Hazards: How to Select the Right Respirator and PPE

PPE selection information and hazard education resources for you and your industrial painting team.

PPE for Spray Painting | Respirator Requirements

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    Preparation Work

    Paint, rust, scale removal, deburring, filling and sanding to smooth finish will expose workers to fine particles and mists. The cleaning and degreasing process can also require respiratory protection. 3M disposable respirators are the ideal solution in combination with 3M Protective Eyewear.

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    Water & Solvent-based paints

    Solvent-based paints often contain a higher level of solvents or other reactive chemicals, requiring an air-purifying respirator that can specifically provide respiratory protection from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and specific chemicals. Supplied air respirators may be more suitable (or mandated) for certain tasks or exposures. Some water-based paints or where chemical exposures are less than occupational exposure limit, filtering facepiece respirators may be suitable.

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    Industrial Powder Coatings

    Particulates in handling, mixing and spraying powder coating materials present a respiratory hazard. These coatings typically have minimal or no VOCs. Fire or explosion are possible hazards requiring a respirator meeting intrinsically safe standards.

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    Clean-up

    Spray equipment can be cleaned after use with solvents which may require respiratory protection. Powder coat materials also present respiratory hazards during clean up. Solvents and powder coats are a potential source of fire and explosion.


Explore Painting & Coating Hazard Infographics
Find out how are your workers exposed to these hazards, their health effects and how to protect against it.
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    Powder Coating

    Learn about the health risks of powder coatings, including eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, as well as potential asthma and dermatitis from exposure during manufacturing, spraying, and cleaning. Protect yourself by using proper respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Stay safe with our detailed guide on handling powder coatings.

    Download the Powder Coatings Hazard Infographic (PDF, 567 KB)

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    Liquid Industrial Paints

    Learn about the hazards of liquid industrial paints, including exposure to harmful VOCs like Xylene, Toluene, and Ethyl acetate, through activities such as brushing, rolling, and spraying. Understand the health risks such as skin irritation, respiratory issues, and sensitization to isocyanates. Discover essential protective measures with appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE).

    Download the Paint infographics (PDF, 663 KB)


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Choosing a Powered Air Purifying Respirator | Painting in Many Applications

  • worker in coveralls wearing 3M Versaflo TR-800 PAPR
    • Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR) are a suitable selection for many painting applications and when using a variety of paint types. Benefits of a PAPR include:
       

      • Option for intrinsically safe components when flammability is a factor
      • Allows use by wearers who have limited amounts of facial hair, when loose-fitting painter's hoods or helmets are used
      • Fit test is not required, when loose-fitting headgear is used
      • Flexible configurations
      • Cartridge options to meet the protection factor requirements when exposured to Isocynates and other hazards

      DOWNLOAD LEARNING GUIDE: PPE FOR INDUSTRIAL PAINTING (PDF, 2.46 MB)

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Other Industrial Spray Painting PPE

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    Spray paint goggles

    Maintain visibility and help prevent exposure to paint particles with safety goggles. 3M goggles have optional features, including:
     

    • Scotchgard anti-fog and anti-scratch coating
    • Adjustable headbands
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    Paint-repelling full-body harness

    When your industrial painting project has you working at height, look for a full-body harness with webbing material that can repel paint particles. Select 3M full-body harness come with repel-webbing technology to help maintain the cleanliness and integrity of your equipment.


Training your team | Workplace safety information for industrial painting

Find some of our most popular resources to help you train your team.
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    PPE for various hazards

    From airborne hazards to painting at heights, we have PPE to keep you protected all over. This infographic will outline the variety of PPE available to support you and your painting application needs.

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    Learning guide: PPE for industrial painting

    We've created this guide to help you learn more about common painting hazards, injuries and control measures you can take to help provide a safer workplace.

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    Hazard Awareness Bulletins: Learn More

    Download a series of hazard bulletins, including isocyanates, organic solvents and powder coats.

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    On-site safety training

    Review what trainings are available to help your employees protect themselves during the painting process.