&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Design for the Environment, Auto Refinishing Shop Project
EPA 744-F-00-003
June 2000
BEST PRACTICES FOR THE PAINT MIXING ROOM
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CUT SHOP WASTE AND POLLUTION
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SAVE MONEY
REDUCE HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS
KEEP ALL CONTAINERS COVERED
An open container of paint or solvent contaminates the air and wastes money. By putting a lid on it!-you will keep
harmful vapors out of the air that you and your co-workers breathe. You'll also save materials and money by not
letting your expensive paints and coatings evaporate away or be ruined by exposure to air.
INSTALL A VENTILATION SYSTEM OR
PREFABRICATED MIXING ROOM
Inadequate ventilation, common in many paint mixing rooms, poses
a serious health and safety risk. A well-designed ventilation system
will pull harmful vapors away from you and significantly improve
air quality in the mixing room. To get the most protection from
your ventilation, make sure you position vapor-generating materials
and equipment in front of or near an exhaust outlet (e.g., install an
exhaust hood behind the mixing table). A prefabricated mixing
room has built-in ventilation. Prefab units come in a range of sizes
and designs for convenient placement in the shop. Be sure to set up
equipment such that the ventilation draws vapors away from work
Stati on S
Picture provided courtesy of CCAR-GreewLink®
Remember: all electrical equipment in the paint mixing room (e.g., switches, ventilation fans, lights, telephones)
should be approved for Class I, Division 1 (explosive) environments.
WEAR AIR-PURIFYING RESPIRATORS
Vapor-generating materials and equipment pack most paint mixing rooms. A painter in a respirator is much less
likely to breathe the harmful vapors in paints and solvents. When working in the mixing room, always use an air-
purifying. respirator with organic vapor cartridges. This respirator should provide adequate protection for typical
mixing room tasks.
Remember: for a tight-fitting air-purifying respirator to work properly, you must: (1) Make sure it forms a tight seal
on your face (a clean shave where the mask touches your face is step one, followed by a "fit test" from a safety
professional); and (2) Change the cartridges on a regular schedule, as specified by the manufacturer—once vapors
saturate the cartridges, the respirator won't protect you! Your employer should have an implemented filter change
schedule as specified in 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(iii).
WEAR CHEMICAL-RESISTANT GLOVES, CLOTHING - AND EYE PROTECTION
Your skin and eyes also need protection from hazardous paint materials. Many chemicals in coatings and solvents
are not only strong irritants, but can pass through your skin and damage your body's internal organs. Be aware of
the variety of chemicals you use in the mixing room and choose chemical-resistant gloves and paint suits that offer
adequate protection.
For gloves, nitrile or butyl rubber make the grade, latex does not. Remember: even a more protective glove has a
limited life span, especially if you use it when handling certain strong solvents-so, always follow the manufacturer's
recommended change schedule and never use a torn or punctured glove.
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Warning: Isocyanates, the hardening component in
most clear coats, are strong skin and lung irritants—
and the leading cause of occupational asthma. Recent
studies indicate that skin contact with isocyanates
may trigger an allergic reaction in your lungs.
And don't overlook your eyes! A full face piece
respirator will provide eye protection, however,
goggles or a face shield should be worn with a half-
mask respirator (as described above). The respirator or
goggles/face shield will keep strongly irritating and
toxic chemicals from splashing in your eyes and face-and keep you from mistakenly rubbing your eyes with a
contaminated hand. An eye wash station is a must for any auto refinishing shop.
PRACTICE WASTE REDUCTION
Shops that reduce waste do something good for the environment and their bottom line. In fact, more efficient use of
paints and solvents lets you save twice: up-front, on the amount of materials you need per refinish job; and on the
back end, in lower waste removal costs.
Mix only the amount of paints and coatings you need. High-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) spray guns,
recommended for all painting tasks (and required by law in certain areas), transfer paint much more efficiently than
conventional guns; the result: you use-and need to mix-far less paint.
Another good practice is to store and reuse left-over primers and basecoats. Computer mixing systems, offered free
by many paint companies, make it easier to mix smaller quantities of paint and to track and reuse any left-overs.
USE AN AUTOMATED GUN CLEANER
An automated gun cleaner also saves you money—and improves health and safety in your shop. These devices help
you get the most mileage from your cleaning solvent, reduce shop waste, and minimize your contact with hazardous
solvents. Select a model with a lid that covers the entire basin. If you select a model that allows manual pre-
cleaning in an open basin, make sure the basin is equipped with an exhaust fan to collect vapors before they escape
into the room air. Remember: if equipped with an exhaust fan, the gun cleaner should only be used when the fan is
connected to an exhaust outlet that removes the vapors from the room. Regardless of the type of gun cleaner you
select, make sure you frequently inspect and maintain the unit - leaking hoses and lids with a poor fit can
contaminate your mixing room with harmful solvent vapors.
Before placing a used spray gun in the gun cleaner, pre-clean the gun cup to remove gross coating contamination.
This practice extends the service life and effectiveness of the cleaning solvent used in the automated cleaning unit.
For More Information on Best Paint Mixing Practices ...
Dfliylofti* Environment
Aulobody Shop Project
Talk to Mary Cushmac (202-564-8803, cushmac.mary@epa.gov) or David DiFiore (202-
564-8796, difiore.david@epa.gov) of the DfE Project Team.
THEDESIGNFOR THE ENVIRONMENT AUTO REFINISHING SHOP PROJECT'S GOAL is TO WORK WITH AUTO
REFINISHERS TO IDENTIFY AND ADOPT SAFER, CLEANER, MORE EFFICIENT PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES.
www.epa.gov/dfe/autobody/autobody.html
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