Author: Debbie Teter
Recently, an article in the Repairer Driven News highlighted the importance of protecting your shop against fire https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2023/05/04/underwriter-offers-guidance-on-repair-shop-fire-coverage/.
Fires are not only dangerous but can be detrimental to a shop’s operations. Protect your shop, your employees and business by mitigating the risk of fire. One of the most important, and core themes for mitigating fire risk, is a clean and organized shop with scheduled paint booth maintenance.
Tips For Keeping your Paint Booth and Refinishing Equipment in Good and Safe Operation:
- Have your fire suppression system inspected annually
Schedule regular maintenance – with annual cleaning of ducts, exhaust fans, floors, pits, concentrating on removing dried overspray.
Clean dust and debris off the exterior walls and roof of the cabin.
Never use low flash point materials for cleaning such as lacquer thinner
Never leave piles of scraped, swept up overspray and residue material. They should be disposed of immediately.
Use Flammable Materials Waste Disposal Containers with Self closing covers for your used solvent and sprayed material impregnated rags. Empty these containers daily in a safe outside location
Maintain a clean and organized shop and workspace. Adopt a nightly inspection that includes checking the entire spray area for potential fire risk.
NFPA Code requires the paint mix room fan to run when any flammable materials are present – if you have a paint mix room that is in use, the fan should run 24-7.
Employee training for safe operation of the spray booth
Never perform any sparking activity (such as welding, grinding or other metal work) inside the paint booth cabin or within 10 ft of the opening
The area around the spray booth should be kept clear of combustible materials in accordance with Code requirements.
No Smoking Controls in Paint Spraying areas – Place signs around your shop and enforce this rule.
Remove any combustible items from vehicles.
Follow proper procedures and instructions for working on EV’s regarding proper battery handling, and storage. https://www.bodyshopbusiness.com/ev-batteries-handling-disposal-and-storage/
Do not mix finishes, follow the guidance of your paint supplier on the materials purchased.
Code requires spray operation be disabled when the exhaust fails. Make sure that this function is active and working. Do not bypass safety features.
If you have any questions on evaluating your paint booth or scheduling maintenance, don’t hesitate to contact Garmat and schedule a site visit with your local Certified Garmat Distributor. Contact us by clicking the button.
To download a Garmat Recommended Maintenance Schedule – Click Here