Construction isocyanates: Spraying

Spraying can produce very high exposure to isocyanates. This page tells you how to control this risk and why. You also need to be aware of the general information on isocyanates.

What you must do

Follow the Assess, Control and Review model. Pay particular attention to:

Assess

Identify and assess: Tasks involving spraying isocyanates are particularly high risk. This is because you can easily breathe the aerosol mist droplets this produces. You also use more of the product in a shorter space of time. Anyone near this work will be at risk.

Control

Follow the precautions for controlling general isocyanate risks for controlling isocyanate risks. In addition, you should also consider:

It may not always be possible to do this, for example when painting some structures. Keep all non-essential people away from the work area until the risk has been minimised. Take into account wind speed and direction. This can cause spray to drift large distances.

Review

Supervise: Ensure equipment is properly used and RPE is worn correctly.

Maintain: Make sure the RPE is properly maintained. Test the air supply to ensure it is clean and safe to breathe. Check any air filters are correctly working and spray is not leaking from enclosed areas. 

Monitor: This should be done by a competent person. You are likely to need:

What you should know

Spraying isocyanate products is a significant cause of occupational asthma. Symptoms can develop immediately following exposure but can also appear several hours later outside working hours in the evening or early morning. Early signs of respiratory sensitisation to isocyanates include one or more of the following:

If your isocyanate exposure continues, you may suffer from permanent and severe asthma. There is no cure. This can have life-changing consequences. Even a tiny amount of any isocyanate could trigger an attack. It would almost certainly mean you would have to give up this type of work.

There are a series of videos on the HSE website showing how exposure occurs in paint spraying . More general information about spraying isocyanates can be found in the motor vehicle repair section of the HSE website.

Updated 2021-10-07