Rank: Super forum user 
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Good day...
We carry out paint spraying using compressed air system in an enclosed spray booth with extraction via a dedicated, maintained and tested LEV system.
Spraying is done relatively infrequently (around 4/6 times per month) There have been no reports or evidence of fire or explosion within the area or LEV system since its installation - Existing lighting / electrical systems are not ATEX rated. The spray booth has been in operation pre 2003.
A DSEAR assessment has never been carried out. Initial review suggest Zone 1 / Zone 21.
1/ Views on the need for ATEX rating electrical system would be valued.
2/ (off topic but relevant for OH RA being done in tandem) Should regular Health Surveillance be provided and made mandatory?
Notes: Suitable Respiratory PPE provided. Training on use provided. Face Fit Testing done. Ongoing Air monitoring not carried out.
My opinion:
1/ No - simply an unqualified opinion based on the effectiveness of LEV, small size of operation and frequency of operation. More qualified opinions please...
2/ Yes. Currently HR deal with this and I'm sensing they will not agree...An initial pre-employment OHP check is done. That is all. Change of corporate policy would be required for them to change.
Thanks
Gary.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Hi Gary
You do not say if the booth is IP rated? We had a similar situation with a pre-2003 booth built by Dalby, but all the electrics were instrinsically safe with all the controls on the outside. Spraying was air fed as was breathing apparatus.
Because the booth was already IP rated, it was not zoned but just required a risk assessment.
We did purchase the correct hoses for the spray guns which have wire running through the fabric to transfer any static to earth. These do not seem to be standard supply but are not terribly expensive and worth the small additional sum.
We have mandatory health checks for our sprayers and use positive air fed breathing apparatus but then we are spraying every day so our exposure levels are that much higher. When we did have air monitoring carried out it proved an unnecessary exercise other than to say that the levels of exposure without RPE were well below the WELs let alone with RPE which is mandated.
I hope this answers some of your queries - obviously it very much depends on the paint you are using, levels of isocyanates, etc
I hope this helps
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Rank: Super forum user
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By definition if you have decided that your spray booth is Zone 1, then any electrical equipment inside the booth should be of a suitable ATEX rating for ZOne 1 use.
Having said that, the need for electrical equipment inside the booth should be limited.
Use air powered tools etc.
Its normal to have lighting outside the booth, but with windows in the roof etc so the lights are mounted on the outside of the windows shining into the booth.
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Rank: Forum user
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Under normal conditions, if you were to wander around with an explosimiter you would probably get surprisingly low readings. The problem comes when things go wrong (sprayer ends up pointing direct at the light, drops the entire pot on the floor etc. etc.) That's when you need zone 1.
Medicals - depends on what you're spraying but even if it's not isocyanate-based I would tend to go for it. There's some fairly serious stuff in modern high spec coatings.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Depends on properties of the materials used during the process and the efficacy of the ventilation i.e. it amy be the case thaqt the ventilation results in a concentration of <25% LEL. Typically you would expect the vapour conc to be <10% LEL.
Assuming the materials/fluids are ignitable and assuming a conc of <10% LEL during n ormal operation, then unless the ventilation is classed/demonstrated as being highly reliable, a zone 2 would apply.
WRT suggestion to use pneumatic equipment, this still has the potential to be an effective source of ignition.
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