COSHH Assessments for Paints, Solvents and Resins

COSHH Assessments for Paints, Solvents and Resins: A Practical Checklist for Industrial Sites

Paints, solvents, and resins are widely used across industrial and commercial sites across the UK and Northern Ireland. From protective coatings on steelwork to resin systems used in flooring, composites, and structural repairs, these substances are integral to modern maintenance and construction activities. Where such materials are used, COSHH Assessments for paints play a critical role in identifying health hazards, evaluating exposure risks, and ensuring appropriate control measures are in place.

Understanding how COSHH applies to these materials is therefore essential. COSHH Assessments for paints provide a structured method for identifying hazardous substances, assessing how exposure may occur, and documenting the measures used to prevent or adequately control that exposure. When applied correctly, they support legal compliance while also contributing to safer, more consistent working practices across industrial environments.

Understanding COSHH for Industrial Paint, Solvent and Resin Work

COSHH refers to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health framework, which places legal duties on employers and those in control of work activities to protect people from health risks associated with hazardous substances. These duties apply regardless of industry sector or project scale and are particularly relevant where chemical products are routinely handled, mixed, applied, or removed.

In practical terms, COSHH Assessments for paints are the documented process by which an organisation identifies hazardous substances within paints, solvents, and resins, assesses how exposure may occur, and records the measures used to prevent or adequately control that exposure. Assessments must be suitable and sufficient, reflecting real working conditions rather than theoretical or generic scenarios.

In Northern Ireland, COSHH requirements are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, which is responsible for ensuring employers and duty-holders meet their legal obligations in relation to hazardous substances. HSENI applies the same underlying COSHH principles as the rest of the UK, with expectations around risk assessment quality, exposure control, and competence remaining consistent across industrial sectors.

Alongside COSHH, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the wider chemicals regulation that influences what substances can be supplied and used, and what hazard and safe-use information manufacturers and suppliers must provide. For paints, solvents, and resin systems, REACH is significant because it drives the content and reliability of Safety Data Sheets (SDS), exposure scenarios, and product labelling—information that organisations rely on when selecting materials and developing task-specific COSHH assessments. In simple terms, COSHH focuses on controlling exposure during your work activities, while REACH underpins the chemical information and legal conditions that sit behind the products you use.

Paints, solvents, and resins fall squarely within COSHH due to the substances they contain, which may include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), isocyanates, amines, epoxy systems, and aggressive solvents. Even products considered standard trade materials can present significant health risks if exposure is not properly controlled.

Health Hazards Associated With Paints, Solvents and Resins

Paint products, solvents, and resin systems can present a range of health hazards depending on their composition and how they are used. The risks associated with these substances are not limited to a single exposure route and may vary significantly based on application method, duration of exposure, and working environment. Understanding these hazards is a key step in developing effective COSHH Assessments for paints and selecting appropriate control measures.

Inhalation and Respiratory Risks

Paint spraying and solvent use can generate vapours, mists, and aerosols that are readily inhaled. Depending on the formulation, application method, and duration of exposure, inhalation may result in short-term irritation, headaches, dizziness, or nausea. More serious outcomes include respiratory sensitisation and occupational asthma.

Isocyanates are widely recognised as a leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Effective COSHH Assessments for paints must therefore give particular attention to airborne exposure risks, especially where spraying or work in enclosed or poorly ventilated environments is involved.

Skin and Eye Contact

Many paints, solvents, and resins can be absorbed through the skin or cause irritation, dermatitis, or chemical burns. Epoxy resins and associated hardeners are well known for their sensitising properties, with repeated or prolonged contact increasing the likelihood of allergic reactions.

A competent COSHH Assessments for paints process evaluates routine activities such as mixing, decanting, surface preparation, cleaning equipment, and responding to spills, not solely the application phase.

Long-Term and Cumulative Exposure

Some substances present limited immediate symptoms but pose long-term risks through repeated exposure. Solvent exposure, for example, has been linked to chronic neurological effects where controls are insufficient. Without a structured COSHH Assessments for paints approach, cumulative exposure risks are easily overlooked.

Legal Duties and Responsibilities

Legal responsibilities relating to paints, solvents, and resins are a central part of COSHH compliance. Where hazardous substances are used on industrial sites, dutyholders must ensure risks to health are properly assessed and managed, regardless of whether coating activities are routine or task-specific. Clear understanding of these responsibilities helps ensure that COSHH Assessments for paints are not only completed, but implemented effectively in day-to-day operations.

Employer and Duty-holder Obligations

Under UK health and safety law, employers and those in control of work activities must:

• Identify hazardous substances present in the workplace
• Carry out suitable and sufficient COSHH assessments
• Prevent exposure where reasonably practicable
• Adequately control exposure where prevention is not possible
• Provide information, instruction, and training
• Review assessments when circumstances change

COSHH Assessments for paints form a core component of these duties wherever coatings, solvents, or resins are used as part of industrial operations.

Interaction With Other Regulatory Requirements

Paint and resin activities frequently intersect with other regulatory frameworks, including working at height legislation, fire and explosion risk management, environmental protection requirements, and confined space considerations. A well-constructed COSHH Assessments for paints document recognises these overlaps while remaining focused on health exposure risks.

A Practical COSHH Checklist for Industrial Sites

• Identify All Substances in Use

The starting point for COSHH Assessments for paints is to identify every relevant substance in use, including paints, primers, topcoats, solvents, thinners, resins, hardeners, and cleaning agents. Each product should be supported by a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) obtained directly from the manufacturer or supplier.

• Review Hazard Information

Safety Data Sheets provide critical information on hazard classifications, routes of exposure, acute and chronic health effects, and workplace exposure limits. This information underpins all COSHH Assessments for paints and must be understood rather than simply referenced. The classification and labelling principles that underpin SDS information are based on established chemical safety frameworks, which continue to inform UK COSHH guidance and enforcement expectations.

• Assess How the Task Is Actually Performed

Generic assessments often fail because they do not reflect real working practices. COSHH Assessments for paints should consider the method of application, duration and frequency of exposure, ventilation arrangements, and whether work is carried out indoors, outdoors, or within enclosed spaces.

• Identify Who May Be Exposed

Exposure is rarely limited to the person applying the product. COSHH Assessments for paints should account for painters, assistants, supervisors, inspectors, other trades working nearby, and members of the public where applicable. Different groups may require different control measures.

• Evaluate Existing Control Measures

Control measures should follow the recognised hierarchy of elimination or substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. COSHH Assessments for paints should clearly justify why each control is in place and how it reduces exposure.

• Assess Residual Risk

Once controls are applied, residual risk must be evaluated. Where risks remain significant, additional or improved measures may be required. This ensures COSHH Assessments for paints are evaluative rather than purely descriptive.

Control Measures in Practice

Once hazards have been identified and risks evaluated, appropriate control measures must be selected and applied. COSHH requires that exposure to hazardous substances is either prevented or adequately controlled, using a structured and proportionate approach. For paints, solvents, and resins, this means considering how risks can be reduced at source before relying on procedural controls or personal protective equipment, as set out within COSHH Assessments for paints.

Substitution and Product Selection

Where reasonably practicable, risk can be reduced by selecting water-based or low-VOC paints, non-isocyanate alternatives, or pre-mixed products that minimise handling. Substitution decisions should be clearly documented within COSHH Assessments for paints.

Engineering and Environmental Controls

Engineering controls are particularly important where exposure potential is high. These may include local exhaust ventilation, spray booths, or forced ventilation in enclosed spaces. Clear justification for their use should be included within COSHH Assessments for paints.

PPE and RPE

Personal protective equipment must be suitable for both the substance and the task. COSHH Assessments for paints should specify appropriate respiratory protective equipment, glove materials, eye and face protection, and protective clothing, alongside requirements for training, fit testing, and maintenance.

Documentation, Review and Record Keeping: Why Written Assessments Are Essential

Written COSHH Assessments for paints provide evidence of compliance, support consistent implementation across sites, and assist during audits, inspections, or incident investigations.

Assessments must be reviewed when products or formulations change, application methods change, incidents or health concerns occur, or at planned intervals. Outdated COSHH Assessments for paints can undermine otherwise robust safety management systems.

Competence, Training and Supervision

Effective COSHH Assessments for paints rely on more than the completion of documentation. They depend on the competence of those carrying out the assessment, the clarity with which findings are communicated, and the level of supervision applied during the work itself. Where paints, solvents, and resins are used, those involved must be able to recognise hazardous substances, understand exposure routes, and apply control measures consistently in real working conditions.

This competence is supported by broader safety awareness across the workforce. Understanding how COSHH assessments fit alongside other workplace hazards and safe systems of work is particularly important on industrial sites where coating activities interface with working at height, confined spaces, or hot works. The principles explored in the Dangle Academy blog on safety training provide useful context, demonstrating how foundational safety knowledge supports more task-specific assessments such as COSHH.

In many organisations, this understanding is further reinforced through COSHH training or awareness sessions, which help workers and supervisors interpret COSHH assessments correctly and apply controls in practice. When supported by clear supervision and regular review, this approach helps ensure that COSHH Assessments for paints remain practical tools rather than static documents, supporting consistent standards and improved health outcomes across industrial environments.

Why Choose Dangle’s Academy?

Here at Dangle, we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of professional and comprehensive inspection, access, coatings, and composite (IACC) industrial services and training courses to cater to the needs of both the private and public sectors. Our dedication to providing high-quality work at height solutions and training has helped us establish a strong reputation in the industry.

With a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals, we are committed to delivering exceptional results that not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations. Our on-site working at height services are designed to minimise maintenance costs in the long and short-term, allowing our clients to save on valuable resources.

Located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, our headquarters serve as the centre of our operations across the Island of Ireland. However, we also have a Dangle office based in Scotland, ensuring that we can extend our services to a wider clientele across the United Kingdom. No matter where you are located, our team is always ready to assist you with your industrial maintenance or training needs.

If you would like to learn more about how our dedicated team can help you, we encourage you to get in touch with us today. Our friendly and professional staff are always available to provide you with the information and support you require.