When this template fits
This RAMS is for UK contractors and decorating teams carrying out spray painting — typically because a principal contractor or client has asked for a risk assessment and method statement before work can start. It covers the recognised coshh & substances hazards for this task, with the controls a reviewer expects to see.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 9 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Airless/HVLP spray application — fume, overspray and isocyanate (2-pack) risk.
Sequence of works
- 1Pre-task planning: Review COSHH assessment and safety data sheets for all products. Confirm health surveillance is current for isocyanate workers. Obtain any required permits. Identify and communicate exclusion zones to site management and adjacent trades.
- 2Area preparation: Erect physical screens/hoarding to contain overspray. Mask and sheet adjacent surfaces, fixtures, and finishes. Ensure ventilation and LEV are in place and functioning. Verify atmospheric monitoring equipment is calibrated and operational.
- 3Equipment inspection and setup: Inspect spray gun, hoses, fittings, and compressor for damage or wear before connection. Fit tip guard. Route hoses safely and secure to prevent trip hazards. Earth/bond airless equipment to prevent static discharge.
- 4PPE donning: All operatives to don full required PPE before entering spray zone — coverall, gloves, goggles, and appropriate respiratory protection. For isocyanate products, airline or PAPR must be on and functioning before any product is introduced.
- 5Paint mixing and preparation: Mix products in a ventilated area, wearing full PPE. Add hardener to 2-pack materials in correct ratio per SDS. Do not exceed pot life. Decant into spray equipment carefully to avoid spillage.
- 6Spray application: Confirm exclusion zone is clear. Apply paint using controlled technique at the correct distance and angle to minimise overspray. Monitor atmospheric readings continuously. Take regular breaks in clean air to prevent fatigue and vapour build-up.
- 7Drying and curing: Maintain ventilation throughout drying period. Keep exclusion zone in place until product is fully tack-free. Do not re-enter without respiratory protection until air monitoring confirms concentrations are below WELs.
- 8Pressure relief and equipment decontamination: Before changing tips, clearing blockages, or ending operations, engage trigger lock and relieve all pressure per manufacturer procedure. Flush and clean equipment using appropriate solvent in a ventilated area.
- 9Housekeeping and waste disposal: Clean up all overspray, spillages, and masking materials immediately. Dispose of solvent-contaminated rags, filters, and empty containers as hazardous waste in accordance with site waste management plan.
- 10Post-task doffing and decontamination: Remove PPE in correct sequence to avoid self-contamination. Dispose of single-use items as hazardous waste. Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly. Report any symptoms (breathing difficulty, skin reaction) to supervisor immediately.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Isocyanate inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Specify single-component or water-based alternatives where performance requirements allow, removing isocyanate risk at source.
- › Carry out spraying inside a purpose-built spray booth with extraction, or deploy local exhaust ventilation (LEV) positioned to draw fumes away from the operator's breathing zone. LEV must be tested and examined per COSHH requirements.
- › Conduct a written COSHH assessment before work starts. Employees working with isocyanates must receive pre-placement lung-function testing and annual health surveillance by a competent occupational health provider.
- › Where isocyanate 2-pack products are used, a fresh-air fed or powered air-purifying respirator (minimum TH3) must be worn. Filtering face pieces (FFP) alone are NOT adequate for isocyanates.
Solvent vapour inhalation and narcosis
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Select the lowest-VOC product that meets specification, reducing solvent vapour generation at source.
- › Provide forced general dilution ventilation (minimum 10 air changes per hour) in the spray zone to keep solvent vapour concentrations below WELs.
- › Monitor solvent vapour concentrations with a calibrated multi-gas detector. Cease work if readings approach 10% of the lower explosive limit or exceed relevant WELs.
- › Wear an APF-appropriate respirator with combined P3/organic vapour cartridges (minimum A2P3) where engineering controls cannot reduce exposure to below WELs.
Fire and explosion from flammable solvent vapour
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Specify water-based or non-flammable products where coating performance allows, eliminating the flammable vapour hazard.
- › Classify the spray area as a hazardous zone under DSEAR. Prohibit naked flames, smoking, and non-ATEX electrical equipment within the zone. Earthing/bonding of spray equipment to control static.
- › Issue a no-hot-works exclusion for the spray zone and adjacent areas during application and drying. Post a fire watch with appropriate extinguisher (CO2 or dry powder) immediately available.
Skin and eye contact with spray mist and solvents
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Ensure airless spray guns are fitted with trigger guard and tip guard to prevent accidental high-pressure injection injuries. Never point gun at body parts.
- › Apply pre-work skin barrier cream; wear nitrile or neoprene chemical-resistant gloves rated for the solvent in use. Replace gloves immediately if contaminated.
- › Wear close-fitting chemical splash goggles (EN 166) during spray application and when handling concentrates or thinners.
Airless spray injection injury
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Inspect hoses, fittings, and gun before use for wear or damage. Always relieve pressure (trigger-lock engaged, pressure bled) before changing tips or clearing blockages.
- › Only trained and competent operatives to use airless spray equipment. Training to cover injection injury risk, pressure relief procedure, and emergency response. Instruction card to be kept with equipment.
- › Tip guard must be in place at all times during operation. Never remove guard during pressurised operation.
Overspray contamination of adjacent areas and persons
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Erect physical screens, polythene sheeting, or hoarding to contain overspray. Establish a minimum 5 m exclusion zone (increase for outdoor/windy conditions) with barriers and signage.
- › Programme spray operations outside occupied hours where possible. Notify adjacent trades and site management before commencing. Wind direction to be checked for outdoor operations.
- › Protect adjacent surfaces, fixtures, and finishes with masking tape and sheeting before commencing spray to prevent contamination.
Fall from height during elevated spray work
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Consider whether long-reach spray lances, floor-level operation, or spray systems can eliminate the need to work at height.
- › Where height work is unavoidable, provide suitable working platforms with edge protection (guard rails, toe boards) as the primary collective protection. MEWPs must be operated by trained, certificated operators.
- › Inspect scaffold/MEWP before use. Brief operatives on no-overreaching policy, securing hoses to prevent trip hazard on platform, and restrictions on PPE compatibility with harness if applicable.
Noise from spray equipment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Specify quieter compressor/pump models. Locate compressor remotely from operators where hose length allows.
- › Carry out a noise assessment to determine operator daily exposure (LEP,d). Where 85 dB(A) action level may be reached, implement hearing protection zones.
- › Provide and enforce use of adequate hearing protection (SNR rated to reduce exposure below 80 dB(A) at the ear) in hearing protection zones.
Slips and trips from overspray and hose routing
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site, Members of the public
- › Route spray hoses along walls and secure with cable ramps or hose hangers. Keep spray zone floor clear of unnecessary equipment.
- › Clean up solvent/paint spillages immediately with appropriate absorbent material. Dispose of contaminated material as hazardous waste. Mark wet areas.
- › Wear safety footwear with slip-resistant soles rated for wet/contaminated surfaces (EN ISO 20345 SRC rated).
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ RPE per the COSHH assessment
- ✓ Chemical-resistant gloves
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
- ✓ Safety harness and lanyard where fall arrest is the selected control
- ✓ Hearing protection (to the assessed SNR)
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Safety data sheets for every substance on site
- › On-tool extraction (M-class vacuum)
- › Water suppression for cutting
- › Sealed waste containers
- › Washing facilities
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ A COSHH assessment per substance, not one generic line
- ✓ Exposure controls in the hierarchy order (eliminate, extract, then RPE)
- ✓ Health surveillance where exposure is regular
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Who should write a spray painting RAMS?
Someone competent to plan the work — usually the contractor doing the job or their supervisor. A template like this gives you the recognised hazards and controls for spray painting, but the person signing it off must review it as the competent person and confirm it matches the actual site and method.
How long is the RAMS valid for?
Until something changes — there's no fixed expiry in law. Review it if the method, site conditions, equipment or people change, after any incident or near miss, and at sensible intervals on longer jobs. Date the review and re-brief the team.
What regulations apply to spray painting?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations are the main ones, alongside Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 3, Work at Height Regulations 2005, Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.