When this template fits
Painters, decorators and finishing trades using solvent-based paints, thinners, primers and two-pack systems need a RAMS that handles both the flammable and the health risks together. This document is for crews spraying or brushing solvent products in occupied or poorly ventilated interiors, and for anyone using 2-pack isocyanate-containing paints. A principal contractor will look for DSEAR storage controls alongside the vapour and asthma controls.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 9-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Apply solvent-based products with fume and flammability risk.
Sequence of works
- 1PRE-TASK PLANNING: Review Safety Data Sheets for all solvent-based products. Complete COSHH assessment, confirm WELs, flash points, and required controls. Obtain approval from site manager before bringing products onto site.
- 2SITE PREPARATION: Inspect the work area for ignition sources (naked flames, hot works, electrical sparks). Prohibit smoking; post flammable material signage. Isolate or remove non-essential electrical equipment where vapour accumulation could occur.
- 3VENTILATION: Open windows and doors or install forced mechanical ventilation fans to achieve adequate air changes. Confirm air movement is sufficient before opening product containers. In confined spaces, undertake atmospheric testing with a calibrated multi-gas detector.
- 4MATERIAL HANDLING: Bring only the quantity needed for the day's work into the work area. Keep containers closed when not in use. Place drip trays beneath all open containers. Store surplus stock in the designated flammable materials store.
- 5PPE DONNING: Put on all required PPE before opening containers — chemical splash goggles, nitrile gloves, coverall, and half-face OV cartridge respirator. Check respirator seal and cartridge serviceability. Confirm RPE has been face-fit tested for the wearer.
- 6APPLICATION: Apply solvent-based product using the specified method (brush, roller, or spray). For spray, establish exclusion zone and ensure adjacent workers are protected or have vacated the area. Maintain even, controlled application to minimise vapour generation.
- 7SPILL MANAGEMENT: Deal with any spill immediately using inert absorbent granules. Place contaminated material in a sealed metal bin. Do not allow soaked rags or waste to accumulate; place directly into lidded metal waste bin.
- 8END-OF-SHIFT CLOSE-DOWN: Seal all containers. Remove solvent-soaked waste from the building for compliant disposal. Return surplus materials to the flammable store. Clean tools using the minimum solvent necessary; collect and dispose of solvent waste correctly.
- 9POST-WORK HYGIENE AND CHECKS: Remove PPE in correct doffing sequence. Wash hands and exposed skin with suitable skin cleanser (not solvent). Apply post-work moisturiser. Confirm fire extinguisher is in place, ventilation remains active until vapours have fully dissipated, and no ignition sources are re-introduced prematurely.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Solvent vapour inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where technically feasible, replace solvent-based products with low-VOC or water-based equivalents to eliminate vapour hazard at source.
- › Provide local exhaust ventilation (LEV) or general forced ventilation to dilute and extract solvent vapours, maintaining concentrations below workplace exposure limits.
- › Carry out COSHH assessment referencing EH40 WELs for specific solvents used (e.g. white spirit, xylene, toluene). Monitor exposure if adequate ventilation cannot be confirmed.
- › Wear a half-face respirator with organic vapour (OV/A1) cartridges where ventilation alone cannot reduce exposure below WEL. RPE must be face-fit tested and maintained.
Skin and eye contact with solvents
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Use brushes, rollers, or low-pressure application equipment to reduce splashing and skin contact compared with high-pressure spray.
- › Wear nitrile or neoprene gloves (minimum EN ISO 374) and chemical splash goggles (EN166) when handling or applying solvent-based products.
- › Apply barrier cream before work, wash hands thoroughly with suitable cleanser after work, and apply moisturiser. Do not use solvents to clean skin.
Fire from flammable solvent vapours
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Prohibit smoking, naked flames, and hot works within the work area. Isolate or de-energise non-essential electrical equipment. Post 'No smoking – flammable materials' signage.
- › Ensure continuous ventilation to keep vapour concentrations well below the lower explosive limit (LEL). Monitor confined or low-lying areas where vapours may pool.
- › Bring only the quantity of solvent-based product needed for the day's work onto site. Store remaining stock in a dedicated flammable materials store (metal cabinet or external compound) away from heat sources.
- › Provide a CO2 or dry powder extinguisher rated for flammable liquid fires (Class B) within the immediate work area.
Spray paint inhalation and overspray
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Avoid spray application unless necessary; brushing or rolling eliminates the aerosol hazard and reduces vapour generation rate.
- › Erect hoarding or polythene screening around spray area to contain overspray. Use extraction system or spray booth where volume of work justifies it.
- › Establish an exclusion zone around spray operations. Warn adjacent trades and ensure no unprotected persons enter the zone during spraying.
- › Wear a full-face or half-face supplied-air or P3/OV combination respirator during spray application. RPE selection must be based on COSHH assessment.
Accumulation of flammable waste and rags
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Place solvent-soaked rags and waste immediately into a metal, self-closing, lidded waste bin. Do not allow accumulation on the floor or in plastic bags.
- › Dispose of flammable waste in accordance with the site waste management plan and relevant waste regulations. Do not leave overnight inside the building.
Slips on spilled paint or solvent
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Address any spill immediately using inert absorbent material (dry sand or proprietary absorbent granules). Dispose of contaminated absorbent as flammable waste.
- › Place drip trays beneath paint and solvent containers during application and when open to capture drips and prevent floor contamination.
- › Wear safety footwear with oil-resistant and anti-slip soles (EN ISO 20345 SRC rating).
Inadequate COSHH assessment
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain current Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all products before use. Identify hazardous constituents, WELs, flash points, and recommended PPE.
- › A competent person must complete a written COSHH assessment for each product, specify controls, and communicate findings to all operatives via toolbox talk.
Oxygen depletion in confined or poorly ventilated spaces
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Where confined space entry for painting is unavoidable, conduct a specific confined space risk assessment and apply the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 safe system of work.
- › Use a calibrated multi-gas monitor (O2, LEL, VOC) to continuously monitor the atmosphere before entry and throughout work in confined or poorly ventilated spaces.
- › A trained standby person must be present outside the confined space at all times with a means of raising the alarm and initiating rescue without themselves entering.
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
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
- › Fire-rated flammable storage cabinet
- › Mechanical ventilation or local extraction units
- › Sealed metal waste containers for solvent rags
- › Organic-vapour or air-fed respirators
- › Brushes, rollers and small-scale spray equipment
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ That flammable storage and ignition control under DSEAR are addressed, not just the health hazard
- ✓ That two-pack products are flagged for isocyanate content with extraction, RPE and health surveillance specified
- ✓ That solvent waste and contaminated rags have a defined sealed-container and licensed-disposal route
- ✓ 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
Do water-based paints need a COSHH assessment?
Often yes, though usually a simpler one. Water-based does not automatically mean hazard-free — many emulsions contain biocides, coalescing agents or trace solvents that carry hazard statements on the label. The deciding factor is the Safety Data Sheet: if the product carries a hazard pictogram or statement, COSHH applies. Where a water-based product genuinely has no hazardous classification the assessment can be brief, but you should still record that you checked the SDS and reached that conclusion.
What extra controls do two-pack (2K) paints need?
Two-pack systems frequently contain isocyanates, which are a leading cause of occupational asthma in the trade, so they need controls well beyond ordinary solvent paints. Spraying isocyanate products usually requires mechanical extraction and air-fed respiratory protection, and exposed workers should be under health surveillance through COSHH Regulation 11. Mixing must follow the SDS ratio in a ventilated area, and substituting a non-isocyanate or water-based system should be considered first where the specification allows. Brush and roller application reduces airborne exposure compared with spraying but does not remove the need for RPE and ventilation.
What regulations apply to solvents & paints?
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, DSEAR 2002 — Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations are the main ones, alongside Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment, Confined Spaces Regulations 1997. 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.