Paint Safety Equipment

House painting is inherently a little dangerous and there are several types of paint safety equipment that can make a big difference. The need for paint safety equipment varies from job to job but the basics are the same;

• Protect exposed skin from caustic chemicals.
• Protect the eyes from paint chips or drips.
• Protect the lungs from dust or spray mist.

While using any of the painting tools for preparation or application dust, mist and fumes will be produced. The dust from sanding can be the most dangerous part of painting, especially if old lead based paint is involved.

Additional pieces of safety equipment have to do with the most dangerous piece of equipment you own – ladders. Most injuries occur from falls; this puts ladder safety near the top of the list.

Include These Items in the List of Painting Tools You Need

The main areas to protect are the skin and clothing, eyes and lungs. Skin and clothing protection can be as easy as wearing old cloths (recommended) or wearing disposable coveralls. Disposable coveralls will cover everything except the hands, feet and head.

Neoprene gloves are the best way to protect your hands from exposure to solvents or dangerous chemicals. And the head and hair can be covered with a cap or if spraying a spray hood (AKA spray sock).

Eye protection cannot be overlooked (no pun intended). The greatest risks are paint chips from scraping or sanding dust and debris plus paint drips when working overhead and mist from spraying. All of these can cause damage to the eyes. Wear safety glasses or goggles or risk painful injuries.

Dust masks and chemical respirators are absolute must have painting tools in many situations. The primary dangers are from sanding, spraying and using aromatic solvents. Sanding presents a difficult challenge, especially when working on old finishes.

Most paints prior to the mid 1970s contained lead as a component; sanding these paints releases this lead into the environment and into your lungs. Special dust masks can be used to filter out the lead particles as well as other forms of dust. Disposable lead rated dust masks is a great way to protect your health without investing in a chemical respirator.

How do you know if your paint has lead in it? You use a lead test kit. These are inexpensive and easy to use kits that can detect the presence of lead in dangerous levels. A lead test kit is a good investment if you have a pre-1970 home and plan on extensive preparation.

Regular dust masks filter out particles from sanding as well as the mist created from spraying. Good dust masks can cost twice as much compared to low quality dust masks. Your long term health is at stake; spend the extra for better protection.

Chemical respirators are very different from simple dust masks. They can and will stop small particles, with the use of a pre-filter, and filter out toxic gases and fumes. Common fumes are from the primers and finishes, especially oil base products, paint strippers, solvents and cleaning chemicals.

Ladder Safety Equipment

Additional paint safety equipment deals with the most dangerous aspect of many projects, ladder safety. The ladders that are most dangerous are extension ladders and there are three primary pieces of safety equipment that you should own.

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Several types of ladder levelers are available, from self adjusting to manual with several variations of each. The automatic levelers are nice but have limited adjustments. The most convenient are manual with individually adjustable legs.

All types of levelers are suitable for various types of landscaping. The manual type can be used on stairs for a stable painting experience.

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Another advantage is the ability to span the ladder across windows or other obstacles. Plus, this will lift the ladder away from the surface, usually 6 inches or less, for easier reaching of gutters and fascia boards.

The biggest disadvantage is you won’t be able to position the ladder close to a corner for easy reach of trim. Also, ladder stabilizers do add weight to the top of the ladder making erecting and repositioning a little more difficult.

The pot hook is an incredibly basic accessory but one that I can't do without. This simple and very inexpensive accessory allows you to work and still have one hand firmly holding the ladder.

Now you can carry your brush and bucket, a 5 gallon bucket with paint and a roller or tools up the ladder without having to hold on to it with one hand while trying to work with the other. The simple pot hook probably does as much for paint safety as all the other accessories combined.

If you own an extension ladder and plan on really using it you should have all of these safety accessories. Combined together, they will drastically increase your safety and possibly save your life.