Coating design often focuses on coating materials, film thickness, color, gloss, drying conditions, and appearance quality.

Which coating material should be used?
What film thickness is needed?
Which color should be matched?
Under which drying conditions should it cure?
Which inspection criteria determine acceptance?

These are, of course, important.

However, one aspect must never be overlooked in coating design.

That aspect is occupational health and safety.

Coating processes handle various chemicals, including coating materials, thinners, preparation chemicals, cleaning agents, curing agents, and powder coating materials.
They involve risks relating to fire, inhalation, skin contact, eye irritation, inadequate ventilation, poor storage, and waste management.

Stable coating quality is important.
However, a process that achieves quality at the expense of operator safety cannot be considered a good coating process.

Health and safety should not be checked only at the end of the process.
It must be incorporated from the stages of material selection, process design, and equipment selection.

1. Coating is a process that handles chemicals

Many chemicals are routinely handled in coating processes.

Examples include the following.

• Coating materials
• Thinners
• Curing agents
• Cleaning solvents
• Surface preparation chemicals
• Degreasers
• Conversion treatment chemicals
• Putty
• Undercoat materials
• Powder coating materials

These materials are essential for producing the films required by products.
At the same time, they may affect operators and the working environment.

Solventborne materials present flammability and inhalation risks.
With 2-component materials, curing agents require careful handling.
Cleaning solvents involve evaporation, odor, skin contact, and ignition-source control.
Preparation chemicals require attention to acids, alkalis, chemical residues, and wastewater treatment.
Powder coatings require attention to dust, static electricity, and recovered powder management.

Coating may look like simply applying material.
In reality, it is a process of producing consistent films while handling chemicals safely.

2. Review SDSs at the start of coating design

SDS stands for Safety Data Sheet.
The Japanese name likewise means safety data sheet.

An SDS contains the information needed to handle chemicals safely.

Examples include the following information.

• Product name
• Composition information
• Hazard identification
• First-aid measures
• Firefighting measures
• Accidental release measures
• Handling and storage
• Exposure controls and protective equipment
• Physical and chemical properties
• Stability and reactivity
• Toxicological information
• Disposal precautions
• Transport precautions
• Applicable laws and regulations

An SDS is not simply a document to keep on file.
It is a practical reference to review in the early stages of coating design.

Pay particular attention to the following points.

• Is the material flammable?
• Is ventilation required?
• Is local exhaust ventilation required?
• Which protective equipment is required?
• Do skin contact and inhalation require precautions?
• Are there restrictions on storage conditions?
• Are there substances that must not be mixed with it?
• Are there disposal precautions?
• Is transport or storage subject to regulation?

Color and performance alone are insufficient for selecting coating materials.
Review the SDS and assess whether the material can be handled safely on site.

3. Consider fire risks for solventborne coatings

Fire risks must be considered when using solventborne materials or thinners.

Organic solvents evaporate readily and may release flammable vapors into the air.
Risks increase where ventilation is poor, ignition sources are present, or static electricity readily occurs.

Check the following items.

• Is ventilation sufficient in the coating area?
• Is local exhaust ventilation provided?
• Are ignition sources controlled?
• Are electrical installations appropriate?
• Are static electricity measures needed?
• Is the solvent storage location safe?
• Are used rags and waste liquids managed appropriately?
• Is the distance from ovens and heating equipment appropriate?

Fire risk is not limited to the moment of application.
It must be controlled throughout storage, mixing, application, drying, cleaning, and disposal.

In Vietnamese factories in particular, risk changes with workplace layout, ventilation, temperature, storage methods, and on-site training.

Working-environment safety is as important to check as material performance in coating design.

4. Ventilation and exhaust are fundamental to protecting operators

Coating processes may generate odors and solvent vapors.
Prolonged inhalation by operators raises concerns about health effects.

Ventilation and exhaust are therefore extremely important.

Check the following items.

• Is coating booth exhaust capacity sufficient?
• Do solvent vapors accumulate in operators’ breathing zones?
• Are there tasks that require local exhaust ventilation?
• Is ventilation sufficient during cleaning?
• Do odors accumulate in the flash-off area before drying?
• Is airflow appropriate throughout the workplace?
• Is exhaust equipment maintained?

Insufficient ventilation may affect coating quality as well as operator health.
Accumulated solvent vapors can cause poor drying, particle defects, residual odors, and a poorer working environment.

Exhaust equipment protects operators as well as quality.

5. Select protective equipment for the task

Protective equipment is important in coating work.

However, wearing any available equipment is not sufficient.
It must be selected for the task and the chemicals’ hazards.

Typical protective equipment includes the following.

• Gas and vapor respirators
• Dust respirators
• Safety glasses
• Face shields
• Solvent-resistant gloves
• Protective clothing
• Safety footwear
• Earplugs
• Dust-protective clothing

For example, tasks generating solvent vapors may require a gas and vapor respirator.
Dust protection is important in powder coating and sanding.
Gloves and safety glasses are needed when handling solvents or preparation chemicals.

Protective equipment must be selected by comparing the SDS information with the actual work.

Simply providing protective equipment is also insufficient.

• Is it worn correctly?
• Does it fit?
• Are replacement intervals defined?
• Do operators understand why it must be worn?
• Are heat and workability considered?

Protective equipment functions effectively only after these points are checked.

6. Take care with curing agents in 2-component coatings

A 2-component coating material is used after mixing the base and curing agent.

This type can readily deliver high performance, but requires care in handling.

Check the following items.

• Is the mixing ratio correct?
• Is the pot life observed?
• Has the curing agent’s SDS been checked?
• Are measures in place for skin contact and inhalation?
• Is mixed material left over after use handled appropriately?
• Are containers and stirring tools cleaned appropriately?
• Is uncured material being left unattended?

An incorrect mixing ratio prevents a 2-component material from delivering its intended film performance.
Using material beyond its pot life may also cause appearance defects or poor curing.

Curing-agent handling matters for safety too.
Review the curing agent’s SDS as well as the base’s SDS and share precautions with operators.

7. Cleaning may be more hazardous than coating

Coating operations include cleaning spray guns, hoses, containers, fixtures, booths, and similar items.

Cleaning may use large amounts of thinner or cleaning solvent.
It can therefore generate more solvent vapor than application itself.

Check the following items for cleaning tasks.

• Is the cleaning area sufficiently ventilated?
• Are ignition sources controlled?
• Is the cleaning solvent type appropriate?
• Do operators wear protective equipment?
• Are waste liquids managed appropriately?
• Are used rags stored safely?
• Are used solvents being discharged onto the floor or into drains?

Cleaning is necessary for quality.
However, inadequate safety management can lead to fire, harm to health, and environmental problems.

SOPs for color-change or equipment cleaning should include safety procedures as well as quality procedures.

8. Watch for dust and static electricity in powder coating

Because it uses no solvent, powder coating is regarded as a method with environmental advantages.

However, powder coating also has safety considerations.

Powder coating material is a powder.
Dust is generated during work.
Dust control is needed to prevent inhalation.

Electrostatic coating also uses high voltage.
Static electricity, grounding, and equipment control require attention.

Check the following items.

• Does dust accumulate in operators’ breathing zones?
• Are dust respirators appropriate?
• Is booth exhaust sufficient?
• Is recovered powder managed appropriately?
• Is the electrostatic gun grounded appropriately?
• Is the workpiece grounded?
• Are dust measures in place during booth cleaning?
• Is airborne dust controlled during color changes?

Simply assuming powder coating is safe is insufficient.
Even with lower solvent risks, risks remain in dust, static electricity, cleaning, and recovered powder management.

9. Control chemicals and wastewater in surface preparation

Surface preparation before coating may use degreasers, acids, alkalis, and conversion treatment chemicals.

Preparation is important to film quality, but requires chemical and wastewater management.

Check the following items.

• Are chemical concentrations controlled?
• Do operators understand the chemical hazards?
• Is protective equipment appropriate?
• Is there a risk of chemicals contacting skin or eyes?
• Are chemical storage locations appropriate?
• Do chemical residues cause coating defects?
• Is wastewater treatment appropriate?
• Are spill-response methods defined?

Quality and safety are closely connected in preparation processes.

Unstable chemical concentrations can cause poor adhesion or rust.
Inadequate chemical management also affects operator safety and the environment.

Coating design must treat preparation as an important process supporting quality, safety, and the environment, rather than merely a preliminary task.

10. Storage methods are also part of health and safety

Coating materials and thinners require management during storage as well as use.

Poor storage can cause fire risks, leaks, quality deterioration, and incorrect use.

Check the following items.

• Is the storage location ventilated?
• Are direct sunlight and high temperatures avoided?
• Is storage separated from ignition sources?
• Are containers closed tightly?
• Are labels legible?
• Are expiry dates and lots controlled?
• Are bases and curing agents correctly distinguished?
• Are nonconforming and expired materials segregated?
• Are spill-response supplies available?

In Vietnam in particular, changes in material condition under hot, humid conditions require attention.
Poor storage can cause settling, viscosity changes, deterioration, or container swelling.

Storage management affects coating quality as well as safety.

11. Turn SDS information into information the shop floor can use

SDSs are important references, but simply handing them to the shop floor is insufficient.

They contain many technical expressions that operators may find difficult to understand.
In multilingual factories in particular, the information may not be correctly understood.

It is therefore important to convert SDS information into a form that can be used on site.

Examples include the following.

• Simple precaution sheets for operators
• Lists of protective equipment
• No-ignition-source signs
• Ventilation precaution signs
• Mixing precautions
• Spill-response procedures
• First-aid measures for skin contact
• Rules for handling waste liquids
• Workplace notices in Vietnamese
• Training checklists

Keeping SDSs on file alone does not protect the workplace.
They become useful only when read, understood, and reflected in work standards.

12. Organize health and safety through 4M

The 4M framework also makes health and safety easier to understand.

Material: materials

Check coating materials, thinners, curing agents, cleaning agents, preparation chemicals, and powder materials.

• Have SDSs been obtained?
• Are the materials flammable?
• Are they hazardous to health?
• Are storage conditions appropriate?
• Are there mixing precautions?
• Have disposal methods been checked?

Method: methods

Check mixing, application, cleaning, drying, and disposal methods.

• Does the task require ventilation?
• Is protective equipment required?
• Are ignition sources controlled?
• Are cleaning safety procedures available?
• Are spill-response methods defined?
• Are disposal methods for waste liquids and rags defined?

Machine: equipment

Check booths, local exhaust systems, ovens, storage facilities, explosion-proof equipment, and cleaning equipment.

• Is exhaust capacity sufficient?
• Is local exhaust required?
• Is safety ensured around ovens?
• Is the storage area safe?
• Are static electricity measures required?
• Is firefighting equipment appropriate?

Man: people

Check training and judgment criteria for operators, managers, and maintenance personnel.

• Do operators understand the key SDS information?
• Do they use protective equipment correctly?
• Have they been trained in hazardous tasks?
• Do they know how to respond to abnormalities?
• Do managers understand the workplace risks?

13. Management perspective: incorporate health and safety into process design

Health and safety must not be left entirely to the shop floor.

The following items must be checked at the coating design stage.

• Which chemicals will be used?
• Have SDSs been obtained?
• Which protective equipment is required?
• Are ventilation and exhaust systems sufficient?
• Is there a fire risk?
• Are storage methods appropriate?
• Are disposal methods defined?
• Has operator training been provided?
• Is information shared in multiple languages?
• Are regulatory and customer requirements addressed?

Health and safety are not separate from quality and productivity.

A workplace where operators feel unsafe makes consistent quality difficult.
Poor ventilation affects concentration and health.
Unclear hazardous-material controls increase accident risks.

A safe workplace is also a workplace with stable quality.

14. Points requiring particular attention in Vietnamese factories

Vietnamese factories may be prone to the following health and safety challenges.

• SDSs are not shared with shop-floor operators
• SDSs remain in English or Japanese and are not sufficiently understood
• Operators are not told why particular protective equipment was selected
• Ventilation or exhaust is insufficient
• Cleaning generates large amounts of solvent vapor
• Management of used rags and waste liquids is unclear
• Material or thinner storage locations become hot
• Ignition-source control is insufficient
• Preparation chemical concentration control or spill response is weak
• Subcontractors’ safety management has not been checked

These issues can cause quality defects, delivery delays, and customer audit findings, as well as accidents or harm to health.

Health and safety should always be included in coating process improvement checks.

15. Coating the Future with Science and Care

Health and safety in coating are more than rules.
They are the most fundamental design conditions for protecting operators.

Even a high-performance material does not make a good process if operators cannot handle it safely.
Even a beautiful finish does not make a sustainable process if inadequate ventilation burdens operators.
Even low costs lead to major long-term losses if fire or health risks are high.

CoatureVietnam’s concept of “Coating the Future with Science and Care” places health and safety at the center of coating design.

Science means specifically checking SDSs, ventilation, protective equipment, ignition-source control, storage, and disposal.
Care means using these checks to create a workplace where operators can work safely, confidently, and positively.

Improve coating quality.
Raise productivity.
Protect operators.

These 3 are not separate objectives.
Designing a safe coating process provides the foundation for quality and productivity.

Practical checklist

Check the following health and safety points in the coating process.

• Are SDSs available for the coating materials, thinners, and curing agents used?
• Are SDSs shared in a language operators understand?
• Have flammability and health hazards been checked?
• Are ventilation and exhaust sufficient?
• Are there tasks requiring local exhaust ventilation?
• Does protective equipment suit the work?
• Are replacement intervals defined?
• Are ignition sources controlled?
• Are static electricity measures needed?
• Are solvent vapors controlled during cleaning?
• Are used rags and waste liquids managed appropriately?
• Are concentration control, storage, and spill response defined for preparation chemicals?
• Are coating material and thinner storage locations appropriate?
• Has safety training been provided to operators?
• Do you check subcontractors’ safety management?

CoatureVietnam’s perspective

Coating process improvement requires assessing health and safety together with quality, cost, and productivity.

CoatureVietnam supports improvements in Vietnamese factories through SDS reviews, working-environment checks, ventilation and exhaust, protective equipment, storage, disposal, and preparation chemical management.

Health and safety are not an afterthought in coating design.
A safe workplace is the foundation of stable coating quality.