Safety Procedures Followed by a Painting Contractor

Your safety should always be put first. Never put your life second to your house painting project.
Are you physically fit enough to undertake such a project? Are your ladders the right lengths to
safely reach all areas of your house? Review the following tips.
1. Ladder levelers will increase safety. Over 70% of all ladder accidents are caused by make shift
props for ladders. Levelers bolt onto the legs of your ladder providing a very secure fit. Most
professional painting companies use them. You can greatly reduce your risk of injury by simply
stabilizing your ladder through the use of ladder levelers. Once you have them installed they will
last for a long time. They will provide safety for all your outdoor painting projects. They are well
worth the money.
One more thing you will want to consider. Ladder levelers will save you a lot of time. You will not be
constantly trying to fit something under the leg of the ladder. This alone is well worth the
investment.
2. Having the proper range of ladders reduces risk. Professional painting contractors usually have
the following size ladders as standard equipment. The size ladders needed for your home will
depend of course on how tall your house is, but coming from a professional painting perspective, I
recommend a 6 foot step ladder , a 20 ft extension, a 28 ft extension, and a 36 ft extension ladder
if your house is needs a ladder this size. This rage will allow you to comfortably reach all areas of
your house that are accessible with ladders.
Extended ladders do not reach the advertised length due to the 3 or 4 foot lap so plan accordingly.
For instance, a 28 foot rated ladder will only extend about 24 or 25 feet. Another thing to consider
is you are going to lose a couple more feet when you kick the base of the ladder out from the side
of your house to allow for proper navigation. Realistically, a 28 foot ladder will only give you about
20 to 22 feet access.
3. Be sure and use the right drop cloths. The weight of canvas drop cloths will not damage most
shrubs, bushes, or hard surface areas; however they can crush smaller plants and totally destroy
flowers. The best thing to use on small plants or flowers is old bed sheets. They are light weight and
will allow the plants to breath. I do not recommend using plastic over plants or shrubs. The plastic
can permanently damage your shrubs or flowers. The plastic will not allow your plants to breath and
the temperature can reach damaging levels. It only takes an hour or two to ruin them. Plastic can
cause the tops of your plants and shrubs to die. Extension ladders placed on plastic drop cloths can
be dangerous due to slippage.
4. Make sure you stay properly hydrated. Drink plenty of cold Gatorade. I can't emphasize this
enough. Painting outdoors in the sunlight will dehydrate you quickly, especially if you aren't use to
this type of work.
The onset of dehydration can catch you by surprise. You can suddenly become light headed and lose
your balance and fall. Staying properly hydrated is very important for your health in another crucial
way. Dehydration can cause a stroke. Always play it safe and use lots Gatorade.
5. Take periods of rest in the shade. Painting the exterior of your house is very time consuming and
the tendency for most homeowners is to pack as much painting into one day as possible. This can
be a huge mistake, especially if your body is not accustom to this kind of work. You can get yourself
into trouble physically if you try and stretch your physical limitations on hot sunny days.
6. Do you have the physical endurance to handle a project this size? Climbing up and down a ladder
all day can cause your legs to severely cramp if your muscles are not physically prepared for it.
Your risk of falling from a ladder greatly increases if your legs become suddenly weak and shaky
due to muscle fatigue.
It is important to evaluate your condition before putting yourself at risk. Play it smart and consult
your doctor about any physical preconditions before attempting the exterior painting of your home.
It's important to remember that painters working with a professional painting company are used to
their work. You may not be used to it and that can cause you problems.
7. Check for wasp nests before attempting to paint. If you are standing on the end of an extension
ladder, you do not want to be fighting wasp. It is dangerous to be fighting wasp with your hands
when your hands should be gripped to the ladder. You can easily be distracted to the point of losing
your balance and falling. You should remove all wasp nests before attempting to paint.
8. Always use a roof ladder where soffit joins rooflines. If your home has areas that need to be
painted above a roof line then rent a roof ladder for a day. Don't take the chance of sliding of a roof
and killing yourself. A roof ladder hooks over the peak of the roof and lays flat on the shingles
allowing you to safely walk up the ladder to service the wall and soffit areas above the roof line.
They are inexpensive to rent.
 9. Never place your ladder on a slope that falls backwards and away from the house. It is extremely
important to always notch the ground using a shovel and pick. Carve out a flat spot in the soil to
give a level, firm footing for your ladder levelers. You have to lean your latter against the house,
sloped enough to allow for you to properly navigate up. This slope combined with the land slopping
backward and away from your ladder, can make an extremely dangerous situation. Notch the
ground and reseed the area latter. It is always best to play it safe. This is a very important safety
tip that professional painting companies teach their workers. Carefully planning your painting
project can go a long way in preventing accidents.
Make sure you are properly equipped to maximize safety. Properly plan the time needed to paint
your house and decide if you have enough time to safely complete the project. Don't rush it. If you
really find you don't have the time or are physically unable to safely tackle the project, then hire a
professional painting company. They can do the project in a fraction of the time it will take you.
By Nicky Taylor

If you are looking for a Hawaii painting company, please call us today at 808-386-7404 or
complete our online request form.

Spray Painting (In Spray Booths) Safe Work Procedure or Work

Method Statement

($79.95 plus GST)

   
The Safety Procedure includes: General Spray Painting In Booths Safety Information:
 PPE
Spray Painting in a booth requires suitable Personal Protective
 Specific Risks Equipment and specific instructions on how to work safely.
 Operators Requirements This five page Safe Work Procedure or Work Method Statement
 Respirators has been developed for employers to be able to give direct instructions
on how to Spray Paint in a booth safely.The document can be used as
 Storage of Paing part of an Induction Process and implemented into an existing OHS
  Daily Maintenence
 And much more...
 5 Page Complete Procedure
 MS Word Format
 Ready To Use
 Version 4.0
System.
The Safety Procedure for Spray Painting in a booth includes: The
Procedure is in MSWord Format and is email ready. It is generally
emailed within six business hours.
Spray Painting (In Spray Booths) Safety Notes
When Spray Painting In A Booth:
 Ensure spray gun hoses are routed as straight as
possible.
 Only point the spray gun at the work.
 Clean the hoses and guns thoroughly before changing
colors.
 Change and launder clothes which may of become
contaminated.
 Air monitoring must be carried out by trained
personnel.