Do you operate a business that uses a paint booth, or are you considering expanding your current operations to include one?

Businesses that use paint booths need to put thoughtful fire prevention measures in place because their normal operation creates an exceptionally high risk for fire. Fire prevention strategies benefit spray booth businesses in two significant ways: they keep your employees safe and they improve the quality of your paint work.

In this article, we’ll review the fire dangers associated with operating a spray booth and we’ll discuss how fire prevention strategies can actually save your business money.

What Is a Paint Booth?

A paint booth is a controlled area for spraying paint or finish coatings. Common applications are for vehicles, airplanes, and furniture, but they can be used for spraying virtually anything. Using a paint booth helps businesses paint faster, safer, and cleaner.

Much of the paint and coatings used in industrial applications are flammable and combustible. Paint booths capture and contain overspray so that flammable mists don’t disburse throughout the facility.

Every paint booth should have an air make-up unit (AMU) to circulate air in and out of the booth. AMUs have filters that pull dust and dirt particles out of the air before it enters the booth. They also draw air that’s full of overspray back out of the booth and contain the flammable vapors. Some AMUs even help maintain a consistent temperature inside a booth, which can be helpful with some types of paint and coatings.

Fire Safety in Paint Booths

The National Fire Protection Agency has issued the NFPA 33, a set of safety standards for paint booth operators. The guidelines apply to large facilities that use flammable paint and/or coatings. Facilities that use less than one liter of flammable paint or coatings in an 8-hour period and those that work in an open-air setting are not subject to the safety standards.  

The standards address two primary fire prevention systems: air ventilation and fire suppression.

Air Ventilation Systems

Industrial facilities must maintain air ventilation systems that reduce the risk of overspray buildup because the overaccumulation creates an environment that is potentially explosive. Booths must remove overspray through a duct system that releases flammable and combustible vapors outside. The vent must not be near an air intake for the building, and it must not be pointed toward other flammable or combustible areas.

Air flow systems collect dust so that it does not contaminate the paint booth, but the dust can be flammable just like spray paints and coatings. Static discharges and exothermic reactions are two of the most common causes of fire in and around paint booths. Facilities can reduce their risk of fire by performing cutting, welding, and grinding in areas far away from the booth and dust collection systems.

Fire Suppression Systems

Facilities with properly functioning sprinkler systems are in compliance with NFPA 33 safety standards. All types of sprinkler systems are acceptable under the NFPA, so a facility can choose the best sprinkler system for its location. If you aren’t sure whether a wet, dry, or pre-action sprinkler system is best for your location, schedule a consultation with an FPS Technologies professional.

Facilities with paint booths must also have flammable liquid storage cabinets. In the event of a fire, flammable materials should be stored in enclosed metal structures to reduce the chance of explosions and to remove additional sources of fuel for the fire.

Continuous spray application operators have additional safety requirements. Their fire management system must have an alarm that alerts the immediate vicinity of the fire as well as the entire facility. The alarm system must also automatically shut down the paint or coating delivery system and stop conveyors coming into or out of the booth.

Save Money While Reducing Your Fire Risk

The ventilation systems required to safely operate paint booths provide business benefits in addition to safety benefits. AMUs filter out dust and dirt particles that can create texture on a freshly painted surface. Filtered air results in a smoother finish, which reduces the amount of time that your employees must spend buffing or refinishing projects.

Although the prevention technologies are in investment upfront, they’re much more affordable than rebuilding after an explosion and fire. Putting a variety of safety and fire prevention measures in place is the best way to protect your employees and business.