Environmental and Safety Regulations in Paint Facilities

The main regulatory topics in paint facilities are: ensuring environmental safety in explosive atmospheres, ensuring personnel safety, and compliance with environmental regulations.

Ensuring Environmental and Personnel Safety in Explosive Atmospheres

In accordance with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's regulations on measures to be taken in explosive atmospheres, employers are obligated to take measures to prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres, eliminate factors that would cause explosion if the formation of explosive atmospheres cannot be prevented, and ensure the health and safety of workers. An explosive atmosphere is created when an explosive substance, air (oxygen), and an ignition source come together. If any one of these three elements known as the explosion triangle is eliminated, the explosion hazard will be eliminated. All measures related to ensuring safety in explosive atmospheres fall within the scope of international ATEX Directives. ATEX Directives are specified in the Ministry of Industry's Regulation on Equipment and Protective Systems Used in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres. Standards concerning explosive atmospheres must comply with these directives. In paint facilities, since paint and air—which are explosive substances—cannot be prevented due to process requirements, measures are taken regarding the ignition source that would cause an explosion. Filtration systems in paint facilities are of great importance both in terms of personnel health and measures that must be taken against explosion. From the perspective of explosive atmospheres, the lack of adequate and proper ventilation within the facility significantly increases the explosion risk. No electrical lines, electrical panels, switch controls, outlets, or any electrical equipment should be present inside paint facilities. All electrical components related to the facility must be located outside the facility. Even if the electrical components of equipment such as fans and lighting fixtures that necessarily come into contact with air within the facility are kept outside the facility, they must be ex-proof equipment in compliance with ATEX regulations. For the health of personnel working inside the paint facility, the facility must have an adequate ventilation system. Personnel performing the painting process must wear appropriate gloves and work clothes and use a filtered painter's mask that conforms to standards. Otherwise, they may be harmed by solvent vapors and additives contained in coating materials. No substance that could serve as an ignition source for explosion should be brought near the paint facility. Welding and similar operations should not be performed in the area where the paint facility is located, smoking should not be allowed, and non-ex-proof electrical equipment should not be operated inside the facility.

Environmental Health Standards for Paint Facilities

For established paint facilities to obtain operating permission, they must be designed in accordance with the Regulation on Control of Air Pollution from Industry. The objective of the Regulation on Control of Air Pollution from Industry is to prevent industrial processes from harming the environment, ensure that emission limit values specified in the regulation are met, control air quality, and control mass flow rates. Emission: Air pollutants released to the atmosphere from a facility as a result of burning fuel and similar materials; synthesis, decomposition, evaporation and similar processes; storage, separation, transportation of substances and other mechanical operations. Paint facilities must comply with emission values specified in the Regulation on Control of Air Pollution from Industry. To obtain emission permits, sending contaminated air to the filter unit and discharging it through a chimney after passing through the filter is required by regulation. The height of chimneys above the roof is important in terms of meeting emission values and regulation requirements. Chimney heights are mandatory provisions that must be met to obtain the necessary permits. Special filter units are used to achieve emission values and maintain a healthy working environment. Contaminated air is delivered to the filter through air ducts designed with appropriate diameter and thickness. Contaminated air passing through pre-filter and main filter groups is expelled outside through a chimney via a fan. Çiğdem Arslan / Project Director - Blasting and Painting Systems - Alfatechnic Makina San. ve Dış Tic. Ltd. Şti.