Q: The only information I found on spray booths were for totally enclosed rooms, and indicated you had to use non-explosive fans and light fixtures if you are spraying solvent based finishes.
A: Actually, that has nothing to do with them being totally enclosed rooms. Open face booths share the same regulations. It has to do with the various agencies that regulate safety in the workplace and in commercial spaces. If you have employees, OSHA holds sway. If you rent a commercial space with a legal certificate of occupancy, you come under local rules governing fire safety, emissions and so on. In your own home you can do most anything you want, safe or not. However, you can forfeit your coverage after the fact. It’s a bit of a Catch 22; you have freedom, but that includes the freedom to lose everything on a bad decision. Negating your insurance without even knowing you did can turn a mishap into a nightmare.
However, let me add another word about fan safety, since we have raised the issue. In a recently written article (I believe it comes out in September of this year) I talk about the fact that spraying flammables in a booth, even a booth with a normal house fan and cardboard sides, is vastly safer than spraying with neither of those. That stops short of saying it is safe, but it’s certain that vastly safer is way better than not safe at all.
Michael Dresdner
straight talk about wood finishing
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