Smoke Clearance Testing

Auto Extract Systems can help your business with high-quality and thorough spray booth smoke clearance testing to help protect employees. We'll ensure you comply with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002.

What is Smoke Clearance Testing?

Smoke clearance time test and LEV tests are an essential part of a spray booth's maintenance regime. It is a practical way of measuring the time it takes to clear the booth or room from smoke. The information gathered from the test can be utilised by the worker before it's safe to remove their air fed mask. 

According to HSE's HSG261: Health and Safety in Motor Vehicle Repair and Associated Industries guidance, "A booth can typically clear contaminants in less than five minutes, however, a room can take 20 minutes or more."

It is essential that businesses and employees know the time it takes to clear particles from the area. We provide a sign to be displayed on the outside of the spray booth or room so that employees know when it's safe to enter the zone after the task has taken place.

It states HSE's 'INDG388: Safety in Isocyanate Paint Spraying' guidance, how it is critical to remember that large quantities of paint mist builds up throughout the who spray room or booth enclosure, which encapsulates the worker. The mist isn't instantly removed by local exhaust ventilation (LEV) engineering controls and invisible mist builds up.

What are the Health Risks?

There are a number of health risk associated with spray painting processes and workers who are exposed to isocyanate paints are in particularly at risk. However, this isn't limited to spray painters, it can be anyone within the working environment. This is because aerosol mist droplets the process produces can easily be inhaled.

Exposure to isocyanate products is a significant cause of occupational asthma. Symptoms can appear quickly, up to several hours later or the next evening or day. Isocyanates are a health hazard and if continually exposed, they can lead to permanent and severe asthma where a small amount of exposure can cause an asthma attack.

In HSE's G402: Health Surveillance for Occupational Asthma guidance, it states "The main causes of occupational asthma is from Isocyanates, for example, two-pack spray paints" and that "people with a painter as an occupation are associated with occupational asthma."

HSE's HSG261: Health and Safety in Motor Vehicle Repair and Associated Industries guidance, states: "Workplace Air Monitoring provides a suitable procedure and is currently the most practical method of monitoring control of personal exposure from isocyanate paint spraying." We, at Auto Extract Systems, offer comprehensive Workplace Air Monitoring services.

What Do HSE State?

The HSE state on their 'Measuring Paint Spray Booth Clearance Time' webpage, that to thoroughly complete the smoke test: “The spray booth or room should be empty when measuring the clearance time. This is because the volume of the car will effectively reduce the volume of a booth or room and give a lower clearance time. In addition, the smoke generated is made of a glycol aerosol and may leave a greasy deposit on any vehicle maintenance or body part in the booth or room.”

In HSE's 'HSG276 - Isocyanate Paint Spraying: Safely Managing Spray Booths and Room' guidance, it states: "Smoke clearance tests are not exact and times measured are approximate. The initial test should be done under ‘worst-case’ circumstances, for instance just before the extract filters need replacing. Measuring the clearance time should also form part of the thorough examination and test."

What Businesses Do We Help?

We help a variety of business in the motor vehicle repair industry, some include:

• Body repair shops
• Paint sprayers
• Alloy wheel repairs
• Dent repairs

Smoke Clearance Testing Frequency

HSE's HSG261 guidance states that: "Clearance tests should also form part of the 14-monthly thorough examination and test." However, depending on the condition of the filter, you may be able to reduce the time it takes to clear the room or booth.

What's LEV Testing?

With our comprehensive LEV Testing service, we'll take care of your LEV systems' testing to ensure that it is functioning correctly and is compliant with the latest HSE regulations. The other benefit of smoke clearance testing is that it can show vulnerabilities in the booth or the ducting.

How to Save Money...

We can save you money on your LEV testing and servicing with comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLA). We can tailor a bespoke SLA for your exact local exhaust ventilation requirements.

We Do Exceptional Customer Service

Customer service forms the foundation of our business and we know we offer the most thorough and complete service available in our field. Our team takes a great deal of pride in this, but what's most important to us and our customers is service, and good service to our customers every day can't be haphazard.

Book Your Smoke Clearance Testing Today

We'll call to arrange a convenient time and date to visit your site. We'll complete the smoke clearance testing in a way that's in line with your COSHH risk assessment and make any recommendations on how the system could be improved.

Request your no-obligation, Smoke Clearance Testing quotation today!

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Why Choose Us?

Auto Extract Systems is the UK’s leading Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) company. Over the last 20 years, we've helped thousands of businesses create dust and fume free workplaces.

As experts in all things LEV, we can help your business become COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulation 2002 compliant with a tailored LEV solution. We provide comprehensive design, installation, maintenance and certification services across a range of industry sectors. Find out more about us here.