Safety and quality in the painter trade: work environment, chemistry and durability

The painting trade is not a dangerous profession in the same sense as working with heavy machinery, but it does contain real risks that you should take seriously from day one. It's about height, chemicals, repetitive movements and the air environment you work in. Good safety is not something that slows down the work — it's part of being professional.

A large part of accidents in the construction industry occurs from falls from height, and painters often work up high — on a ladder, scaffold or work platform. Always use the correct and safe equipment for the task: a stable scaffold rather than a wobbly ladder, and a ladder that stands safely and at the correct angle. Take time to set things up properly — most fall accidents could have been avoided.

Paint, thinner, degreasing agents and sanding dust can affect both airways and skin. Therefore, you work with good ventilation, use respiratory protection when spraying and when working with solvent-containing products, and you protect your skin with gloves. Water-based products have made daily life healthier, but they are not risk-free — sanding dust from joint compound and old paint must still be kept out of the lungs.

When renovating older buildings you may encounter old paint containing substances we now know are harmful. If in doubt about an old surface investigate and take precautions rather than grinding away. Ask your master if you are unsure.

Painting involves many repeated movements, work above shoulder height and work in awkward positions. This can burden shoulders, neck and wrists over the years. Use an extension pole so you avoid reaching too high, switch between tasks, and vary your movements. Ergonomics is about having a whole working life ahead — not just about today.

• 01Use an extension shaft instead of reaching over shoulder height
• 02Vary between tasks so the same muscles are not strained all day
• 03Keep the tool clean and light so you don't work against resistance
• 04Listen to the body — pain is a signal, not a weakness

What you paint people will live and work in afterwards. Therefore the choice of products is also a consideration for indoor climate. Low-emission products good ventilation and appropriate drying time ensure the room can be used without discomfort. As a painter you this way help create healthy rooms not just beautiful ones.

A good paint job is known by several things: thorough preparation even and uniform surface sharp and clean edges good coverage and a treatment that suits the substrate and use. Quality is also that the work lasts — that the paint does not flake yellow or crack shortly after. Most of the quality lies in what is not seen: the pre-treatment.

“A painter is not judged on the first coat but on how the wall looks in five years. Durability is preparation that has been allowed to do its work.”