The term safety comes from the Latin ‘sine cura’, which literally means "without worry." It refers to the adoption of behaviours and actions that, as much as possible, prevent harm or danger, ensuring that people can act, work, and move in a protected and secure environment.

Safety is a fundamental concept that encompasses the protection of people, the environment, and plants from potential hazards. In the industrial coating industry, this principle translates into the implementation of rigorous practices and regulations aimed at ensuring not only the health and safety of workers but also the quality and reliability of painting systems performance.

The industrial painting sector is subject to strict laws and regulations that cover various aspects, including workplace safety, environmental protection and compliance with required technical performance standards. In addition to existing regulations, companies often need to obtain certifications that confirm adherence to international quality and performance standards.

The regulatory framework is wide and detailed, with the primary objective of safeguarding workers' health, ensuring the safety of production processes and protecting the environment. The standards governing the coating industry focus on process reliability and standardisation, ensuring continuous and precise monitoring at every stage of production. This approach enables prompt intervention in the event of anomalies or critical issues, mitigating risks and optimizing the quality of the final results.

In this article, we will explore some of the key regulations governing the industrial painting sector, highlighting the importance of safety and certifications in enhancing process efficiency and protecting all involved parties.

Workplace safety according to Legislative Decree 81/2008: roles and responsibilities in protecting workers' health

Legislative Decree 81/2008, known as the Consolidated Law on Safety at Work, regulates the protection of workers' health and safety in the workplace. Safety at work refers to the set of actions necessary to protect the safety and health of workers carrying out their duties.

For Verona Impianti, safety is an essential value in every phase of the process; for this reason, we firmly believe that the attention and commitment that our partners and collaborators dedicate to the design and construction phases of our painting systems are also reflected in the use of these systems by end users, as the health and safety of painting operators who use our technologies are a priority for us.

In the corporate environment, there are various professional roles, each of which, depending on the position, may be exposed to greater or lesser risk:

  • The employer: is responsible for the entire organization and oversees the overall management of workplace safety within the company.
  • The manager: based on their competencies, is responsible for implementing the employer's directives, organizing, and supervising the work activities.
  • The supervisor: by virtue of his/her skills, supervises the operations, ensuring the application of the directives received, verifying that they are correctly carried out by the workers, and plays an active role in the operational tasks.
  • The worker: is anyone who carries out work activities, regardless of the type of contract, within an organization, public or private, even with the aim of learning a trade, an art or a profession.

Lastly, the occupational health doctor is responsible for assessing the compatibility between the worker's health condition and the tasks assigned to him/her, as well as ensuring his/her sensitivity to workplace risks and the effectiveness of the preventive measures adopted by the company.

Workplace safety is also regulated by the UNI ISO 45001 standard, which defines the requirements for an Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) and provides guidance on its implementation. The goal is to enable organizations to create safe and healthy work environments, preventing accidents and occupational diseases, and continuously improving OHS performance.

Machinery directive

For a coating plant manufacturer, the first regulation to take in consideration is the directive 2006/42/CE, published on 9th June 2006 and applied from 29th December 2009. It establishes the essential safety requirements for the design and manufacture of machinery, including coating systems and technologies. The manufacturers should guarantee that the machines are safe during all life cycle: from installation to maintenance and disposal. The directive requires a risk assessment, the adoption of appropriate security measures (such as physical protection and control systems), and the drafting of the user manual. Compliance allows the CE marking to be affixed, which is essential for marketing in the EU.

Other ISO regulations

ISO standards are globally recognized and developed to significantly improve the quality and safety of goods and services. These standards provide specific guidelines and criteria that organizations can adopt to ensure high levels of efficiency, safety and, reliability across all sectors, contributing to more effective management of resources and greater customer satisfaction.

ISO 2015 9001: Quality management

ISO 9001 is arguably the most well-known ISO standard and pertains to quality control certification. The core pillars of this standard are essential for ensuring organizational success and sustainability. Among these pillars, the focus on customer satisfaction stands out as the highest priority, followed by the importance of clear and transparent internal communication, which facilitates the flow of information and coordination between departments, and the efficiency of production processes, which allows for resource optimization and continuous improvement in the quality of products and services.

ISO 14001: Environmental sustainability

ISO 14001 provides businesses with the tools they need to voluntarily manage and reduce the environmental impact of their activities. The industrial coating sector is developing increasingly sustainable products, given the growing concern over the ecological impact of painting operations. Among these innovations is the introduction of water-based coatings, as well as regulations limiting the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful to both the environment and workers' health.

The Environmental Code and Legislative Decree 3 April 2006 n. 152 regulate the correct treatment of paints, residual solvents, wastewater, and the disposal of special waste. Additionally, European regulations such as the REACH Regulation (EC n. 1907/2006) define requirements for the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemical substances to ensure safe use and protect both the environment and human health.

ATEX Certifications: Regulatory Requirements for Equipment in Explosion-Proof Areas

ATEX certifications are crucial for ensuring the safety of equipment used in explosive environments. In industrial painting, ATEX certification primarily applies to booths where paint products are applied.

According to the EN 12215 standard, all equipment, both electrical and non-electrical, installed within a booth must be ATEX-marked, with a minimum category of 3. However, if the booth is classified as zone 1, the equipment must meet at least a category 2 ATEX marking.

It is essential for equipment to comply with ATEX regulations specific to the area in which it is installed, with particular attention to devices such as fans. According to the draft European standard prEN 14986, fans must be marked ATEX with a minimum category 3 for the internal part. However, it is important to note that while the equipment must meet these requirements, the booth itself does not require an ATEX marking, as it is outside the scope of the ATEX directive.

CE marking for the conformity of the painted product

As mentioned earlier, many products must bear the CE marking to be sold within the European Union market. This mark is a declaration by the manufacturer that the product has undergone a thorough evaluation and fully complies with EU regulatory requirements regarding safety, health, and environmental protection. The CE marking not only ensures that the product meets European standards but also provides protection for consumers by ensuring that the product does not pose risks to health or to the environment.

Your safety, our priority

Safety in plants is an essential element for the smooth operation of daily activities and the protection of people, equipment, and the surrounding environment. The regulations outlined above provide a clear and detailed framework that helps businesses comply with best safety practices. These practices not only guarantee the health and safety of workers but also improve the reliability of production processes, reducing risks of damage and improving performance quality. Adopting best practices, along with a continuous commitment to complying with and updating these regulations, is crucial for a safe working environment and the success of business operations.

At Verona Impianti, we firmly believe that safety is a fundamental value. That is why, in addition to designing new coating plants that meet all safety requirements, we also offer our expertise to update even older systems to comply with the latest safety and environmental standards required by laws and regulations.

Do you need to adapt your painting system to the latest regulations? Or do you need to install a new system? For further information, advice, assistance, or to request a quote, contact us. Our team will respond promptly.