Voluntary compliance to local state and federal regulations, whether it be safety or environmental regulations, is always a much better plan than reacting to a crisis or a citation from an inspector. The two areas to focus on for a wood finishing facility are fire and health safety and air quality and hazardous waste compliance. 

 

Fire hazards are always a concern in the spray room. It is highly recommended for you to call your local fire chief to perform a walk through inspection to identify action items to meet local and federal regulations. Generally, they are very helpful to give good safety information without reporting your company to a state fire marshal if your facility is non-compliant.  

 

Keeping your employees healthy will always increase profitability. Your local medical center generally has an occupationally safety division. Send your employees from your finishing department once a year for blood toxicity and respiratory tests. Insurance providers will often pay for these tests or reduce premiums if these tests are done annually. If you are concerned about employee law suits, check with your attorney for your legal status before testing. Many safety supply vendors will provide custom fitted masks and provide training resources to keep your employees healthy. The National Fire Protection Agency (NAPA) and OSHA websites are very informative to help develop a voluntary compliance program. 

 

Environmental compliance at best can be very complicated and technical to maintain. Simple action items can go a long ways to minimize problems when an inspector arrives on site. Always keep coating containers closed and stored in approved storage areas. Keep accurate daily logs of coating material usage. Have these readily available along with updated MSDS sheets for easy review. A clean and well organized facility will always impress an auditor or inspector. Let the inspector know that you are being pro-active on your compliance program. If you need information or clarification on complicated regulations, visit your state’s environmental or hazardous waste disposal websites.