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Dust entry

Powder-coating dust

Airborne powder generated during powder-coating application, cleaning, maintenance, or handling of uncured coating products.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

lung irritationskin irritationeye irritationallergic skin reactionsoccupational asthma risk

Evidence

HSE states that coating-powder exposure can irritate the lungs, skin, and eyes, cause allergic skin reactions, and that some components can cause occupational asthma; exposure can occur by breathing or swallowing dust and by skin contact.

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How can exposure to coating powders affect my health?; How can coating powders get into my body? · 1–2
Some of the health effects are: irritation of the lungs; irritation of the skin and eyes; allergic skin reactions. Some components of coating powders can also cause long term health effects such as occupational asthma. If you breathe in the dust ... If you swallow the dust ... Some powders can cause direct damage to your skin causing dermatitis.

HSE identifies specialist coating-powder constituents including TGIC, lead chromate pigments, and TMA as mutagenic, carcinogenic, reproductive-toxic, or asthmagenic hazards, with exposure possible by inhaling dust, skin contact, or ingestion.

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Background; List of substances of concern and their health effects classification · 1–2
Historically, a number of coating powders have contained substances which were considered to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction or asthmagenic ... Exposure occurs by breathing in dust containing these substances, by skin contact and by ingestion. TGIC ... Category 1B mutage[n]; Lead sulfochromate yellow ... Category 1B carcinogen and Category 1A reproductive toxin; TMA ... asthmagen.

HSE states that coating powders are breathable dusts, gives 10 mg/m³ inhalable and 4 mg/m³ respirable 8-hour workplace limits, and notes that up to 10% of a powder coating product may be respirable and too fine to see while reaching deep into the lungs.

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Health hazards; High risk activities · 1–2
For most powders, significant exposure can result in health effects such as occupational asthma and skin irritation and skin sensitisation. Powder coating products are classified as 'substances hazardous to health' because they are breathable dusts. The UK Workplace Exposure Limits are set at 10 mg/m3 of total inhalable dust and 4 mg/m3 of respirable dust ... Up to 10% ... can be 'respirable' which is too fine to see ... but is taken deep into the lungs.

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