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Safety tips for professional painters – Part 2

On Behalf of | Oct 3, 2017 | Construction Worker Injuries, Workers' Compensation |

When working as a professional painter in St. Paul, it is very important to follow certain safety procedures. This means you should always wear the right kind of clothing and protective gear as well as using the proper equipment.

Since safety should your top priority when you set foot on the job site, you should always take the necessary precautions to reduce your chances of a work-place injury. Read below to learn more about safety tips for professional painters.

Lead paint

If you are working in area where lead paint is present, do not try to remove it under any circumstances. Contact with lead paint can result in serious health issues. Instead, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for guidelines to deal with the lead paint.

Protective gear

While painting is typically not a dangerous profession, even the slightest bit of carelessness can lead to a serious injury. Be sure you wear the right personal protective equipment for each job. This might include wearing goggles, gloves, a dust mask, or even a respirator.

Clean up

After each use, be sure to thoroughly clean your brushes and rollers. If you were working with latex paint, rinsing with warm water with dish soap can help you effectively clean your rollers or brushes. Once these items are clean, you can keep them in working condition by wrapping them in foil and standing them on their ends to dry out.

If you are using oil or alkyd paints, be sure to use the right kind of solvent that is indicated on the paint can. You can also use mineral spirits to safely clean your equipment if using these kinds of paints. Once you have sufficiently cleaned your equipment, wrap your rollers or brushes in aluminum for storage.

Storing paint

Before closing the paint can or container, be sure to clean out the groove or “chime” as well as the lid. For added protection, cover the opening of the paint container with plastic wrap and then lightly hammer the lid into place.

If you are a professional painter, it is important to follow the above safety tips to reduce your chances of an accident. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid every work-related injury. If you suffer an injury while on the job, you might be able to file a workers’ compensation claim.

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