LEV102: Powder Coating and LEV Control

A Professional Guide to Recommended Practice

Powder coating booths are a familiar sight across industry — from dedicated coating facilities and steel fabrication shops to fastener production and small batch finishing lines. They are often assumed to be self-contained and well controlled.

In reality, powder coating processes frequently present significant inhalation risks, secondary contamination issues, and LEV systems that look effective on paper but fail to protect the operator’s breathing zone in practice.

LEV102: Powder Coating and LEV Control was written to address that disconnect.

This guide focuses specifically on Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems associated with powder coating operations, providing practical, field-based guidance on how to assess them properly under COSHH Regulation 9, and how to recognise when “compliance” does not equal effective control.

A Practical Reg 9–Focused Engineering Guide

LEV102 is not a coating manual and not a generic health & safety overview.

It is a professional LEV testing and exposure control guide, written for competent LEV testers, engineers, duty holders, and health & safety practitioners who need to make defensible pass/fail decisions during a Thorough Examination and Test (TExT).

The guide walks through the powder coating process step-by-step, identifying where exposure arises, how control is intended to work, and where it commonly breaks down.

Key areas covered include:

• Overview of powder coating processes and booth design

• Health hazards associated with powder coating powders

• Classified substances (TGIC, lead chromates, TMA) and their implications

• EH40 general dust exposure limits and their limitations

• Process variability, overspray, and real-world operator movement

• Secondary exposure from clothing, RPE, and housekeeping failures

• COSHH Regulations as applied specifically to powder coating

• The role of LEV within the client’s Regulation 6 risk assessment

Control Measures — What Works in Reality

LEV102 takes a realistic approach to control.

While LEV is the primary engineering control, the guide clearly explains why LEV alone is rarely sufficient in powder coating operations — particularly where operators must enter enclosures, spray irregular objects, or work close to open booth faces.

The guide examines:

• Partial enclosure spray booths and airflow limitations

• Aerodynamic dead zones caused by the operator’s body

• Off-angle spraying and capture inefficiencies

• Powder recovery systems, cyclones, and filtration units

• Mechanical shake vs reverse jet filter units

• Recirculating air systems and failure consequences

It also provides clear guidance on when and why RPE is mandatory, and why certain commonly used options (e.g. half masks) often fail in practice.

LEV Thorough Examination & Test (TExT) – COSHH Regulation 9

A central focus of LEV102 is how to carry out a robust, defensible LEV TExT on powder coating systems.

The guide sets out both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, including:

Quantitative Assessment

• Static pressure measurement and interpretation

• Air velocity measurement using pitot tubes and manometers

• Duct traverse methods (equal section, log-Tchebycheff, centre method)

• Face velocity measurements at booth openings

• Conservation of mass checks across the system

• Transport velocity requirements for fine powders (HSG258 aligned)

• Differential pressure as a filter condition indicator

Qualitative Assessment

• Hood condition and suitability

• Smoke testing and capture verification

• Tyndall effect observations during spraying

• Duct condition and leakage indicators

• Filter unit inspection (clean side vs dirty side)

• Mechanical shake and reverse jet cleaning effectiveness

• Recirculated air risk assessment

The guide emphasises that passing a system is a professional judgement, based not just on numbers — but on whether the operator’s breathing zone is genuinely protected.

Supporting Tools for Practitioners

To support consistent, high-quality assessments, LEV102 includes:

• Example schematic layouts and test point identification

• A simple LEV / control logbook (Appendix A)

• RPE selection and inspection checklist specific to powder coating (Appendix B)

• Practical housekeeping and contamination control guidance

• Operator behaviour and usage considerations

• Clear documentation expectations

Why This Matters

Powder coating dust may appear benign — but it can include:

• Mutagens, carcinogens, and reproductive toxins

• Respiratory sensitisers and asthmagens

• Fine particulate that easily bypasses poor capture zones

When LEV systems are poorly assessed or incorrectly relied upon:

• Operators inhale dust directly in the breathing zone

• Powder spreads throughout the workplace

• RPE is misused, damaged, or rendered ineffective

• COSHH compliance is assumed rather than achieved

LEV102 helps practitioners identify these failures early and apply realistic, COSHH-aligned control strategies that actually protect health.

Who This Guide Is For

LEV102 is essential reading for:

• LEV engineers and Reg 9 testers

• Occupational hygienists

• Health & safety professionals

• Powder coating facility managers

• Designers, installers, and duty holders

• Regulators and inspectors

If you are responsible for assessing, testing, specifying, or relying on LEV systems in powder coating operations, this guide gives you the practical insight needed to make confident, defensible decisions.

Product Details

• Title: LEV102: Powder Coating and LEV Control

• Subtitle: A Professional Guide to Recommended Practice

• Series: LEV Academy Technical Guides

• Format: Digital guide (PDF)

• Focus: LEV assessment, COSHH compliance, and exposure control in powder coating

• Author: Louise Davies Wood

• Published: 2025

• Regulatory Context: COSHH Regulations, HSG258, EH40