Spray painting with flammable paints and solvents is regulated in South Africa at national and municipal level. These are the approvals and rules you are most likely to deal with when you install a spray booth, and how the booth helps you meet them.
1. Fire department approval and a spraying permit
Municipal fire by-laws generally say that spray painting with flammable liquids may only be done in a spraying room or booth approved by the Chief Fire Officer, on premises registered for that purpose. Many municipalities also require a spraying permit for the premises. The details, forms and fees vary from municipality to municipality, so check with your local fire department early, ideally before the booth is ordered.
Fire departments typically look at the booth construction (non-combustible panels), the extraction system, the electrical installation, fire extinguishers, emergency exits and the storage of paint and thinners.
2. Flammable substance certificate
If you store flammable liquids such as paints and thinners above the quantities set in your municipality's by-law, you will usually need a flammable substance certificate (also called a certificate of registration), renewed annually. A separate, ventilated paint store or paint mixing room helps keep quantities in the work area down.
3. Occupational Health and Safety Act
The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 and its regulations apply to every workplace that sprays paint. Municipal by-laws refer to the General Safety Regulations for the construction and equipment of spray rooms and booths that use flammable liquids. The Regulations for Hazardous Chemical Agents, 2021 require employers to assess and control workers' exposure to hazardous chemicals, which for spray painting means effective extraction, suitable respiratory protection and PPE, training, and keeping control measures maintained. A booth with the right airflow and clean filters is the main engineering control.
4. Electrical installation in a hazardous location
The inside of a spray booth, and the area around its openings and exhaust, can contain flammable vapour. SANS 10108 sets out how such hazardous locations are classified and what electrical equipment may be used in them. In practice this means suitable lighting and fittings inside the booth, motors and controls placed or protected appropriately, and a certificate of compliance from a registered electrician. Ask your supplier which parts of the booth are rated for hazardous locations.
5. Air quality and emissions
Most spray booths are covered by local air quality and nuisance by-laws rather than national licensing, but very large coating operations that use large volumes of solvent may fall under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act. Your municipal air quality officer can confirm what applies to your site. Good exhaust filtration and a properly sited stack keep overspray and odour away from neighbours.
6. Building plans
A booth installed inside an existing building usually does not need new building plans, but roof penetrations for ducting, a new canopy or an extension may. Your local building control office can advise.
How we help
We design booths around these requirements: non-combustible insulated panels, extraction sized for your booth, multi-stage filtration, fire dampers and flame-proof motors where the application calls for them, and the drawings and specifications your fire department will ask for. Tell us your municipality and we will tell you what we normally provide for approval.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements differ between municipalities and change over time, so always confirm with your local fire department and other authorities.