Paints and thinners
Paints and paint thinners (solvents) can be hazardous to your health and to the environment. We have advice on how to use them safely.
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Paints and paint thinners (solvents) can be hazardous to your health and to the environment. We have advice on how to use them safely.
For more advice call The Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766 (0800 POISON).
If a person is not breathing or is unconscious, call 111 immediately.
Make sure you are using the right product for the job you are doing. Water-based paints are often safer than other paints, but sometimes you will need to use a different kind of paint because you are doing a special job, such as painting a car or boat.
Get good advice to make sure you are using the right product, and read the label to make sure you know what you have to do to stay safe.
You should read the label on the paint you plan to use to make sure you know how to keep yourself, others, and the environment safe. In general, you should always:
When you are done:
It is very dangerous to breath in paint thinners on purpose. Even doing this just once can kill you. Doing this regularly over a long period can cause damage to your brain, nervous system, and other organs. Never ever intentionally inhale paint thinners.
If you think someone is sick from inhaling paint or thinners, call 111 for an ambulance straight away.
You can get more information on this on The Poisons Centre website.
Paint and paint thinners can be flammable, and some can make you sick if you swallow them, breath their fumes, or get them on your skin. Make sure you store your paint carefully to protect yourself, others, and the environment.
Lead in old paint flakes and dust can make people sick, and is especially dangerous to children and pregnant women. Lead was common in paint until the 1980s, so if you are removing old paint you should have it tested to see if it has lead in it. Keep in mind that sometimes people will paint over old paint, so even if the top layer is new paint, there may be old lead-based paint underneath.
This test can be done by:
If you find the old paint does have lead in it, you need to take special care to keep yourself and others safe while you remove the paint. Some modern paint does contain lead. It must make this clear on its label.
Often when you finish a painting project you will have some unused paint that you need to get rid of. You should check the back of the paint tin to see how you can do this safely.
Check with your local paint store to see if it has a paint recycling programme. You can also contact your local council.
Some general tips on handling hazardous substances in the home.
Find out how best to deal with this difficult situation.
They can test your paint for lead for free.
Learn more on WorkSafe's website.