Painting and decorating creates fine sanding dust and aerosol overspray that travel beyond the work zone and contaminate finishes. With simple controls, you can protect air quality, reduce rework, and hand over clean spaces.

Prepare and contain

Mask thoroughly and build a light containment with self closing magnetic doorways. Establish slight negative pressure so air moves into, not out of, the work area. Cover return grilles and protect flooring on traffic routes.

Capture at source

Use dust-extracting sanders with close-fitting pads and antistatic hoses to an industrial vacuum. Check suction under load and keep abrasives sharp to reduce dust generation. When spraying, choose the lowest workable pressure and correct tip size to reduce overspray at the nozzle.

Control airborne dust and mist

Run a portable Dustblocker inside the containment during sanding and for a polish cycle after. Position the unit so clean air flows past the worker towards the extraction, not across doorways.

Housekeeping

Vacuum surfaces and floors; avoid sweeping and dry dusting that re-suspend particles. Bag waste and used masking carefully and remove at shift end. Finish with a light damp wipe before final coats.

Health and compliance context

Some coatings contain isocyanates or hazardous solvents. Assess under COSHH, select appropriate RPE (often FFP3 for fine dust), and avoid recirculation where vapours are a risk. A quick PM check helps verify the area is back to background before removing containment.

Practical takeaways

• Contain the area and set slight negative pressure.
• Use dust-extracting sanders and verify suction under load.
• HEPA air scrubber inside the zone; position to pull air away from doors.
• Vacuum-only clean; bag and seal waste before removal.
• Assess coatings under COSHH and select suitable RPE.

With planned containment, source extraction, and disciplined cleaning, decorating work can proceed quickly without leaving lingering dust or odour issues.