Health & Safety Policy

Health and safety is not an afterthought or a box-ticking exercise in our business. It is fundamental to how we operate on every project, in every Chelsea property, every day. Our policies meet or exceed all current UK health and safety legislation, and we review and update them annually to reflect changes in regulation and best practice.

We recognise that painting and decorating in occupied residential properties carries particular responsibilities. Our clients trust us to work safely in their homes, around their families, and with respect for their property. This policy sets out how we fulfil that trust.

All team members are issued with and required to wear appropriate PPE for every task. Our PPE provision includes:

• Respiratory protection: FFP2 and FFP3 dust masks for sanding, stripping, and any work generating airborne particles. Full-face respirators with organic vapour cartridges for spray painting and solvent-based product application.
• Eye protection: Safety glasses or goggles worn during sanding, scraping, chemical stripping, and any overhead work.
• Hand protection: Chemical-resistant gloves for handling solvents, strippers, and sugar soap. General-purpose gloves for preparation and cleaning tasks.
• Foot protection: Safety footwear with protective toe caps worn on all external scaffolding work and during any heavy preparation tasks.
• Hearing protection: Ear defenders or plugs provided and worn when using mechanical sanders, extraction equipment, or working near noisy plant.

PPE is inspected regularly and replaced immediately when worn or damaged. Every team member receives training in the correct use, maintenance, and limitations of their PPE.

Sanding and surface preparation generate fine dust that, if not properly controlled, can spread through a property, trigger respiratory issues, and settle on furniture and furnishings. Our dust containment procedures are comprehensive:

• Dust-free sanding systems: We use orbital sanders connected to HEPA-filtered vacuum extraction units. These capture the vast majority of dust at source, dramatically reducing airborne particles.
• Room containment: When extensive sanding or stripping is required, we seal the room with polythene sheeting over doorways and air vents to prevent dust migration to other parts of the property.
• Air filtration: On projects with significant dust generation, we deploy standalone air scrubbers with HEPA filters to continuously clean the air in the working area.
• Daily cleaning: At the end of every working day, we vacuum all surfaces with HEPA-filtered equipment, wipe down hard surfaces, and remove dust sheets for shaking out outside the property.

These measures are particularly important in Chelsea properties where clients may have valuable furnishings, artwork, or respiratory sensitivities. We take dust control seriously because we understand the impact it can have on your daily life during a project.

Many of Chelsea’s period properties — particularly those built before 1960 — contain lead-based paint on woodwork, metalwork, and sometimes walls. Lead paint is a controlled substance under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, and its disturbance requires specific safety measures.

• Testing: Before any sanding, scraping, or stripping of old paintwork in pre-1960 properties, we test for lead using instant detection kits. Where results are inconclusive, we arrange laboratory analysis.
• Safe removal: If lead paint must be removed, we use wet sanding or chemical stripping methods rather than dry sanding, which generates hazardous lead dust. Heat guns are used only at controlled temperatures below the point at which lead fumes are released.
• Containment: Lead paint removal work is carried out within sealed containment areas with appropriate ventilation. All waste is collected, bagged, and disposed of as hazardous waste through a licensed waste carrier.
• Encapsulation: Where lead paint is stable, well-adhered, and not in a location where it will be disturbed (for example, under multiple layers of modern paint), we may recommend encapsulation rather than removal. This involves sealing the lead paint with appropriate primers and overcoating with modern paint.
• Notification: We always inform our clients when lead paint is identified and discuss the safest approach for their specific situation. If occupants include young children or pregnant women, we apply the most cautious protocols.

Falls from height remain the leading cause of fatal injury in the UK construction industry. We take working at height extremely seriously and follow the Work at Height Regulations 2005 in full.

• Hierarchy of control: We always seek to eliminate the need to work at height where possible. Where it is necessary, we use the safest available equipment — scaffolding before towers, towers before podiums, podiums before ladders.
• Interior work: For internal rooms with standard ceiling heights (up to 3 metres), we use step ladders and hop-up platforms. For taller ceilings common in Chelsea period properties, we erect aluminium tower scaffolding with guardrails and toe boards.
• Exterior work: All exterior painting above ground-floor level is carried out from properly erected and inspected scaffolding. We use CITB-registered scaffolding contractors and obtain RBKC pavement licences where scaffolding occupies public footpath.
• Stairwell work: Chelsea townhouse stairwells, often rising through three or four storeys, require specialist stairwell scaffolding systems that provide safe working platforms at varying heights within the stairwell void.
• Inspection and maintenance: All access equipment is inspected before each use. Scaffolding is inspected weekly and after any adverse weather event. Inspection records are maintained and available on request.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) require us to assess and control exposure to hazardous substances used in our work. Our COSHH compliance includes:

• Risk assessments: We maintain COSHH assessments for every product we use, from paint and primer to solvents, strippers, and cleaning chemicals. These assessments are reviewed annually and whenever a new product is introduced.
• Safety data sheets: We hold current safety data sheets (SDS) for all products and make them available to clients on request. SDS information includes hazard identification, first aid measures, and safe handling procedures.
• Ventilation: When using solvent-based products, chemical strippers, or spray-applied coatings, we ensure adequate ventilation through open windows, mechanical extraction, or a combination of both. In enclosed spaces, we use forced-air ventilation systems.
• Storage: All hazardous materials are stored securely in a designated area away from heat sources, ignition points, and food preparation areas. Solvents and flammable products are stored in approved containers with appropriate labelling.
• Low-VOC preference: As standard practice, we specify low-VOC and water-based products wherever they are suitable for the application. This reduces exposure for both our team and your household.

We maintain rigorous hygiene practices across all our work, reflecting the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and our ongoing commitment to protecting the health of both our clients and our team.

• Illness policy: Team members showing any symptoms of contagious illness do not attend work sites. We maintain sufficient team depth to ensure that illness does not disrupt your project timeline.
• Hand hygiene: Regular handwashing and hand sanitiser use is standard practice, particularly when entering and leaving client properties and before handling any client belongings.
• Ventilation: We maintain good ventilation in all working areas, which serves both health and paint-drying purposes. Windows are opened where possible and with the client’s permission.
• Client preferences: We respect individual client preferences regarding mask-wearing, shoe removal, and other hygiene measures. Please let us know your requirements and we will accommodate them fully.
• Separate facilities: Our team bring their own food, drinks, and rest supplies, and do not use client kitchens or bathrooms unless explicitly invited to do so.