Powder Coating Manufacturing Code of Practice

 The BCF has been successful in having most powder coating manufacture removed from legislative control. We argued that controlling the manufacture of powder coatings was unnecessary as they do not contain VOCs. In addition, this activity is not legislated at European level – powder coating manufacture is not within scope of the Solvent Emissions Directive. It was argued that this process was only included in the UK legislation to protect the environment against the emission of hazardous dusts such as lead chromates and triglycidal isocyanurate. As the UK industry no longer used either substance in their manufacturing activities, the legislation was no longer needed.

As a direct result, and in the interests of better regulation, the Environmental Permitting Regulations* have been amended** to remove powder coating manufacture, except where the process uses lead chromate or TGIC.

The new wording of Section 6.5 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 is:

“….manufacturing any powder for use as a coating material where the process uses lead chromate or triglycidal isocyanurate and where there is the capacity to produce 200 tonnes or more of such powder in any 12-month period.

Local Authorities are being notified currently. For those installations that now fall outside of LAPC, there is no need to take any action such as asking for the permit to be revoked or surrendered.  In the unlikely event there are statutory nuisances arising from any deregulated premises, local authorities will want to consider whether the BCF Code of Practice for the Manufacture of Coating Powder has been complied with as part of the assessment of Best Practicable Means. PG6/9 will be revised to reflect the amendment.

*Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, SI 2010:675

**Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment )(No.2) Regulations 2010, SI2010:2172