Mark Priestman has more than 20 years’ experience in the natural stone sector. He plays an active role in the development and delivery of training in this specialist environment. Along with his father, David Priestman, he runs a training consultancy whose mantra is: Qualify the Workforce!

Dichloromethane. The saga continues.

I am genuinely concerned for some masonry façade cleaning contractors in our sector that are using paint strippers based on dichloromethane, or DCM.

Why am I concerned?

Well, currently its use as a paint stripper in the context we use it in our sector is banned by the EU-wide REACH regulations. It has been for a few years now. Continuing to use DCM could result in:

• Liability for injury or illness of operatives and others
• Loss of insurance cover
• Legal action by the Health & Safety Executive.

So why are contractors still using it?

Well, to be fair, it makes a very effective paint stripper.

So much so that the UK government has listened to industry and an amendment to the act is in force.

Hooray!

But if an amendment is in place, what am I going on about?

Well, the exemption requires the successful completion of an online competency assessment so that an operative can be certified to use DCM products. To achieve certification, operatives should be able to take a course on how to use DCM safely.

The trouble is, neither the online competency assessment and certification nor the training exist.

This means that, to date, no matter what qualifications an operative might hold, no-one is deemed competent in the UK to use a DCM-based paint stripper in a façade cleaning environment.

So to remain on the right side of the law no contractor should use a product with DCM in it.

I would recommend checking all paint stripping products you use, including data sheets. If any contains DCM you should consider the legal position that places you in.

Don’t take my word for it. Go to the government’s own website and check out the conditions to the amendment for yourself: bit.ly/DCMstripper.

For my own satisfaction I have run my understanding of the situation by the HSE. It is emphatic: DCM-based products should not currently be used as façade cleaning paint strippers.

HSE says DCM comes under REACH and that while the online test remains unavailable no-one can seek to use it under the exemption. 

I called the HSE again as I wrote this. I was told it had intended to have the online test available at the end of March but that the deadline, like previous deadlines, was unlikely to be achieved. The delays are due to IT glitches, according to the HSE Policy Adviser.

I am happy to hear, though, that this project is “at the top of the list of priorities” of HSE’s Chemicals Unit. I’ll do my best to keep you posted in this column.

Mark Priestman is a Partner at Priestman Associates LLP, a leading façade preservation project consultancy. From stonemasonry and heritage skills through to Site Supervision and Conservation Management, the partnership is trusted by the leading brands of the sector as an NVQ provider for experienced, upskiller and apprentice workers. Mobile: 07876 687212.