Imported booths hurting market?

Imported booths hurting market?

An increasing number of cheap imported spray booths do not comply with spray booth standard AS/NZS 4114.1 and are cutting into the market share of legitimate booths while regulators look on, claim domestic booth manufacturers. However, other sources complain that most domestic booths are not certified themselves. The issue of booth certification is a thorny one, made thornier by the fact that there is no independent authority ensuring booth manufacturers and the booths themselves comply with, and have certificates of compliance with ASNZ 4114.
"We don't approve spray booths any more, however, we still have a responsibility to ensure the safety of equipment in the bodyshop and we work to the old Factory, Shops & Industries Act on spray painting safety regulations," said Doug Gibbins, state coordinator for hazardous processes for WorkCover NSW. "It is not WorkCover's concern if the booth doesn't do a good job, however if there is a specific safety issue then we can take action. The only way we can stop a supplier from selling a booth is if it is unsafe, there is a big difference between unsafe and poor quality. Our role is not to be a third party approval body. Why should the government provide quality assurance? That is not our job," he added.
However, the very nature of spray booths, which contain highly combustible elements, means those booths that do not work very well, are likely to be highly dangerous. There have been numerous incidents of spray booths catching fire and in some instances destroying workshops. Granted, many of these instances can be put down to lack of maintenance, but some of the responsibility should lie with the manufacturer or the importer.

David Wood of QAS commented however; "The government is trying to enforce employers to be responsible. It may not be illegal, however unwise, to make dangerous goods, but it is illegal to install and use them. We need education in the industry as to this issue, so that employers are aware that they should not be purchasing goods that do not meet the standards. I have had several calls this month about this issue, and the word is getting about."

Peter Sands, manager of the body repair division of MTA NSW disagrees however, calling on WorkCover to re-establish spray booth testing. "The government should reconsider its position and reinstate regulations to guarantee spray booths are meeting the minimum standards," he said.

Gibbins replied that under no circumstance would WorkCover ever start testing again. "Industry has to take responsibility for its own quality assurance, there are plenty of third party assurers out there."

Standard 4114.1 concerns the manufacture, design, construction and testing of the booth; part 2 of the standard concerns the installation, use and maintenance of the booth, which is the repairer's responsibility.

Notes:

Under ASNZ 2381.1, 1999, clause 3.14.4.1.2, regarding spray booths, manufacturers must have a certificate of conformity issued by a national certification body accredited by JAS-ANZ for product certification in accordance with ASNZ 4114.1, or by other means acceptable to the relevant authority, (in practice this means they have to be certified by QAS or another third party assurance service). There is evidence that not only are several imported booths not conforming to this regulation, but that a large proportion of domestic booth makers are ignoring the requirement as well.

One of the companies that has been accused of selling sub-standard booths is Zhongda Australia, a company that imports booths from China. Allan Kamaledine, a director of the company said: "Our booths comply with the Australian standards and we are CE certified which means we manufacture to European standards and ISO 9002. We have carbon activated filters, nobody else has this system. The opposition is shitting their pants because the EPA will make this additional to the Australian standard. The air from our booth vents is 98 per cent breathable. WorkCover Australia is a piece of cake, the hardest thing is Energy Australia."

Kamaledine at present markets his booths in New South Wales, has set up a distributor in Queensland, has one lined up in South Australia and is looking for distributors in other states. He declined to say how many booths he had sold, but said in the six months his company had been importing the booths, he had done "very well".

He revealed to AP&P that he was working on getting quality assured and has since applied to QAS for certification.