Job Hazard Analysis: Texture spraying

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

1. 1. Mask and protect the room: cover floors, windows, doors, trim, and electrical boxes with plastic and tape.

   • Fall from stepladder while taping plastic high on walls and windowsMedium
     • Use masking tape on an extension pole or a pre-taped masking film dispenser from the floor when possible.
     • Inspect the 6-ft fiberglass stepladder before use; open it fully and lock the spreaders.
     • Do not stand on the top step or top cap; keep your belt buckle between the rails.
   • Slipping on plastic sheeting laid on smooth floorsMedium
     • Use paper or canvas drop cloths on walkways instead of loose plastic where possible.
     • Tape down all plastic edges and seams so nothing lifts or bunches up.
     • Wear slip-resistant work boots.
   • Contact with live wires in open electrical boxesMedium
     • Confirm with the GC or electrician that circuits in the work area are off or devices are not yet installed.
     • Cover boxes with tape or box covers; never push tools or fingers into open boxes.

2. 2. Set up the compressor or texture pump, air or material hoses, and extension cords.

   • Electric shock from damaged cords or wet conditionsMedium
     • Plug the compressor and pump into a GFCI-protected outlet or portable GFCI.
     • Inspect cords for cuts, missing ground pins, and taped splices; tag out and remove damaged cords.
     • Keep cords and plugs out of standing water and mixing areas.
   • Tripping over hoses and cords running through doorways and hallsMedium
     • Route hoses and cords along walls, not across walkways; tape or cover them where they must cross.
     • Coil extra hose out of the travel path.
   • Hose whip or blowout from loose air fittingsLow
     • Check couplers and hose condition before pressurizing; replace cracked hoses.
     • Set the compressor regulator to the gun maker's recommended pressure, not maximum tank pressure.

3. 3. Mix the texture: dump bags of dry texture or joint compound into a bucket and mix with water using a drill and paddle mixer.

   • Breathing dust from dry texture mix while pouring and mixingMedium
     • Use premixed texture when the job allows to avoid dry powder.
     • Mix in a well-ventilated spot or outdoors; pour slowly and keep the bag low inside the bucket.
     • Add water first, then powder, and start the mixer at low speed.
     • Read the SDS; wear an N95 or better respirator and safety glasses while handling dry mix.
   • Back strain lifting 40–50 lb bags and full bucketsMedium
     • Use a dolly or cart to move bags and full buckets; have materials delivered close to the mixing area.
     • Lift with your legs, keep the load close, and get a partner for anything awkward.
   • Wrist or arm injury when the paddle mixer catches and the drill kicksMedium
     • Use a heavy-duty mixing drill with a side handle and keep both hands on it.
     • Brace the bucket with your feet or a bucket holder; let the paddle stop before lifting it out.

4. 4. Spray texture on walls and ceilings from the floor, stepladder, or rolling baker scaffold.

   • Fall from baker scaffold or ladder while spraying ceilingsHigh
     • Spray ceilings from the floor with a pole gun or extension when ceiling height allows.
     • On baker scaffolds, fully plank the platform, lock all casters, and install guardrails as required by the manufacturer.
     • Never ride a rolling scaffold; get down before moving it and check the floor for holes and cords.
     • Keep ladder and scaffold feet off wet overspray and loose plastic.
   • Texture spray and splatter getting in eyes when spraying overheadMedium
     • Spray at an angle and keep your face out of the fallback zone; do not spray straight up over your head.
     • Wear sealed goggles for overhead spraying; keep an eyewash bottle in the room.
   • Breathing texture mist in a closed roomMedium
     • Use the lowest air pressure that gives a good pattern to cut down mist.
     • Ventilate with open windows or a fan blowing to the outside where possible.
     • Wear an N95 or better respirator while spraying.
   • Injection injury from high-pressure airless texture pumpHigh
     • Keep the trigger lock on whenever you are not spraying; never point the gun at anyone.
     • Never put your hand or finger over the tip; turn off and release pressure before clearing a clogged tip.
     • Only workers trained on the pump may operate it.

5. 5. Knock down the texture with a knockdown knife on a pole or from a ladder (knockdown finish only).

   • Slipping on wet texture overspray on the floorMedium
     • Use a pole-mounted knockdown knife from the floor instead of climbing.
     • Scrape up heavy drips and globs as you go; keep drop cloths flat.
   • Neck, shoulder, and arm strain from long overhead workLow
     • Rotate between spraying, knocking down, and mixing.
     • Use lightweight poles and take short stretch breaks.

6. 6. Clean up: shut down and depressurize equipment, wash out hopper, hoses, and gun, pull masking, and haul out trash.

   • Stored pressure spraying material or water when opening the gun, pump, or hosesMedium
     • Turn off and unplug the compressor or pump, then follow the pressure relief steps before disconnecting anything.
     • Point the gun into a waste bucket when bleeding pressure; wear safety glasses.
   • Slips and trips from wet floors, pulled plastic, and loose tapeMedium
     • Roll plastic inward to trap overspray and bag it right away.
     • Wash equipment outside or in a designated area, and mop or squeegee wet spots.
     • Do not dump washout water down building drains unless the GC allows it.