# Job Hazard Analysis: Exterior painting URL: https://hardhatbinder.com/en/jha/painting/exterior-painting Last updated: 2026-10-23 Repainting the outside of a 1–2 story house or small commercial building: siding, trim, eaves, and doors. Work includes pressure washing, scraping and sanding, caulking, priming, and painting by brush, roller, and airless sprayer. Crews work from extension ladders, stepladders, and sometimes a frame scaffold. Buildings built before 1978 may have lead paint. Work is outdoors in sun, heat, and wind. > 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. Set up the site, walk the building, and place ladders or scaffold - **Contact with overhead power lines or the service drop when raising an aluminum extension ladder** (High): Look up and locate all power lines and the service drop before moving any ladder.; Use fiberglass ladders near any electrical lines. Keep the ladder and yourself at least 10 ft from lines.; Raise and lower long ladders with two people. Call the utility to cover or de-energize lines if you cannot keep 10 ft. - **Ladder slides out or tips because of soft ground, bad angle, or a damaged ladder** (High): Inspect every ladder before use. Tag and remove any ladder with cracked rails, bent rungs, or bad feet.; Set extension ladders at a 4-to-1 angle on firm, level ground. Use levelers or a pad, never bricks or buckets.; Extend the ladder 3 ft above the landing and tie it off at the top or have a coworker foot it. - **Back strain and pinched fingers carrying and extending ladders and scaffold frames** (Medium): Carry ladders over 24 ft with two people. Keep fingers off the rungs when extending the fly section.; Wear work gloves when handling ladders and scaffold frames. ### 2. Pressure wash the siding and trim - **High-pressure water spray cutting skin or injuring eyes** (Medium): Use the widest tip that does the job. Never point the wand at a person or your own hand or foot.; Engage the trigger lock when you stop spraying. Keep other workers out of the spray area.; Wear safety glasses or goggles and closed-toe boots. - **Losing balance from wand kickback while on a ladder** (High): Wash from the ground with an extension wand instead of from a ladder whenever possible.; Never pressure wash from an extension ladder with a high-pressure tip. Use a low-pressure soap tip if you must work off a ladder. - **Water spraying into electrical outlets, light fixtures, and the meter** (Medium): Cover outlets, fixtures, and the meter with plastic and tape before washing. Do not spray directly at them.; Plug any electric washer or cords into a GFCI. ### 3. Scrape and sand loose paint - **Lead dust and chips from paint on buildings built before 1978** (High): Test the paint for lead before any scraping or sanding. If positive, follow the lead-safe plan from your supervisor.; Do not dry sand, power plane, or open-flame burn lead paint. Wet scrape and use sanders with a HEPA vacuum attachment.; Lay 6-mil plastic on the ground to catch chips. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in the work area. Wash hands and face before breaks.; Wear a respirator as assigned (at least a half-face with P100 filters) and disposable coveralls when working with lead paint. - **Paint chips and dust in the eyes when scraping overhead eaves** (Medium): Position yourself to the side of the area you scrape, not directly under it.; Wear safety glasses with side shields or goggles. - **Overreaching off a ladder while scraping** (High): Keep your belt buckle between the ladder rails. Climb down and move the ladder instead of leaning out.; Keep three points of contact when climbing. Carry tools in a tool belt or hoist them with a rope. ### 4. Caulk, patch, and prime bare wood - **Skin and eye irritation and vapors from oil-based primer, caulk, and wood filler** (Medium): Use water-based primer and caulk when the job allows it.; Read the label and Safety Data Sheet before opening a new product. Keep lids on cans when not in use.; Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses. - **Cuts from utility knives and broken caulk tubes** (Low): Use a caulk gun with a built-in tube cutter. Cut away from your body and retract the knife blade after each use. ### 5. Apply paint by brush, roller, or airless sprayer - **Injection injury from the airless spray gun tip (up to 3,000 psi)** (High): Keep the tip guard on. Never put your hand or finger in front of the tip or try to wipe it while pressurized.; Engage the trigger lock and relieve pressure before changing or clearing a tip and at every break.; Treat any skin injection as a surgical emergency, even if it looks small. Go to the ER right away. - **Breathing paint spray mist and solvent vapors** (Medium): Brush or roll instead of spraying where practical. Do not spray on windy days.; Stand upwind and keep the gun 12 in from the surface to reduce overspray.; Wear a respirator with organic vapor cartridges and prefilters when spraying, as assigned in the respiratory program. - **Falls from extension ladders or scaffold while painting high walls and eaves** (High): Use a fully planked frame scaffold with guardrails for long runs of high wall instead of moving ladders over and over.; Hang paint buckets on a ladder hook. Never stand on the top two rungs of an extension ladder or the top cap of a stepladder.; Only a competent person may approve the scaffold for use each shift. - **Heat illness from working in full sun** (Medium): Plan work to follow the shade around the building. Start early on hot days.; Drink water every 15 minutes and take shade breaks. Watch coworkers for dizziness, confusion, or no sweating.; Give new workers time to get used to the heat with shorter shifts the first week. ### 6. Clean up tools, store materials, and dispose of waste - **Fire from mineral spirits and oily rags** (Medium): Lay oily rags flat to dry outdoors or put them in a closed metal can with water. Never pile them up.; Store solvents in approved safety cans away from heat and sparks. No smoking near paint storage.; Keep a charged fire extinguisher at the paint mixing area. - **Lead dust spread off site on clothes, tools, and plastic sheeting** (Medium): HEPA vacuum and wet wipe the work area. Fold plastic dirty side in and bag it.; Remove disposable coveralls before getting in the truck. Change clothes and wash up before going home. - **Trips over hoses, drop cloths, and cords** (Low): Coil hoses and cords as you finish each side of the building. Keep walkways clear. ## Required PPE - Safety glasses — ANSI Z87.1 with side shields at all times; goggles when scraping overhead or pressure washing. - Respirator — Half-face with organic vapor cartridges for spraying; P100 filters for lead work. Fit test and medical clearance required. - Nitrile gloves — When handling paint, primer, caulk, and solvents. - Work gloves — When carrying ladders and scaffold parts. - Slip-resistant work boots — At all times; good tread for climbing ladders. - Disposable coveralls — When scraping or sanding paint that contains lead. - Sun protection — Wide-brim hat or hard hat with shade, and light long-sleeve shirt in full sun. ## Training - Ladder safety training by a competent person: inspection, setup angle, and three points of contact. - Scaffold user training if working from scaffold; scaffold must be inspected by a competent person each shift. - Hazard communication training: reading labels and Safety Data Sheets for paints, primers, and solvents. - Lead awareness training before working on any building built before 1978. - Respirator medical evaluation, fit test, and training before wearing a tight-fitting respirator. - Airless sprayer training: pressure relief, trigger lock, and injection injury response. - Heat illness prevention: signs, water and rest schedule, and how to call for help. ## Emergency If someone falls from a ladder or scaffold: stop work, do not move the injured worker unless they are in danger, call 911 and give the full site address, then give first aid and send someone to the street to guide the ambulance. For a spray gun injection injury, go to the ER right away even if it looks minor. ## Official sources - [29 CFR 1926.1053](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.1053) — Ladders - [29 CFR 1926.451](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.451) — Scaffolds — general requirements - [29 CFR 1926.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.62) — Lead - [29 CFR 1926.59](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.59) — Hazard communication - [29 CFR 1926.152](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.152) — Flammable liquids - [29 CFR 1926.416](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.416) — Electrical — general requirements - [29 CFR 1926.21](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1926.21) — Safety training and education - [OSHA](https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure) — Heat — hazard recognition and prevention --- Source: HardHat Binder, operated by Leadspire LLC. Templates to be reviewed by a competent person before use; not legal advice; not affiliated with OSHA.