Filler rash: the skin risk from fairing compounds
Fairing a superyacht means handling large volumes of two-part epoxy filler, such as Awlgrip Awlfair and Awlquik and Alexseal fairing compounds. The manufacturers' safety data sheets classify these products, and particularly their amine hardeners and epoxy resin components, as skin sensitisers that may cause an allergic skin reaction. Several hardener components are also corrosive to skin and eyes. Painters call the result "filler rash".
- What it looks like. Redness, itching, dry or cracked skin, swelling and sometimes blistering, most often on the hands, wrists, forearms, face and neck. It can appear hours or days after contact.
- Why it matters. Allergic contact dermatitis is a sensitisation: once a person is sensitised, even small exposures can trigger a reaction, and the sensitivity can be lifelong. It may also extend to other epoxy products.
- Sanding dust. Dust from sanding filler, especially before it is fully cured, can irritate skin, eyes and airways.
Our controls against filler rash
- Nitrile gloves for all mixing and application, changed when contaminated. We do not use latex gloves for epoxy work.
- Long sleeves and coveralls, so no bare skin is exposed between glove and sleeve. Contaminated workwear stays at work.
- No skin contact with mixed or uncured filler, and no handling of tools or surfaces with bare hands until the filler has cured.
- Barrier cream as an extra layer under gloves, never instead of them.
- Dust-extracted sanders and wet sanding wherever practical, with respiratory and eye protection when sanding.
- Washing skin with soap and water. Never solvents or thinners, which strip the skin and drive resin in.
- Reporting symptoms early. Anyone who develops a rash is moved off filler work and referred for medical advice, so a mild reaction does not become a lasting sensitisation.
Paint safety: how we control coating hazards
The two-pack polyurethane topcoat systems we apply, Awlgrip, Awlcraft 3000 and Alexseal, are cured with a hardener or converter that contains polyisocyanates, and the paints themselves carry flammable solvents. We work to each manufacturer's safety data sheet (SDS) and product instructions for every product. The controls below are summarised from the safety data sheets.
Hazards and controls by product type
The table below covers every type of Awlgrip and Alexseal product we use, not just topcoats. Where a row is marked general guidance, it summarises the typical hazards of that product type rather than one specific sheet. Always check the current safety data sheet for the exact product in use.
| Product type | Main hazards | Our controls |
|---|
| Primers (e.g. Awlgrip 545 Epoxy Primer) | Highly flammable solvents; skin and serious eye irritation; may cause an allergic skin reaction; solvent vapour causes dizziness and drowsiness | Extraction and ignition control; organic-vapour respirator, or air-fed when spraying; nitrile gloves, coveralls, goggles |
| Epoxy fillers and fairing compounds (Awlfair, Awlquik, Alexseal fairing compound) | Amine hardeners corrosive to skin and eyes; epoxy and amine skin sensitisers (filler rash); irritating sanding dust | Nitrile gloves, sleeves and coveralls; no contact with uncured filler; barrier cream; dust-extracted and wet sanding; soap-and-water washing |
| Undercoats and surfacing / finish primers (e.g. Alexseal Finish Primer 442) | General guidance, based on the Alexseal Finish Primer 442 SDS: highly flammable; skin irritation and sensitisation; serious eye damage; suspected long-term health effects with repeated exposure | Ventilation and extraction; respirator, or air-fed when spraying; full PPE; dust extraction when sanding |
| Topcoats incl. Awlgrip, Awlcraft 3000 and Alexseal Premium Topcoat 501 | Flammable solvents; may cause an allergic skin reaction; isocyanates once mixed with the converter | Air-fed masks when spraying; spray exclusion zone; extraction; full PPE; health surveillance where required |
| Clears (e.g. Awlcraft 3000 binder clear) | General guidance: as for topcoats, flammable solvents, skin sensitisation, isocyanates once mixed | As topcoats |
| Hardeners and converters | General guidance: isocyanates (topcoats) or amines (epoxies): respiratory and skin sensitisation, eye and airway irritation | Mixed only in ventilated areas in full PPE; lids closed; never handled bare-handed |
| Thinners and reducers (e.g. Awlgrip T0006 Epoxy Reducer) | Highly flammable; serious eye damage; skin irritation; harmful if swallowed and enters the airways; repeated exposure may harm organs and the unborn child | Flammables store away from ignition and hot work; earthing and non-sparking tools; goggles and gloves; never used to clean skin |
| Solvent cleaners and surface-prep wipes | General guidance: flammable vapour; skin defatting and irritation; eye irritation | Ventilation; nitrile gloves and eye protection; used rags in sealed metal bins and sent for licensed disposal |
Isocyanates in two-pack topcoats
In Awlgrip, Awlcraft 3000 and Alexseal topcoat systems, the isocyanates are in the hardener or converter rather than the coloured base. Once the two parts are mixed, they are in the paint being sprayed, so the spray mist and vapour carry them until the coating has cured.
- Breathing. Isocyanates are respiratory sensitisers. Breathing spray mist or vapour can cause sensitisation and occupational asthma, which can be permanent. The Awlgrip H3002 converter safety data sheet classifies it as able to cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled, and the safety data sheets warn that anyone with breathing problems or a previous reaction to isocyanates must not be exposed.
- Skin. The converters are classified as able to cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Eyes and airways. Mist and vapour can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and airways.
Our controls: air-fed masks for everyone spraying, or working inside a spray enclosure; a marked spray exclusion zone that nobody without the same protection enters while spraying is under way and until the air has cleared; forced extraction from the enclosure; full PPE including coveralls, nitrile gloves and eye protection; and health surveillance, such as lung function and skin checks, where local regulations or the yard require it.
Our general paint safety controls
- Respiratory protection. Spraying isocyanate-cured topcoats is done in compressed air-fed respirators. For mixing, rolling or sanding in well-ventilated areas, painters use properly fitted filter respirators with combined organic vapour and particulate filters, chosen by risk assessment, fit-tested and maintained.
- Ventilation and extraction. Spray areas are tented or enclosed with forced extraction to keep solvent vapour and overspray below exposure limits and well below explosive limits, using explosion-protected fans and lighting. Confined spaces are only entered once ventilated and tested.
- Dust control. Wet sanding is used where practical, and dust-extracted sanders where it is not, because sanding cured paint creates hazardous dust.
- Skin and eye protection. Nitrile gloves, coveralls and safety glasses or goggles with face shields are worn when handling and mixing paint. Anyone with a known sensitivity to isocyanates does not work with these products. No eating, drinking or smoking where paint is handled.
- Flammables storage. Paints, hardeners and thinners are kept in closed original containers, in a ventilated store away from heat, sparks and ignition sources, with non-sparking tools and anti-static precautions in use.
- Hot-work separation. No welding, cutting or grinding takes place near painting or paint storage. Hot work is coordinated with the yard's permit-to-work system, and cured paint films are never flame-cut or welded without extraction.
- Waste disposal. Empty tins, mixed residues, used thinners and contaminated rags are collected separately and handed to licensed waste contractors in line with local rules. Nothing goes to drains or the water.
- Application and recoat windows. Every coat follows the manufacturer's product instructions for mixing ratio, induction and pot life, temperature, humidity and recoat windows, and we record conditions for each coat.
Sources: Awlgrip (AkzoNobel) safety data sheets for Awlgrip H3002 converter, Awlcraft 3000 topcoat base and binder clear, Awlfair LW, Awlquik, 545 Epoxy Primer and T0006 Epoxy Reducer; Alexseal (Mankiewicz) safety data sheets for Alexseal Premium Topcoat 501, Alexseal Topcoat Converter, Alexseal Finish Primer 442 and Alexseal Fairing Compound 202 converter. Always refer to the current product datasheet for the exact product in use.
The rules we work to
In Singapore, our work follows the Workplace Safety and Health Act and the WSH (Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing) Regulations 2008, together with each yard's own safety rules and permit-to-work system for hot work, confined spaces and work at height. For work in the UK, we follow the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and HSE guidance on isocyanate paint spraying and on skin protection when working with epoxies. Under COSHH this includes examining and testing extraction (LEV) at least every 14 months and health surveillance for sprayers exposed to isocyanates.
What this means for captains, owners and yards
- Ready to work on site. Our team has completed the shipyard safety training that Singapore yards ask for, so courses do not have to be arranged once a yacht is on the hardstand.
- Trained for painting hazards. Painter-trade instruction covers coatings, solvents, ventilation and protective equipment, the risks specific to repaint and fairing work.
- Safe access at height. Topsides, superstructures and masts are painted from staging and boom lifts by people trained to work at height.
- Supervised to the yard's rules. Our supervisors are trained to run risk assessments, permits to work and daily toolbox meetings.
Training is ongoing
Safety training is not a one-off. As new crew join our team they are put through the same shipyard safety courses before they work on a Singapore yard, and we keep training records current as qualifications fall due for renewal. Yards and project managers can ask us to confirm the qualifications held by the team assigned to their project.
To discuss a painting programme in Singapore, call +66 (0)80 829 0122 or email info@yachtrefitasia.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which safety courses have your painters completed?
Our team has completed Apply Workplace Safety and Health in Shipyard – General Trade (AWSHS-GT), the Shipyard Safety Instruction Course – Painter Trade (SSIC-PT), Perform Work at Height (PWAH) and the Shipyard Safety Instruction Course – Hot Work (SSIC-HW). Our supervisors also hold the Shipyard Supervisor Safety Course (SSSC).
Who delivered the training?
Training was delivered in Singapore during 2026 by Greensafe International Pte Ltd and Eversafe Academy Pte Ltd, both accredited shipyard safety training providers.
Why do painters need shipyard safety courses in Singapore?
Singapore's WSH (Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing) Regulations 2008 require anyone doing hazardous work in a shipyard to complete an approved safety course first, and supervisors to have supervisory safety training. Yards such as ST Engineering Marine check this before people work on site.
Do new team members get trained too?
Yes. Training is ongoing: as new crew join our team, they are put through the same courses before they start work on a Singapore yard.
Do you need air-fed masks for two-pack paints?
Yes. The hardeners and converters for Awlgrip, Awlcraft 3000 and Alexseal topcoats contain isocyanates, and the manufacturers' safety data sheets call for air-fed respiratory protection when spraying. Our painters spray in air-fed masks inside ventilated enclosures.
Why are isocyanates dangerous?
The hardeners and converters for two-pack topcoats contain isocyanates, which end up in the mixed paint and spray mist. Breathing them can cause respiratory sensitisation and occupational asthma that can be permanent, and they can sensitise the skin and irritate the eyes. That is why we spray only in air-fed masks, behind an exclusion zone with extraction, in full PPE, and run health surveillance where required.
What is filler rash and how do you prevent it?
Filler rash is allergic contact dermatitis caused by skin contact with epoxy fairing compounds and their amine hardeners. It causes redness, itching and blistering, and sensitisation can be lifelong. We prevent it with nitrile gloves, full sleeves and coveralls, no contact with uncured filler, dust extraction and wet sanding, washing with soap rather than solvents, and moving anyone with symptoms off filler work.
Can you share copies of certificates?
Yes. Captains, yards and project managers can ask for confirmation of our team's training for a specific project by emailing info@yachtrefitasia.com.
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