Deadline looms for surveys on DIY use of antifouling paints

Laura Hodgetts
antifouling cans
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Boat owners and professionals are urged to have their say on the DIY use of antifouling (AF) paints before the surveys by the British Coatings Federation (BCF) Marine Coatings Group ends on Monday, 30 November.

More than 800 submissions have so far been made in response to the original survey for boat owners, which launched on 1 September, indicating the level of interest regarding this issue and the concerns from the leisure boating sector in general.

The BCF has also launched three additional surveys on the topic, aimed at professional applicators, boatyard managers/owners and chandlers.

All the surveys are designed to better understand the current use of antifouling paints by DIY users, and to raise their awareness over the possibility that authorities may decide to restrict the application and use of AF paints to strictly professional applicators and organisations.

The original survey for boat owners/DIY applicators can be found at: surveymonkey.com/r/NPNB6NW

The additional surveys can be accessed, as follows:

Gareth Prowse, who is the UK regulatory affairs manager at AkzoNobel Felling, with responsibility for the International Paint branded marine coatings, and also Chair of BCF’s Marine Coatings Group said ‘The BCF are trying to generate data to better understand how people use AF Paints and what protective equipment they do use when painting.

‘We’ve had some minor criticisms of scaremongering in response to the first survey, when in reality we’re not. The regulations are becoming much stricter than they have been.

‘Our concern is that we could end up withdrawing products that can and are used safely because of the risk assessment being too conservative due to a lack of data, rather than genuine risk.’