Painting and Decorating

WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

Occupation description and WSOS

The name of the skill competition is

Description of the associated work role(s) or occupation(s)

A painter and decorator works in the commercial and public sectors and is responsible for the external and internal appearance of a building and its protection from water, rust, corrosion, mould, and insect infestation. There is a direct relationship between the nature and quality of the service required and the payment made by the client. Therefore, the painter and decorator has a continuing responsibility to work professionally and interactively with the client in order to give satisfaction and thus maintain and grow the business.

Painting and decorating is closely associated with other parts of the construction industry, and with the many products that support it. The painter and decorator works internally and externally in very diverse environments, for example in companies, factories, schools, hotels, the homes of clients, and on building sites in all weather conditions. They may offer a range of services, from interpreting client requirements to the environmental and sustainability of materials/drawings, advising on designs/colours, painting, spraying, decorative coatings, wallpapering, gilding, and sign writing to a high standard.

Work organization and self-management, communication and interpersonal skills, problem solving, innovation, creativity, and the ability to prepare surfaces thoroughly with meticulous care including hazardous surfaces such as lead and asbestos. These are the universal attributes of an outstanding painter and decorator. In a mobile labour market, the painter and decorator may work in teams, or alone, or in both from time to time. Whatever the structure of the work, the trained and experienced painter and decorator takes on a high level of personal responsibility and autonomy. From carefully determining the requirements of the client, working safely and tidily, exceptional planning and scheduling, precision and attention to detail to the fine gilding of objects and finishing of furniture, every process matters and mistakes are largely irreversible and costly.

With the international mobility of people, the painter and decorator faces rapidly expanding opportunities and challenges. For the talented painter and decorator there are many commercial and international opportunities; however, these carry with them the need to understand and work with diverse cultures, trends, and fashions. The diversity of skills associated with painting and decorating is therefore likely to expand.

The WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

General notes on the WSOS

The WSOS specifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, and capabilities that underpin international best practice in technical and vocational performance. These are both specific to an occupational role and also transversal. Together they should reflect a shared global understanding of what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business (www.worldskills.org/WSOS).

The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSOS, to the extent that it can. The Standard is therefore a guide to the required training and preparation for the skill competition.

In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where there is an overwhelming reason for these.

The Standard is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers added.

Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the Standards. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage marks is 100. The weightings determine the distribution of marks within the Marking Scheme.

Through the Test Project, the Marking Scheme will assess only those skills and capabilities that are set out in the WorldSkills Occupational Standards. They will reflect the Standards as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of the skill competition.

The Marking Scheme will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards to the extent practically possible. A variation of up to five percent is allowed, if this does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards.

WorldSkills Occupational Standards

Section		Relative importance (%)
1	Work organization and management	5
	The individual needs to know and understand: Health and safety legislation, obligations, and documentation Accident/first-aid/fire emergency procedures and reporting How to work safely with electricity The situations when personal protective equipment must be used The purposes, uses, care, maintenance, and storage of all tools and equipment together with their safety implications The purposes, uses, care, and storage of materials to include effects of temperature and sunlight The importance of following manufacturers’ instructions, e.g. surface preparation, internal angles, shading, and application Sustainability measures applying to the use of “green” materials and recycling The ways in which working practices can minimize wastage and help to manage costs The principles of workflow and measurement The significance of planning, accuracy, checking, and attention to detail in all working practices The value of managing own continuing professional development
	The individual shall be able to: Follow health and safety standards, rules and regulations including manufacturers’ instructions for use Identify health and safety hazards on construction sites and undertake risk assessments Position warning signs and notices for the safety of the general public Identify and use the appropriate personal protective equipment including safety footwear, ear, and eye protection Take necessary safety precautions when working at heights, e.g. using scaffolding and ladders Select, use, clean, maintain, and store all tools and equipment safely Select, use, and store all materials safely Plan the work area to maximize efficiency and maintain the discipline of regular tidying Consistently measure accurately Work efficiently and check progress and outcomes regularly Consistently maintain high quality standards and working processes
2	Communication and interpersonal skills	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: The significance of establishing and maintaining customer confidence Technical considerations related to heritage/preservation work The roles and requirements of architects and related trades The value of building and maintaining trust/productive working relationships The importance of swiftly resolving misunderstandings and conflicting demands
	The individual shall be able to: Interpret customer requirements and manage customer expectations positively Visualize and translate customer wishes making recommendations which meet/improve their design and budgetary requirements Provide specialist technical advice and guidance on heritage projects Present portfolios of previous work to demonstrate range and quality of experience and expertise Produce cost and time estimates for customers Recognize the needs of architects and related trades Introduce architects and related trades to support customerrequirements Work effectively in teams to facilitate efficiency/productivity/quality and cost control
3	Problem solving, innovation, and creativity	5
	The individual needs to know and understand: The types of problem which can occur within the work process such as poor pasting Diagnostic approaches to problem solving Trends and developments in the industry including new materials Methods, and equipment/technology, e.g. colour mixing
	The individual shall be able to: Check work regularly to minimize problems at later stages Challenge incorrect information to prevent problems Recognize and understand problems swiftly and follow a self-managed process for resolving Recognize opportunities to contribute ideas to improve products and overall levels of customer satisfaction Show willingness to try new methods and embrace change
4	Produce and interpret plans/technical drawings	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: The details required for floor plans in construction drawings including sections, datum levels, wall constructions, material codes, depth dimensions, heights, schedules, and specifications Symbols e.g. for materials Scales The benefits of planning the sequence of material and labour requirements including the use of bills of quantities, programmes of work, stock systems, critical path analysis, lead times, schedules, and pricing systems External and internal colour schemes, e.g. monochromatic, analogous, and complementary, warm/advancing, contrasting, and cool/receding The need for accurate drawings to produce accurate work
	The individual shall be able to: Produce hand or computer aided designs (CAD) Interpret drawings accurately Produce colour schemes Provide colour matches e.g. for type/era of building Check for specialist requirements, e.g. to be fire retardant Accurately measure from technical drawings and scales Check for accuracy, challenge and make recommendations to architects/clients Accurately calculate quantities of materials required and price work Produce schedules of work
5	Apply paint brush and roller	25
	The individual needs to know and understand: The purposes of painting: protection, preservation, sanitation, decoration, and identification, e.g. colour coding The significance of following manufacturers’ guidelines COSHH requirements Impacts of materials on the general public and necessary precautions e.g. allergies The range of brushes, rollers, and trowel/texturing tools The variety of surface coatings e.g. water and solvent borne; wood Treatments, e.g. stains and preservatives
	The individual shall be able to: Check the condition of substrates e.g. new or existing, hazardous/non-hazardous Check the types of substrates e.g. timber, plaster (porous and non-porous surfaces), plastic, or metals Use the correct preparation process for the types of substrate to include cleaning, priming, de-greasing, sealing Prepare paints following the correct process, including stirring/mixing/straining Select the appropriate equipment to apply paint depending on the material, substrates, and quantity of work Take into consideration the effects of temperature on paint e.g. humidity levels and weather conditions for external work Protect the surrounding area to include coverage of floors/features and signage to avoid effects on people Apply the correct paint systems for the types of substrate using brush, roller, paint pad, or spray, e.g. primers, undercoats, and gloss Use masking aids for “cutting in”/producing accurate lines Regularly check the quality of painting by opacity tests to ensure consistent coverage Refer to other trades where problems emerge (immediately or at a later stage) for investigation, e.g. water stain Check that the quality of finishes meets specification, and take any corrective actions
6	Apply paint by spray	15
	The individual needs to know and understand: the purposes of painting: protection, preservation, sanitation, decoration, and identification, e.g. colour coding The importance of following manufacturers’ guidelines COSHH requirements The impact of materials on the general public and necessary precautions, e.g. allergies Materials which cannot be sprayed e.g. paste and some primers
	The individual shall be able to: Check the condition of substrates, e.g. new or existing Check the types of substrate, e.g. timber, plastic, or metal Use the correct preparation processes for the types of substrate to include cleaning, priming, de-greasing, and sealing Prepare paint following correct processes, as appropriate, to include stirring/mixing/straining and viscosity Select the appropriate equipment to apply the paint depending on the material, substrate, and quantity of work Take into consideration the effects of temperature, on paint, e.g. humidity levels and weather conditions for external work Protect surrounding areas to include coverage of floors/features and signage to avoid effects on people Select appropriate spray equipment e.g. HVLP, airless, electro-static, and pressure feed Apply spray paints, following COSHH and manufacturer’s guidelines for the type of substrate, e.g. primer, undercoat, and gloss Use large scale masking aids for ‘cutting in’/producing accurate lines Clean and thoroughly maintain spray equipment Regularly check the quality of the painting by opacity tests to ensure consistent coverage Check film thickness by WFT (wet film thickness) or DFT (dry film thickness) Refer to other trades where problems emerge (immediately or at a later stage) for investigation, e.g. water stain Check that the quality of finish meets the specification, to include no defects, and take any correction action
7	Apply wallpaper	15
	The individual needs to know and understand: Methods of production including wet embossing, laminating, dry embossing, heat expansion, particles on to wet adhesive Methods of printing to include block, screen, machine, wet, dry, and embossing Types of pattern to include set/straight match, drop/offset match, and random/free match Range of papers (including specialist) and their characteristics: pulps, anaglyptic, washable, vinyl, duplex, simplex, fabric-backed vinyl, paper backed fabrics, hand-print, paper-backed vinyl, warps/weftless, lincrusta, supadurables, flock, hessian, metallic, glass fibre, foil, and damp The situations when lining paper is required, including solvent-painted wall and excessive making good Methods of trimming: pre-trimmed and removing selvedges The importance of accurate trimming when removing a selvedge Methods of jointing for paper types to include butt, overlap, and cut International performance symbols e.g. spongeable, peelable, and off-set match Types of adhesive, e.g. cellulose and starch and their suitability for different papers Pasting methods in relation to the range of papers: pasting machine, brush, roller, ready-pasted, and pasting the wall directly
	The individual shall be able to: Check condition of substrates, e.g. new or existing Check types of substrate, e.g. timber, plastic, plaster, or metal Use the correct preparation process for the type of substrate to include cleaning, priming, de-greasing, sealing for a defect, e.g. water or oil stains Size and seal the surface for even porosity, or apply lining paper as appropriate Check for pattern matching requirements: random, set, off-set, alternate lengths, and reverse Cut and trim wallpapers efficiently for cost effectiveness Take particular precautions, e.g. use of cotton gloves, for high quality/expensive papers Paste the wall and the paper or use a pasting machine (if not ready pasted), using a range of adhesives e.g. for vinyl, flock, and lincrusta Ensure manufacturers’ guidelines are followed with regard to soaking times as necessary Select the best starting positions, e.g. working away from the light, and take into consideration patterns including murals Hang to vertical or plumb line and check for accuracy, taking corrective action as required Re-plumb as appropriate e.g. around obstacles Ensure joints are butt with exceptions such as damp-proof paper Check for quality, e.g. shade variation and notify the manufacturer as appropriate Check that the overall quality meets customer specification
8	Apply decorative techniques	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: Historical considerations for restoration and preservation work e.g.following a flood or fire A variety of decorative techniques Preparation methods to include wet abrading, dry abrading, making good and spot priming Defects which can occur – uneven colour, ropiness, sinking, bittiness Appropriate coating types for use as ground coats for painted decorative work
	The individual shall be able to: Select and use and apply specialist materials e.g. sponging, ragging, bagging, stippling, and blending, wood graining, marbling and trompe l’oeil, gilding (gold and silver leaf) Select and use specialist tools, e.g. for gilding Design and apply stencils Apply to a range of surfaces, e.g. cardboard, plastic, timber, plaster, and metal Prepare surfaces to a perfect finish, including clean, smooth, and sized
9	Apply sign writing/lettering	5
	The individual needs to know and understand: Stencil types: positive, negative, and multi-plate Methods used for enlarging and reducing stencils: accuratemeasurement, grid, illuminated projection, and photocopying Methods of transferring a design – including trace and pounce, and photocopy onto the stencil plate materials of paper and proprietary Stencil card The suitability of base materials used for cutting stencil plates: glass plate, proprietary cutting mat The importance of cleanliness, hand position, knife angle, direction of cutting, blade sharpness, repair of broken ties, size, and sequence of pattern (small areas and vertical lines first), free movement of stencil plate, margin widths Methods for securing stencils to surfaces – proprietary, spray adhesive, and tape (masking, low-tack)
	The individual shall be able to: Take into consideration the number of repeats/connections, location of doors, windows, corners, access requirements, room dimensions, stencil size, and spacing when working on walls Follow the required order of application Transfer images using different methods, e.g. tracing, pouncing, CAD materials Apply the frisk film using different methods, e.g. spray and roller Ensure enlarging Apply the finish by free hand or template Accurately measure when setting out the lettering
	Total	100

References for industry consultation

General notes

WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Occupational Standards fully reflect the dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards on a two-yearly cycle.

In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:

ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)

References

This WSOS (Section 2) appears to relate most closely to Construction Painter:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/15620506-fb5d-49cd-87a2-1c9047fb406a

and/or Painter and Allied Workers:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/isco/C7131

and/or Painter, construction, and maintenance:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2141.00

and Paperhangers:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/47-2142.00

Adjacent occupations can also be explored through these links.

ILO 7131

There were no responses to the requests for feedback this cycle.