Get the right can for the right liquid

Came across this on the Justrite website yesterday and thought it might be of use to you all…

Those of you who follow my blog know that I don’t use it as a glorified commercial for our eCommerce website. I believe in providing good, accurate, up-to-date information to build trust and help everyone be just a little safer. The rest will take care of itself as experience has shown. However, it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to provide you with information like this and not let you know where you can get the can that you might need so if you need to order a Justrite can, you can visit our material handling page or, if the one that you need isn’t there call us at (800) 213-7092 or email me at robv@nationalsafetyinc.com

Thanks,

Rob
www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Understanding the MSDS Sheet

One of the best things to happen in the area of safety has to do with the RTK (Right to Know) that states that all employees have the right to know what they are being exposed to and the potential hazards that this exposure might have.

Every job site should have an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) binder that gives detailed information on all the chemicals and materials that you, as a worker come into contact with. It doesn’t do you a whole lot of good, however, unless you understand and know what you are looking at.

An MSDS Sheet has a minimum of 8 specific sections. There are, as follows:

Section 1 – Identity

This section identifies the substance as well as the manufacturer along with the address and phone number.

Section 2 – Hazardous Ingredients / Identity Information

This section lets you know what hazardous components are in the material or substance as well as the PML (Permissible Exposure Limits)

Section 3 – Physical & Chemical Characteristics

This section gives you the boiling point, the melting point, the solubility, vapor pressure and evaporation rate. It also gives you the color, odor and appearance of the chemical. This should help in identifying product that has changed somehow.

Section 4 – Fire and Explosion Hazard Data

The section gives you the flash point as well as any unusual fire or explosion issues that you should be aware of.

Section 5 – Reactivity Data

This section gives you any information you need concerning how the chemical or material would react if mixed with other chemicals, water or air.

Section 6 – Health Hazard Data

This section gives you information about how the chemical might enter your system and the potential harm that it might do if it should be absorbed or swallowed.

Section 7 – Precautions for Safe Handling and Use

This section gives you information regarding how to clean up a spill or leak as well as how to safely dispose of it.

Section 8 – Control Measures

This section lists the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that you will need to don when handling this chemical. It will also list the proper ventilation procedures required.

Understanding Hazardous Chemicals (Part 1)

Hazardous Chemicals are an integral part of our lives. Whether we are talking about the workplace or the home, hazardous chemicals and substances are present. If you’ve ever had to childproof your home, you were probably suddenly made aware of how many harmful chemicals you actually had in your home. From cleaning supplies to hair care and personal hygiene products, the home is full of chemicals that have the potential to harm anyone who does not take the necessary precautions.

The workplace is often much, much worse with all types of chemicals that could have adverse health effects, or even be fatal if ingested, that could burn if it came in contact with the skin or harmful if inhaled. It is important to be aware of the nature of chemical hazards, both at home and in the workplace, in order to make sure that they are handled safely.

Toxicity vs. Hazardous

The toxicity of a substance is determined by the amount of harm that it can cause to the body. Thus, if it takes a large quantity of a certain substance to have adverse effects, the chemical is considered to have a low toxicity.

Additionally, three factors are used to determine the toxicity of a substance:

1. The chemical structure of the substance
2. The extent to which the body absorbs it
3. The extent to which the body can detoxify or purge the substance

The effects may be local (at chemical burn to a small area of the skin, for example) or widespread throughout the whole body.

A chemical is considered hazardous based on several factors. The toxicity of the substance is just one of the factors used to evaluate how hazardous a chemical is.

A chemical is considered hazardous based on:

1. The toxicity (see above)
2. The route of exposure (how the substance enters the body)
3. The dose (how much of the substance entered the body)
4. The duration or length of the exposure
5. The reaction and interaction with other substances (exposure to other substances at the same time may reduce or increase the effect of the initial chemical)
6. The sensitivity of the individual (different people react differently)

Understanding the Hazard Identification System

At the very core of safety is being aware of the danger that you might be exposed to; when we are dealing with chemicals that isn’t always easy to do. Because of this, the NFPA came up with a labeling system years ago that is intended to identify the four possible hazards associated with chemicals. The result was the color-coded diamond seen below.

 

The blue square is intended to identify the health threat level with an assigned value of 0 to 4 as defined below.

Numerical Value	Type of possible injury
0	Material that on exposure under fire conditions would offer no hazard beyond that of ordinary combustible material.
1	Material that on exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury.
2	Material that on intense or continued but not chronic exposure could cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual injury.
3	Material that on short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury.
4	Material that on very short exposure could cause death or major residual injury.

 

The Red Square is intended to identify the flammability of the chemical with an assigned value of 0 to 4 as defined below.

Numerical Value	Degree of flammability
0	Material will not burn
1	Material must be pre-heated before ignition can occur
2	Material must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high ambient temperature before ignition can occur
3	Liquids and solids that can be ignited under almost all ambient temperature conditions
4	Materials that will rapidly or completely vaporize at atmospheric pressure and normal ambient temperature, or that are readily dispersed in air and that will burn readily

 

The Yellow Square is intended to identify the reactivity of the chemical with an assigned value of 0 to 4 as defined below.

Numerical Value	Degree of Reactivity
0	Material that in itself is normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water.
1	Material that in itself is normally stable, but which can become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures
2	Material that readily undergoes violent chemical change at elevated temperatures and pressures or which reacts violently with water or which may form explosive mixtures with water
3	Material that in itself is capable of detonation or explosive decomposition or reaction but requires a strong initiating source or which must be heated under confinement before initiation or which reacts explosively with water
4	Material that in itself is readily capable of detonation or of explosive decomposition or reaction at normal temperatures and pressures

 

Finally, the White Square is intended to identify the nature of the precaution to be taken as well as the Personal Protective Equipment required for adequate protection. Symbols and abbreviation are used in this square rather than numbers. The symbols and abbreviations are shown and identified below

Symbols specified in National Fire Codes, section 704
	Material shows unusual reactivity with water (i.e. don’t put water on it).
OX	Material possesses oxidizing properties
Other symbols commonly used
ACID	Material is an acid
ALK	Material is a base (alkaline)
COR	Material is corrosive
	Material is radioactive

 

PPE Symbols used:

Letter	Symbol(s)	Identification
A		Safety Glasses Required
B		Safety Glasses and Gloves Required
C		Safety Glasses, Gloves and Apron Required
D		Faceshield, Gloves and Apron Required
E		Safety Glasses, Gloves and Dust Respirator Required
F		Safety Glasses, Gloves, Apron and Dust Respirator Required
G		Safety Glasses, Gloves and Vapor Respirator Required
H		Splash Goggles, Glove, Apron and Vapor Respirator Required
I		Safety Glasses, Gloves and Dust and Vapor Respirator Required
J		Splash Goggles, Gloves, Apron and Dust and Vapor Respirator Required
K		Air Line Hood or Mask, Gloves, Full Suit and Boots Required
X		Ask supervisor or safety specialist for handling instructions

 

Links for further research:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hazardcommunications/index.html

Exposure to lead in the construction industry

Stumble It!

We often hear about the dangers to children related to the lead in paint but we don’t hear enough about the dangers of lead poisoning in adults, especially as related to those working in the construction industry. One of the reasons that the construction industry seems to face increased risk in spite of the fact that lead is no longer used in most paints and other materials is due to the fact that construction workers often have to demolish before they can build. Lead in older buildings that are being torn down are the issue.

Lead exposure continues to be one of the most common exposures and the dangers of lead poisoning can be acute and chronic. Knowing the symptoms of lead exposure, knowing how to protect against lead and knowing what to do if you suspect you have been exposed to lead are top priorities for OSHA.

Symptoms:

• Loss of appetite
• Moodiness
• Headaches
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Joint or muscle aches
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps
• Constipation
• Decreased sexual drive

Avoiding exposure to lead:

• First and foremost, of course, exposure should be minimize through engineering (Exhaust, blowers, Containment, etc…)
• Next is the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (Protective Clothing, Gloves, Boots, Goggles and Respirator)
• Finally, use common sense in making sure that you don’t track lead dust outside the work area (Remove dirty clothes, rinse off work boots, clean respirator and goggles, etc…)

What to do:

The amount of lead in the blood can be measured so make sure that you immediately contact your doctor and ask for a blood test to determine the amount of exposure.

 

Materials Handling and Storage Booklet available from OSHA

Stumble It!

Monday July 28^th, 2008

First thing this morning, a man and a woman from a local company spent an hour here at our facility trying to get all the PPE that they needed in order to properly cleanup an acid spill at their company. I wasn’t the one helping them get the right PPE (Boots, Gloves, protective suits, etc…) so I don’t know how the spill occurred but a couple of points jumped to mind as I heard about this incident.

1. We need to have procedures and regulations in place concerning the transfer, storage and handling of all materials in our companies. This doesn’t apply simply to hazardous chemicals either. Lifting pallets of steel parts, books or anything that might injure if the pallet were to give way or the product slide off the pallet should be subject to the same regulations and procedures.
2. We need to be prepared, not only with procedures and regulations for safe handling but also with procedures and regulations for what to do if, in fact, an accident does occur. The basis of any effective safety program includes not only prevention but also steps and measures to be taken when the prevention measures fail and an accident does occur.

What this means is that you need to have clear step-by-step procedures in place for the safe transport, storage and use of everything that comes into your facility. In also means that you have the correct personal protective equipment ready in case a spill occurs, or a pallet breaks or whatever.

For the first step, you can download the OSHA “Materials Handling and Storage” booklet that is available for free at their website in pdf format here. It means making sure that you have the correct storage cabinets and safety cans.

For the second you will, of course, have to read the MSDS sheets, analyze potential accident issues and take the appropriate measures. This means having spill kits available where they might be needed. It means having the right boots and the right gloves for the specific chemicals you have on hand.