Eleven Rules for Safe Chemical Handling

Dealing with chemicals safely in the workplace can be a daunting task because the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) which covers some 650,000 hazardous chemical products found in over 3 million establishments. That standard has been designed to help American workers who are exposed to hazardous chemicals in their workplaces.

But industry experts like Jeff Bishop, the technical advisor for the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) have a list of rules which can help business maintenance people get a general understanding of a sometimes delicate and complicated situation.

Generally speaking, business maintenance people should understand that chemical isn't a four letter word. "Chemicals are an essential component of our quality of life," Bishop says. "We use them every day. It's failing to understand a product and causal uses that get people in trouble. Used properly, most products can be both safe and effective."

Chemical Use Guidelines
The guidelines for proper use from Bishop include:

• Never use a product that doesn't have a label to reference.
• It's a good idea to visit a product manufacturer's Web site and download the material safety data sheet, which provides information on safety and health issues.
• Don't mix chemicals without specific authorization from the formulator. Mixing incompatible products can render them ineffective, or it can produce toxic materials that present unsafe exposure conditions.
• Always use personal protective equipment. Protect your eyes and hands from exposure to harsh chemicals; gloves, goggles or whatever is appropriate.
• When pouring chemicals, pour concentrates into the water and not vice-versa. This way whatever splashes out will be primarily water and not concentrated chemicals.
• If a little bit will do the job, mixing more concentrated chemical won't do it better. At best, that is a waste of time; at worst you may ruin something or cause physical harm.
• Never pour chemicals into an empty, unlabeled container.
• Don't store flammable chemicals near a source of heat.
• Pesticides, fungicides, etc. always must be stored in a safe and elevated position.
• Ventilate when engaging in cleaning or other applications using strong chemicals, especially dry solvents.
• Always test a product on an item being worked on in an inconspicuous location before applying an item overall.

In addition, read labels and look for commonsense terms and warning words that they might recognize such as caustic, corrosive, toxic and flammable. Unfortunately, many labels don't tell the whole story about potential damage to fibers and dyes in carpeting for instance.

Furthermore, employees don't always follow the rules. Bishop says the most frequent violations are failure to read or follow the label directions and improper mixing.

Labels are being improved. "If anything, product formulators are more conscientious than ever about ingredients and label warnings," he says. Liability is the primary issue, followed by the chemical manufacturers' desire to reduce their "environmental footprint" or have less impact on the environment when using or disposing of chemicals.

Know Your Chemicals
Knowing about specific items of protective equipment plays an important part in dealing with chemicals. Protection for the hands is one of the most important aspects. But no one has invented a glove material that works for every chemical, says Don Groce, technical product specialist for Menlo, Ga.-based Best Manufacturing Co. Some polymers for gloves work extremely well in some solvents and chemical classes, he said. The same polymers may not work at all in others. "You have to find what works. You have to rely on chemical resistance data," he says. For more information, visit www.ChemRest.com.

Knowing what chemicals are safe for products like carpeting, the largest segment of the flooring market, also is important. For that information business maintenance people can get guidelines from the Carpet and Rug Institute, which has a Seal of Approval Testing Program for Carpet Cleaning Products at the Institute Web site.

In August of this year further work toward more safety was announced by OSHA and the ISSA, one of the leading trade associations for the professional cleaning industry. "ISSA has been working toward the alliance for some time, and the association is extremely excited to have the opportunity to work more closely with OSHA to help protect the safety and health of the cleaning industry's most valuable asset—its workforce," says Bobby Cohen, ISSA vice president/president elect.

The new ISSA/OSHA alliance will focus on hazard-communication issues, including use of labels, material safety data sheets and employee training to covey hazard information to workers, as well as floor safety. While the focus will be on these two topics, the alliance also will allow ISSA to provide industry specific information and guidance on all occupational safety and health issues.

ISSA and OSHA expect to conduct complimentary workshops and seminars on various occupational safety and health topics including possible seminars to be held in conjunction with ISSA's annual ISSA/INTERCLEAN tradeshow in Las Vegas, which will be held from October 18 to 21, 2005.