Minimising the impact of aggressive solvents

Transcription

1 Minimising the impact of aggressive solvents How the right PPE can make a difference to productivity 1 Title

2 Staying safe, staying productive Your business works with aggressive solvents, as they re a necessary evil in your production process. But the use of harsh and aggressive solvents can have a serious impact on your productivity. They present a danger to your workers, whether it s in the form of irritant contact dermatitis, or longer-term damage to health. That can mean lost man-hours in injury and sickness. Which in turn leads to a slow-down in productivity, with detrimental impact on delivery schedules and production targets. It s a balancing act you re under pressure to maximise productivity, while at the same time, you re committed to ensuring the health and safety of your workforce. So what can be done to protect the workforce and protect productivity? The answer is actually very simple, and lies in familiar supplies. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can give your workforce the protection they need. And less exposure to harmful chemicals means fewer injuries, sick-days and measurable Lost Time Incidents (LTIs). The key lies in three factors: the right PPE; the frequency with which it is changed, and the risks associated with not wearing it at all. Dangerous substances contribute significantly to the 350 million working days lost through occupational ill-health and to the suffering of over 7 million people who are victims of occupational illnesses in Europe. Source: OSHA Europa 2 Staying safe, staying productive

3 What s the right PPE? Put simply, the right PPE is the PPE that you don t notice; when it is deployed, workers can just get on with the job. And while no two working environments are exactly alike, the right PPE protects both business and workers when harsh and aggressive solvents are in use. Production runs normally, without interruption from lost man-hours due to sickness or injury. Types of PPE include: Protective gloves Eye protection Respirators Protective clothing Protective footwear Clearly, it s essential that the PPE you provide is fit for purpose and meets agreed Health & Safety standards. But remember, PPE should be used when all other measures are inadequate to control exposure to aggressive solvents. 3 What s the right PPE?

4 What s the right PPE? It only protects the wearer and only while being worn. Just because you provide PPE, it doesn t always follow that your workers will use it, as we ll see later. This useful checklist will help you choose the right PPE. Ask yourself: Is it suitable for the conditions of the task? Does it offer the right level of protection? What sort of training to use the PPE is required? How do I know when it needs replacing? The long-handled spreader and the chemical barrier Here are two examples of ways in which workers have been protected against contact with aggressive solvents. In the first, simply providing a spreader with a longer handle meant that the worker no longer had to kneel close to the coating being applied. This reduced the likelihood of contact with the chemical, and lessened the potential for back injury. Source: HSE Managing skin exposure risks at work At the other extreme is the chemical barrier protective clothing materials and whole suits. These protect workers against liquid chemicals, gases, vapours, particles, fibres or dust. Their suitability is determined by permeation and penetration of the fabric, and by a whole suit being subjected to a leakage test. It s all about providing the appropriate PPE for the task at hand. 4 What s the right PPE?

5 What can go wrong with PPE? You ve assessed the risk factors, chosen and purchased the right PPE for the task and provided it to your workforce. So can you tick PPE off your to-do list? Or should you now be entering a new phase of monitoring to ensure production continuity and worker safety? Any responsible employer will understand that PPE can never be a fit and forget item. From the moment that any PPE is first used, solvent contamination will begin to reduce its protective capability. PPE should be checked carefully and regularly for physical damage and degradation. How long PPE is worn can affect its efficacy against harsh and aggressive solvents. Overuse and incorrect storage can lead to degradation or permeation, exposing workers to solvents. There are three aspects of PPE breakdown that your workers should be trained to spot, and encouraged to flag and report. A few minutes spent now can save hours of lost production later. 5 What can go wrong with PPE?

6 What can go wrong with PPE? 1. Physical damage The protection level of PPE can be reduced by physical damage for example, a cut, tear or hole. It should not be assumed that because the PPE is new it is without any flaws. 2. Degradation Degradation is damage to, say, glove material by a solvent substance so that it loses its integrity. 3. Permeation Permeation is where the chemical passes through the material at a molecular level and comes out as a vapour on the inside next to the skin. In all cases, PPE breakdown can expose workers to harsh and aggressive solvents. PPE that is not fit for purpose creates unnecessary risks and can be costly to the health of the workforce, and of the business. If left unaddressed, all these factors could lead to lost man-hours and reduced productivity. How big is the risk of faulty PPE? Continuous inhalation of VOCs can cause chronic respiratory problems and fatigue. This not only has a detrimental effect on your workers health, but also on their ability to efficiently complete a task. Painters in worldwide manufacturing industries are more at risk than other workers. The carcinogenic paint solvents they work with cause a 40% higher chance of lung cancer and 20% higher chance of stomach, bladder, larynx and other cancers. Source: 6 What can go wrong with PPE?

7 What happens if the wrong PPE is used, or no PPE at all? Regular training and education about the dangers of exposure to harsh and aggressive solvents can reduce the incidence and cost of lost man-hours. You should also be aware that provision of PPE is not a universal panacea: PPE which is appropriate for one task may not provide suitable protection for another. Instances have occurred where similarappearing gloves (but with different protective properties) have been changed, and no visual controls put in place. If workers are unaware of such changes, they may unwittingly expose themselves to risk. The wrong PPE can also lead to overfrequent replenishment, resulting in motion waste or waiting time. Both can lead to lost production. PPE that is awkward or clumsy to use can slow down completion of a task. Workers may substitute one pair of gloves for another either because they are more comfortable, or they enable a greater degree of dexterity unaware that the level of protection has dropped dramatically. 7 What happens if wrong PPE is used, or no PPE at all?

8 What happens if the wrong PPE is used, or no PPE at all? Misuse This can occur when choosing the wrong glove for the task (a natural rubber glove for solvents) or by storing the PPE where it can become contaminated (in a fume cabinet alongside the chemicals). It can also happen where the user fails to put on or remove the PPE correctly, so that the skin becomes contaminated, or where the protection does not cover the skin sufficiently. Fit for purpose? The PPE you provide: Does it fit correctly? Is it comfortable? How does the wearer feel? Are all items of PPE compatible? Does PPE interfere with the job being done? Does PPE introduce another health risk for example, overheating, or entanglement with machinery? 46% of industrial workers are exposed to at least one chemical in their daily work; 21.6% are exposed to at least three. Source: Dares Analysis What happens if wrong PPE is used, or no PPE at all?

9 PPE: Defence starts here There is no doubt that PPE plays a definite and valuable role in keeping workers safe from harm. For example, while 15% of workers have to handle dangerous chemical substances as part of their daily tasks, wearing gloves has been proven to reduce the relative risk of injury by 60%. (Source: OSHA Europa). However: PPE only protects the wearer It is ineffective if not working or fitted properly Theoretical levels of protection are seldom reached in practice The use of PPE always restricts the wearer to some degree The psychological effect may be such that the individual wearing the PPE feels more protected than he or she actually is If PPE is properly used, stored and maintained, it can prevent workplace injury and lost man-hours. 9 PPE: Defence starts here

10 PPE: Defence starts here However, it is only a partial solution to a bigger problem the use of harsh and aggressive solvents. As well as providing PPE that is fit for purpose and effective, another way to protect workers is by limiting their exposure to dangerous solvents and fluids. Optimising solvent consumption, substituting less harsh solvents and increasing worker training/education around solvent handling and storage can all contribute to a safer work environment. This in turn means fewer man-hours lost to sickness and injury, and reduced impact on productivity. Go see is an important factor in continuously identifying and monitoring risk. No matter how well you know your own shop floor, a fresh pair of eyes will often find new risks and new solutions to help keep productivity up. That s why we recommend conducting a Waste & Hazard Walk with one of our experts. Waste & Hazard Walks are a proven way to identify opportunities to reduce risk. They re very easy to arrange, and often throw up surprising results. Learn more about Waste & Hazard Walks 10 PPE: Defence starts here