Canadian Occupational Safety

December/January 2015 21 Employers must make sure employees are properly trained to work with corrosive products. Training at Canexus is devel- oped according to the tasks the employee or contractor is going to perform. It's important to ensure workers understand the training. "People learn in different ways: some are more visual, some are more auditory," says Lewis. "So having some dem- onstration of comprehension and competency once the train- ing is complete — in whatever format it's being presented in — is really key." Another aspect of training is ensuring workers understand how to read product labels and interpret corrosion pictograms on containers. Companies must also have the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for each hazardous chemical they have on-site. These provide information on the product's physical and chemical properties, hazards and controls, such as safe usage, storage, disposal, appropriate PPE and emergency procedures. "Employers dealing with a chemi- cal that can burn skin must have emergency procedures in place in case someone gets the chemical on their skin, and workers need to know those procedures. Or in case a worker gets the chemical in an eye, they must know how to use the eyewash station," says Lauren Welsh, spokesperson for Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety department. Carriveau says Methanex, which manufactures methanol and uses a range of corrosives in the process, has a chemical management system in place that follows a product from its entry onto the site all the way through to recycling or toxic waste disposal. "So, you start with the warehousing system, when it's brought into the site. That way, it's catalogued and appro- priately stored, the appropriate safety data sheet is with it and anyone who's going to handle it receives education from the safety data sheet in tool box meetings or in more formal processes." MaTcH PPe to corroSiVe SubStAnce Selection of PPE is based on CSA Stan- dard Z94.3, Eye and Face Protectors, as well as knowledge of the tasks, Fox says. Goggles should be chemical- splash resistant. With some kinds of work, the face as well as the eyes should be covered, and workers will need a chemical-splash goggle with a full-face shield to protect all the skin on the face. Depending on the job, he adds, employers may need to provide long- sleeved gloves or both full-sleeved gloves and full aprons. Glove and clothing material must be selected to materials can be replaced by less corro- sive ones, most employers have done so, he adds. "I think, in 2014, we're left with a group of chemicals in the workplace where we will have to deal with their reality." There are thus two major controls for most companies: safe work proce- dures and PPE. impLement SAFe WorK proceDureS Good procedures will be determined by the nature of the job but, gener- ally, these should be designed to limit exposure to skin and eyes. Where large containers of corrosives are handled, they can be replaced by smaller ones. They may also be placed in holders so, if accidently dropped or damaged, they won't break apart. Lids should fi t securely, and the chemical should not be unnecessarily exposed and able to spill easily. "Nothing high tech," Fox says. "These are just: How are we going to make sure, when we're handling these materials, we don't increase the possi- bility they are going to splash out onto our skin or eyes?" match the corrosive substance. Most glove manufacturers have tested their glove materials for their ability to resist a variety of chemicals. "There are six or eight materials out there that are better at resisting corro- sives than others," Fox says. "We use standard selection charts to choose not only the right length of glove but also the right material. But it's defi nitely situation specifi c." In Canada, the standard most com- monly followed for emergency washing facilities is ANSI Z358.1. Compliant equipment includes features such as an easy-activate valve and the abil- ity to reach appropriate temperature (tepid) and full volume instantly. Risk assessment requirements are set by the provinces. These usually involve what chemicals are used; how much is used; and where and under what circum- stances they're used. "We end up in most cases with a fairly simple risk assessment scenario: we say it's moderate, low or high risk," Fox says. According to the ANSI standard, emergency washing facilities must be accessible within 10 seconds. "It's great to have an emergency shower. But imagine having just had your eyes drenched with a chemical and you're trying to fi nd an emer- gency shower on another fl oor. That's not going to work," he says. "So the question is: Have we set up enough facilities in the right places with no barriers so that even if a worker had to fi nd her own way there, with her eyes stinging, she's going to be able to do that?" While companies have to install and maintain proper emergency washing facilities, these facilities are not getting much use these days, Fox says. "Based on the audits I do, I think employers who run a good OHS pro- gram are also doing a fantastic job," he says. "The potential for a lot of chemi- cal injuries is there, but I don't think we're seeing a lot of them because there's a lot of good safety been done around them." Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. She can be reached at linda johnson@sympatico.ca. in assessing possible consequences of an incident, employers should consider corrosives from three perspectives: health effects, chemical reactivity and fl ammability. Corrosion Resistant Combination Showers Assembled with the highest quality materials to ensure long product life. • Stainless steel, galvanized steel with polyurethane enamel paint or PVC pipe options for superior corrosion resistance • Freeze and Scald protection valves are options for temperature extremes • All models meet or exceed the ANSI Z358.1 standard Encon ® is a registered trademark of Encon Safety Products, Inc. Houston, TX. For More Information: www.enconsafety.com/corrosion 1(800) 283-6266 50 years of innovation and design excellence

• Cover