Adhesives & Resins Training Guide
(Taken from the "Tailgate Meetings that Work : A Guide
to Effective Construction Safety Training" series) |
|
Robin Baker, Robert
Downey, Mary Ruth Gross, Charles Reiter
Labor Occupational Health Program
(LOHP) School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley Ca.
These tailgate/toolbox
talks were developed for use under California OSHA regulations. The
complete set is available from the Labor Occupational Health Program
at UC Berkeley. For ordering information, visit the website (www.lohp.org)
The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
has adapted these talks to apply to federal OSHA regulations. To contact
ACGIH, visit its web site (www.acgih.org). |
Before you begin
the meeting...
- Does this topic
relate to the work the crew is doing? If not, choose another topic.
- Has the crew
completed basic Hazard Communication training? It will help them
understand this topic.
- Did you read
this Training Guide and fill in the blanks where the appears?
(To find the information you need, look over the Safety Walkaround Checklist
for this topic.)
- Did you bring
labeled containers and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for a few
of the adhesive and resin products used on the site?
Begin: Adhesive
and resin products are part of everyday life on construction sites. Adhesives
include glues, mastics, and contact cements. Resins are found in
many products, including sealants, foams, protective coatings, varnishes,
and paints.
Different adhesives and resins have different hazards. Some are quite
safe to work with, but with others you to have to be very careful. They
may be flammable, toxic, or both.
You or a crew member may want to add a personal story about adhesives
or resins.
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Next, discuss
with the crew what hazardous adhesive or resin products are used
at this particular job site, and where:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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ASK
THE CREW THESE QUESTIONS:
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After each question,
give the crew time to suggest possible answers. Use the information
following each question to add points that no one mentions.
1. What are some ways adhesives and resins can harm you?
- Many of these
products are flammable or combustible.
- Some products
can cause irritation or burns if you get them on your
skin.
- Some products
can cause allergic reactions. If you have contact with the product,
your skin may become dry, scaly, and cracked. If you breathe the vapors,
you may experience coughing, sneezing, chest congestion, or an asthma-like
reaction.
- Many products
contain hazardous solvents. Breathing certain solvent vapors
can cause dizziness, a lightheaded feeling, lack of coordination, or
trouble concentrating. These effects can be especially dangerous on
a construction site. You need to be alert and keep your balance at all
times.
- High exposure
to certain solvents can cause immediate coma or death. Even a small
exposure over a long period of time can permanently damage your liver,
kidneys, and
nervous system (including the brain).
2. Some products
are more hazardous than others. How can you find out if there
are harmful chemicals in the adhesive or resin product youre using?
- Dont
open the container until youve found out whats in the
product and what the hazards may be.
- Check the label.
You may find a list of ingredients, a safety warning, or both. All containers
must be labeled, or a labeled container must be in the immediate area.
- Read the Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS.) for the product. MSDSs are required by
law, and everyone working on the site has a right to see them.
(MSDSs
are covered in more detail during basic Hazard Communication training,
which everyone on the crew should already have completed.)
3.
What can the MSDS tell you about a product?
- The hazardous
ingredients in the product, and the safe exposure level for
each one. Cal/OSHA has set permissible exposure limits (PELs)
for many hazardous chemicals. The company has to keep your exposure
below these limits.
- The flammability
of the product, and fire prevention measures you need to take.
- What kinds of
personal protective equipment you need (like a respirator or
gloves).
- The volatility
of the product (the likelihood that vapors will get in the air). Highly
volatile products are more dangerous for two reasons. They may be more
likely to catch fire, and theres also more danger of breathing
the vapors. Keep containers of highly volatile liquids tightly closed
as much as possible.
- How to store
the product safely. For example, some products should be stored away
from heat, light, or water. Some should never be stored near other products
with which they could have a chemical reaction. (These are called incompatible
chemicals.)
- How to dispose
of the product safely. For example, some products should never be dumped
into the drain or sewer.
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On this job,
you can get MSDSs from-
Give the
name and location of the person to see:___________
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Let's look at some
labels and MSDSs for adhesive and resin products we use on this job.
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Show the
crew the sample product containers and MSDSs you brought to the
meeting. Explain them briefly.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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4. What are some
ways to protect yourself from exposure?
- Use a safer
product if possible. Some products are much less hazardous than
others.
- Work in a well-ventilated
area. A fan or open door may not be enough. Also watch out for vapors
from drying products. If youre working outdoors, try to
stay upwind.
- Stop what
youre doing if you notice symptoms. You may need to change the
way youre doing the work, or wear protective equipment (like a
respirator or gloves).
- Use a respirator.
If you need one, we must provide the right type of respirator, make
sure it fits, teach you how to use it, and give you a physical to make
sure youre able to wear it safely. (Respirators are covered
in more detail in a separate Training Guide.)
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We____will
or____will not require respirators on this job.
If required,
respirators are available at:_______________________
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- Keep adhesives
and resins off your skin and out of your eyes. If necessary,
wear gloves and goggles. If chemicals do get in your eyes, flush with
water for 15 minutes.
- Dont
eat, drink, or smoke on the job. Anything you put in your mouth
could have been contaminated by chemicals. Wash up first.
5. Many adhesive
and resin products are flammable. How do you prevent fires
and explosions?
- Read the label
and MSDS to find out what special precautions to take.
- Dont
smoke.
- Avoid heat
and sparksfor example, from sparking power tools.
- Keep flammable
liquids away from rags and other materials that might ignite.
- Bond and ground
the containers when you transfer flammable liquids.
- Store
flammables in tightly closed, approved containers or metal storage cabinets.
- Keep fire
extinguishers readily available, and make sure they are the right
type.
Different fire extinguishers are needed for different kinds of fires.
Explain:
Most of the safety measures weve talked about are required by Cal/OSHA.
We have to take these precautionsits the law. I have a Checklist
of the Cal/OSHA regulations related to adhesives and resins. If youd
like to know more, see me after the meeting.
(Only if applicable.)
Besides the Cal/OSHA regulations, we have some additional company rules
about hazardous chemicals like adhesives and resins.
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Discuss
company rules:______________________________
_________________________________________________
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Ask: Do you have
any other concerns about adhesives or resins? Do you see any
problems on our job? (Let the steward answer first, if there is
one.)
What about other jobs youve worked on? Have you had any experience
with
adhesives or resins that might help us work safer on this job?
GENERAL
SAFETY DISCUSSION
|
This is a time
to discuss all safety concerns, not just today's topic. Keep your notes
on this page before, during and after the safety meeting.
Are you aware
of any hazards from other crews? Point out any hazards other crews
are creating that this crew should know about. Tell the crew what you
intend to do about those hazards.
Do we have any
old business? Discuss past issues/problems. Report progress of
investigations and action taken.
Any new business?
Any accidents/near misses/complaints? Discuss accidents, near misses,
and complaints that have happened since the last safety meting. Also recognize
the safety contributions made by members of the crew.
Please remember,
we want to hear from you about any health and safety issues that come
up. If we don't know about problems, we can't take action to fix them.
To complete the
training session:
- Circulate Sign-Off
Form.
- Assign one
or more crew member(s) to help with next safety meeting.
- Refer action
items for follow-up. (Use the sample Hazard Report Form in the
Reference Section of this binder, or your companys own form.)
Date Prepared:_________________________ |
By:_______________________ |
Project
Name/No.______________________ |
Location:__________________ |
NAMES
OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THIS SAFETY MEETING
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Tailgate
Meetings That Work : Collection
Published in June, 1994 by: Labor Occupational Health Program, School
of Public Health, 2515 Channing Way, University of California, Berkeley,
CA 94720. Phone: (510) 642-5507.
Permission is granted to duplicate these materials for non-profit educational
purposes, provided that copies are not offered for sale.
This paper appears in the eLCOSH website with the permission of the author
and/or copyright holder and may not be reproduced without their consent.
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