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Want More Information?
OHSA Brief – Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheet
www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.pdf
OSHA Brief – Hazard Commination Standard: Labels and Pictograms
www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3636.pdf
OSHA Quick Card – Hazard Communication Standard Pictogram
www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3491QuickCardPictogram_sp.pdf
Sample GHS Label
www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3492QuickCardLabel.pdf
process, reducing overall operation costs.
Solvent-Based vs. Green Lubricants
Solvent-based lubricants are used to produce clean, dry parts after stamp- ing. The typical lubricant carrier is a petroleum distillate, such as mineral spirits, naphtha or similar petroleum derivatives. A variety of lubricity addi- tives are blended with the carrier to develop the lubricant. The hazard and health warnings placed on these lubri- cants can be a bit scary, especially when labeled with an exclamation-point pic- togram (skin and eye irritant), a health- hazard pictogram (for aspiration and inhalation hazards) or a flammable- liquid pictogram (for flash point and fire hazards). While many of the warn- ings and hazards are for overexposure, stampers should consider the alterna- tives available that may suit their needs and be safer for workers and the envi- ronment. For example, green-fluid
technology offers a variety of advan- tages over existing products in this cat- egory. These lubricants offer safe, envi- ronmentally responsible solutions that often can replace solvent-based lubri- cants.
For this new lubricant-labeling sys- tem to be effective, all U.S. employers and employees using chemicals in the workplace must become familiar with and understand its pictograms and sig- nal words. Read the hazard and pre- cautionary statements of all of the
chemicals used in your facilities. Addi- tionally, employers and employees no longer should accept dangerous chem- ical products from their suppliers. There are safer alternatives available.
All chemical suppliers should strive to use the safest ingredients possible when developing their products for the metalforming industry. In a perfect world, all chemical suppliers would have the goal of creating safer products that require zero pictograms. The metalform- ing industry deserves this effort. MF
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