Solvents and Health & Safety

The solvents produced by ESIG members have been thoroughly tested for their health, safety and environmental properties. The European solvents industry is committed to complying with and, in some cases exceeding, health, safety, and environmental (HSE) requirements. Maintaining the highest levels of safety and health standards is an absolute priority. This is achieved by conducting continuous scientific research and development to improve products and by providing health, safety, and environmental information to users on an ongoing basis. The following is an overview of some industry HSE initiatives:

Classification and labelling

Some solvents need to be managed carefully due to their volatility and general flammability, in particular during loading and unloading, storage and when using large quantities. The solvents industry works closely with transporters, distributors and customers to ensure that adequate precautions and procedures are in place when handling solvents. In addition, ESIG also publishes several guidelines on the safe handling of solvents e.g. "Best Practice Guideline 4, Flammability: a safety guide for users". These documents are available here.

Solvents are subject to the European Union's classification and labelling requirements that identify the main hazards of a product through symbols and risk/safety phrases on container labels. For example, where appropriate labels include information about:

• Flammability
• Risk of irritation to skin and eyes (a minority of hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvents)
• Risk of lung aspiration hazard if accidentally swallowed

Occupational workplace exposure limits

The main route of exposure to solvents is via inhalation. Occupational exposure limits (OELs) set the airborne concentration of a substance that workers can be exposed to, day after day without any adverse health effects. OELs are normally set for an 8 hour day and a 40 hour week and are continuously reviewed by national and EU authorities. OELs for the majority of hydrocarbon and oxygenated solvents are set between 10 and 1,000 parts per million depending on the volatility and toxicity of an individual substance.

The solvents industry is also working with scientists and regulators to understand the effects of solvents. One specific activity has been the development of OELs for hydrocarbon solvents where legal OELS are not available. A special solvents industry task force has developed guidelines for a uniform methodology to calculate OELs for complex hydrocarbon solvents and blends. In Europe and the USA, this methodology is used by hydrocarbon solvent manufacturers to provide harmonised and consistent OEL values to solvent users.

More information on OELs can be found at the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work (OSHA) website.

Safety handling guidelines

For the past 20 years, long before it became a legal requirement in Europe (legislation was passed in 1992), solvent producers have distributed Safety Data Sheets on their products. These datasheets, which are continuously updated, provide comprehensive safety and health information including:

• Safe exposure limits and techniques for managing flammability
• Information on the main hazards, how to protect against them and the steps to take in an emergency
• Occupational exposure limits (OELs)
• Handling, storage, transport, spills and disposal advice
• Regulatory information such as classification and labelling
• Toxicity and environmental information
• Exposure scenario, Rmms, OCs...)

Product stewardship

Advice on the safe handling and use of solvents is provided by the European solvents industry under its Product Stewardship programme. This is part of a wider chemical industry commitment to Responsible Care® which focuses on the continual improvement of safety, health and environmental performance. For more information see also the product stewardship section in this website.

Hazards and exposure Information

• For many years, the solvents industry has generated an extensive set of toxicity / ecotoxicity data.
• ESIG has also gathered a wealth of information about solvents exposure levels in the workplace. For example, ESIG collated all publicly available data on solvent vapour levels in the workplace. This database is continually updated.
• ESIG has worked with research institutes such as TNO in the Netherlands and BRE (Building Research Establishment) in the UK, to simulate indoor painting situations. Results indicated that simple measures such as regular ventilation, shows that solvents may be used safely outdoors and indoors. The experimental work was used to develop a risk-based tool (Air Change Index) to quickly asses exposure to solvents released from decorative paints.
• ESIG subgroups, HSPA and OSPA, frequently work with regulators and scientific institutes to help general risk assessment reports and other data sets, e.g. data required for the OECD High Production Volume (HPV) programme and REACH dossiers.