Solvents@Work
Since its foundation, ESIG has always been promoting the safe use of solvents and helping manufacturers and users comply with the highest level of safety standards.
One of ESIG’s first activities was to develop “Best Practice Guidelines” under its Product Stewardship Programme. The first one from 1999 aimed to help solvent users design simple and effective monitoring programmes to measure airborne solvent vapour concentrations.
Until today, the ESIG Product Stewardship Team has created a full range of materials in multiple languages (posters and best practice guidelines) explaining how to handle solvents safely.
In addition, several films have been produced in cooperation with the UK Solvents Industry Association (SIA) on a variety of topics for safe handling of solvents.
All these materials are promoted via the solvents@work campaign on a regular basis.
We continue to make sure our solvents@work materials are up to date and industry experts are regularly reviewing them. Our ongoing projects include reshooting the “Solvents and the Safe Use of Gloves” film and the review of the “Flammability Guide”, both are expected to be ready in Q1/2022.
Best Practice Guidelines and Posters
Our BPG “Safe Use of Gloves for the Handling of Solvents” explains how to choose the right gloves by providing information on which glove material to use for which solvent and how to put on and remove gloves in order to avoid skin contact.
Available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
Our poster “10 tips for the safe use of gloves”
is also available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
Our BPG “Strategies and Techniques for Measuring Solvent Vapour Concentrations in the Work Environment” focuses on a tiered approach when implementing a measurement strategy for verification of the level of exposure. It provides insight into the various measurement techniques available and when they may be applied to define solvent emission sources, personal exposure and the exposure control measures’ effectiveness.
Our BPG “Flammability: a safe guide for users – safe working with industrial solvents” explains the main issues linked to solvents’ flammability and static electricity. It provides recommendations to mitigate the associated risks.
FILMS
Our film “Solvents and IBCs” contains valuable guidance on how to select Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC). It shows best practices for storage and handling and gives information about relevant legislation on the handling of hazardous solvents.
Our films on the Reciprocal Calculation Procedure (RCP) explain what this method is used for and how to calculate the occupational exposure limits of hydrocarbon solvents.
