Hi, I am relatively new to H&S and certainly COSHH assesments.

I work for an office furniture supplier and we have recently started producing our own seating range.
This seating is being assembled in our warehouse and involves the use of a spray adhesive called Multitak (SDS http://www.pwflooring.co...EET/Multi-Tak_Safety.pdf ) to attach the seating foam to the seat outer shells.

I am told that the adhesive is used for approx 15mins 4 or 5 times a day (I will check and monitor this) in a well ventilated warehouse (1 roller shutter door open 90% of the day).

Is there some way to calculate the WEL knowing the aerosol size (500ml) and the number used per day or do we have to bring in a specialist to monitor the air ?

Thanks in advance Jack

Personally I would start by getting an up to date Safety Data Sheet from the supplier.

The document in your link is from March 2013 and classified according to the previous Dangerous Preparations Directive.

A lot will have changed since this was prepared in the available knowledge being accumulated for the component substances in registration dossiers submitted under the REACH Regulations.

Ideally you need a Classification, Labelling & Packaging (EC 1272/2008) SDS - this became mandatory for mixtures in June 2015.

If the information you have given is correct, unless the substance has a pretty low WEL, I would doubt that you are exceeding the WEL.

When you say 'used for 15 minutes, 4-5 times per day' - do you really mean the substance is sprayed a few times during each 15minute period, for a few seconds?

In which case the exposure time is probably less than 15 minutes.

If the door is open for most of the day, is it possible to arrange the work such that that ventilation air is carrying the aerosol spray mist away from the workers breathing zone?

I would only arrange monitoring/sampling if there was serious/genuine concern that workers were being exposed beyond the WEL on a regular basis.

Jack,

No-one has yet pointed out that the SDS states that the substance contains up to 30% DCM dichloromethane also known as methylene chloride.

All the companies I have worked with BANNED the use of that material because it is has been classified as a Category 3 carcinogen; it has the risk phrase R40 ‘Possible risk of irreversible effects’ - so it is suspected of causing cancer in humans but not certain.

The advice from me is that if you have no alternative adhesive, at present, you should eliminate completely any possibility of employees breathing DCM. So they should work with a local exhaust ventilation, preferably something like a fume cabinet where air is drawn towards the workpiece and exhausted outside the building.

There is specific guidance from HSE wis19 see link, though it seems to be dated 2001, worth getting more recent guidance.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis19.pdf


John

And Jack, get hold of a modern MSDS for the DCM, one which has the new CLP phrases and symbols, send it to your supplier and ask them to get their system up to date.

Fisher Scientific msds is worth looking at, not sure if this link will work but you'll find it via Google

http://www.fishersci.com...%2B1L%26catNo%3DD37-1%2B

John

Thanks for the responses.

It is the DCM that I am concerned about and it appears that the only way to get a definite answer is to call somebody in to do some monitoring. We are in the process of having a purpose built unit for the seating manufacture so LEV has been talked about for that.

Regarding the substance being banned i read that it is in relation to its use as a paint stripper at a higher concentration as it was being applied neat.

I have requested an uptodate MSDS from the manufacturer.

The Aerosol is marketed as - Made to bond carpet tiles, foam and other underlays, fabrics & textiles to most hard surfaces.

The use as a carpet tile adhesive will make LEV difficult in a customers premises & RPE to fit carpet tiles seems a bit excessive.