Maintenance, Repair & Operations

Corrosive Chemicals, Part 5

Feb. 6, 2018

Make sure spills of any type of solvent are reported.

Your work on a particular day might not involve the use of corrosive chemicals. So what if you are walking to your work location and notice a can of solvent lying tipped on its side and a mess on the floor? What should you do? Stop and report it, even though it’s not your spill.

What about reporting your own spill if it seems like nothing, and you cleaned it up? Your management still needs to know about the spill. For one reason, if people are spilling things and not reporting it, how is management to become aware that something (perhaps inappropriate solvent containers) is wasting time and endangering people?

Also, you might not fully understand the full effects of that spill. Or maybe there’s some “gotcha” you didn’t know about when you cleaned it up. Always report a spill immediately. If your company respects safety, reporting a spill won’t get you into trouble. But not reporting a spill is a serious offense.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.