Corrosive Chemicals, Part 2

You are almost certainly using corrosive chemicals such as solvents in the course of your work.

Perhaps you’ve been using the same few solvents for a long time and don’t feel a need to read the product labels or the material data sheets (MDS). Maybe you never read either source of safety information (as is often the case), and just use a given solvent the same way another electrician showed you.

There are some problems with this approach. For example:

• Another electrician might not have read the label or MDS and thus is guessing at the usage precautions (and requirements for PPE, disposal, and storage).
• A product could have changed or, as is more likely to be the case, updated safety information has made its way onto the label and/or into the MDS.
• Over time, you forgot the specifics of using a solvent, or in your mind have transposed those specifics with ones for another solvent.

Make a point of periodically refreshing yourself on the safety requirements of any solvents you use.