FAC T
S H E E T
REDUCING HARM WHEN WORKING
WITH ORGANIC SOLVENTS
FOR EMPLOYERS
For every person who dies in New Zealand
Odour is not a reliable indicator of the
of a work-related accident, 10 people die
presence of a solvent – you can’t smell some
from a work-related disease.
of them until levels are already too high, and
This fact sheet provides advice for employers
in some cases, prolonged exposure reduces
on how to reduce the exposure of workers
a person’s ability to smell the solvent.
to organic solvents in the workplace.
Organic solvents are substances that are
used to dissolve or disperse other substances
eg toluene, thinners and MEK. Exposure
to solvents can make workers ill.
HOW CAN ORGANIC SOLVENTS ENTER
THE BODY?
Organic solvents enter the body in three ways:
>> solvent vapour can be inhaled and absorbed
through the lungs (and into the blood)
WHAT PRODUCTS CAN CONTAIN
ORGANIC SOLVENTS?
Organic solvents are used in many construction
and manufacturing workplaces. Organic
solvents may be found in a wide range of
products including:
>> adhesives
>> degreasing agents
>> fillers
>> general cleaning products
>> lacquers
>> metal cleaners
>> ink
>> paint, paint removers and paint thinners
>> resins
rust removers
>> surface preparation products
>> dry cleaning products
WSNZ_1749_Aug 15
>> fuels.
>> solvents can be absorbed through direct skin
contact (eg by washing hands in solvents)
>> solvents can be swallowed, resulting
in acute poisoning.
HOW CAN ORGANIC SOLVENTS AFFECT
HEALTH?
Short term exposure may affect worker
health over minutes, hours or days. Long
term exposure may affect health over weeks,
months, or years.
SHORT TERM
EFFECTS
LONG TERM
EFFECTS
headaches
mood changes
nausea
memory problems
eyes, nose, throat and
skin irritation
concentration
difficulties
disorientation
tiredness
drunk/high feelings
weakness
drowsiness
worksafe.govt.nz
0800 030 040
Short term effects usually disappear when
work with the organic solvent stops; however,
long term effects may not disappear so readily.
The brain is most likely to be affected by long
term exposures.
IDENTIFY THE HEALTH RISKS
SOLVENT
To identify what harm to health the organic
solvent used could cause:
>> read the container label
Wash hands with hand cleaner not solvent
>> get the solvent’s safety data sheet (SDS)
from the supplier. This document will tell
you what the health risks are, how to store
and handle the solvent safely, and what
to do in case of a spillage or emergency.
CONTROL MEASURES TO REDUCE
EXPOSURE TO ORGANIC SOLVENTS
All practicable steps must be taken to
prevent exposure to organic solvents.
Use gloves and tools to avoid skin contact
If the use of organic solvents can’t be
eliminated, try to isolate workers from the
hazardous work activity. If you can’t do this,
solvent exposure should be minimised by:
>> putting in place physical control measures
(eg using local exhaust ventilation or
improving general ventilation) designed
to minimise solvent exposure
>> using safe methods of work, processes
or procedures designed to minimise
Use long-handled tools
solvent exposure
>> using personal protective equipment
(PPE) to minimise exposure (PPE should
be used when the other control measures
alone won’t adequately minimise solvent
exposure).
Table 1 outlines control measures that can be
used to reduce organic solvent exposure.
Here are some common ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’
when working with organic solvents.
Keep a safe distance from solvents
For their part, workers must take all practicable
steps to ensure their own health and safety at
work including using suitable PPE. They must
also ensure that no one else is harmed by
anything they do or don’t do while at work.
HEALTH MONITORING OF WORKERS
If you can’t eliminate solvent use or isolate
workers from a hazardous work activity, you
must monitor worker health.
Health monitoring involves monitoring workers
to identify changes in their health due to
exposure to certain substances. This involves
workers undergoing medical examinations
performed by qualified medical personnel
with the consent of the worker. For solvent
exposure, this includes workers completing
in a solvent health questionnaire and being
checked for dermatitis by a competent person.
WHERE CAN YOU GET FURTHER
INFORMATION?
Workplace exposure standards (WESs) exist
for most common solvents. A WES is the
airborne level of solvent below which it is
believed that most workers will be protected
from discomfort or ill-health.
Contact an experienced occupational health
professional for advice about reducing
or measuring solvent exposure or health
monitoring. You can go to the WorkSafe
New Zealand website for further guidance
on WESs or on using local exhaust ventilation
systems or respiratory protective equipment.
PUBLISHED: August 2015. CURRENT UNTIL REVIEW IN 2017
worksafe.govt.nz
0800 030 040
Least
effective
Most
effective
Don’t use solvents or use
a less hazardous product
Isolate workers from the
hazardous work activity
by changing application
methods or when
hazardous activities are
carried out
Put in place physical
control measures
Use safe methods of
work, processes or
procedures designed to
minimise risk
Use safety equipment to
protect against harm
Eliminate the risk eg
substitute the product
or work process
Isolate workers from
the risk
Use engineering
controls to minimise
exposure
Use administrative
controls to minimise
exposure
Wear personal
protective equipment
(PPE) to protect
workers eg respiratory
protective equipment
(RPE)
Apply adhesive or paint using a brush or roller, instead of a spray method.
Use long-handled rollers and tools.
Carry out high exposure activities during breaks or after normal working hours when others are not around.
If you can’t isolate, you must minimise worker exposure as described below.
Ensure all containers are labelled.
Ensure all containers are well sealed when not in use.
Cover tins containing brushes/stirring sticks with, for example, aluminium foil.
Ensure all spills are cleaned up immediately. There should be a spill kit available and staff trained how to use it.
Dispose of solvent-soaked rags in a metal bin, with a close fitting metal lid.
Do not wash hands and arms with solvent; use a suitable hand cleaner.
Restrict access to only those workers required to complete the work.
Provide workers with information, instruction or training on the health risks and how to implement control
measures in a way they can understand (eg by providing safety cards that summarise the important health
and safety information), or supervise them.
Warning: for work in confined spaces.
>> Uncontrolled entry to confined spaces has resulted in fatalities, where workers were quickly overcome by high
levels of solvent vapours or gases, or an oxygen- deficient atmosphere.
>> Cartridge respirators are not suitable for work in confined spaces. Specialist advice is required for respiratory
protection in confined spaces (see AS 2865 Confined spaces).
PPE should only be used when other control measures can’t adequately protect workers
Look at the solvent’s SDS or glove manufacturers’ websites for advice on what type of gloves to use.
Workers need to be trained on how to use, clean, maintain and store correctly PPE.
RPE needs to be suitable for purpose (the right respirator and cartridge for the solvent must be used).
RPE needs to be facial fit tested to each worker (it’s not to be shared).
For lower level exposures, a respirator fitted with an activated carbon cartridge suitable for use with organic
solvents is necessary.
>> For advice about RPE see Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 1715 Selection, use and maintenance
of respiratory protective equipment and AS/NZS 1716 Respiratory protective devices.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> For a manufacturing or repair process, use a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system that is designed, installed,
inspected, tested and maintained by a competent person. Workers need to know how to check that the LEV
system is operating correctly.
>> In other settings, ensure the area is well-ventilated to avoid solvent vapour build-up.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Use a water-based product, instead a solvent-based product.
>> If you can’t eliminate, try to isolate workers as described below.
EXAMPLES OF THE CONTROL MEASURES THAT COULD BE USED OR FURTHER INFORMATION
Note: Many organic solvents are also flammable. However the vapour levels that can cause fires are much greater than the levels that make people ill. So if you are only
reducing vapour levels to manage the fire risk, you are probably not managing the health risk.
Table 1: Control measures to reduce exposure to organic solvents
HOW CAN YOU DO THIS?
ACTION