Hi Ian,

I've used it at lab-scale quantities and not in a clean room, but it was one I used often for a time (a long time ago).

It doesn't have the highest vapor pressure, but assuming that it's "neat", it's volatile enough to cause exposure (plus it's a class I-B flammable liquid, so that's fun). For specific information about properties and metabolism (and everything else), it's never a bad idea to check out the info on pubchem (https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ethyl-acetate).

I'd need to know more about the specifics, but beyond the use of full face respirator + organic cartridges; implementing ventilation controls would likely be prudent to ensure that ambient levels don't get anywhere near 10% of the LEL under foreseeable conditions of use, and to decrease the extent of exposure to employees (ideally there wouldn't be a need for the APRs, but that's not always feasible IRL). It would likely be prudent to do the IH math to see what the levels are likely to be, to see if it's going to be a problem, and to see how much of a problem it will be.

Personal experience-wise, it's worse than some, not as bad as others; at the time, it was the least unpleasant of the solvents I was using (but that isn't saying much). Based on your description, you probably have more experience than me, so take my comment with a healthy grain of salt.

I hope this is useful, I'm very interested to hear experiences of others.

Cheers,

-Bill

__

William Peairs, CSP
Pronouns: He, Him, His
Chemical Safety Officer, Environmental Health and Safety
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