DCHAS-L Archives, Aug 26, 2024 - Re: [DCHAS-L] Question about solvent-soaked rags

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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Question about solvent-soaked rags

Date: Aug 26, 2024 20:48 UTC

Author: Jeffrey Lewin <jclewin**At_Symbol_Here**MTU.EDU>

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Date: Aug 26, 2024 22:03 UTC

Author: Ken Fivizzani <kfivizzani**At_Symbol_Here**ASTOUND.NET>

I don't really care what EPA says. That's Facility's job to decide what to do with the rags once they pick them up. But it is for the safety officer to risk assess exposure to solvents during the work day and to keep spontaneous combustion from taking out the whole art department. This is a major fire source in art departments and I've dealt with the aftermaths of fires in painting, printmaking, woodworking, and one in a jewelry department where linseed and other natural oils were used. One of these fires was within walking distance of my apartment in an art building at NYU.

People tend to think, as you just did, in terms of what EPA rules are for chemicals. In this case, the oil is a fire risk which is best managed by getting it out of the department.. And the turpentine solvent has an airborne workplace standard under the OSHA regulations and I advise using the TLV instead (as does OSHA) in order to protect the students' and faculty's health. The art students don't work in fume hoods, but they handle chemicals that are every bit as hazardous as many of the chemicals in the Chemistry department.

Hopefully, Facilities will understand the risk. I also know of two fires in dumpsters from the art department oily rags as well. One school's facilities department continued to just dump all the unregulated trash into the dumpster after the fire, but they started keeping the dumpster at a distance from the building so if it ignited, the fire wouldn't spread to the building as it did in the first fire.

Art department safety is just as much of a challenge as chemistry department safety.

Monona

On Monday, August 26, 2024 at 05:00:19 PM EDT, Jeffrey Lewin <jclewin**At_Symbol_Here**mtu.edu> wrote:

From the disposal side, FWIW.

It does appear that Arkansas has adopted the EPA's RCRA Solvent-Contaminated Wipes Rule

Jeff

On Mon, Aug 26, 2024 at 1:10 PM Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:

There are questions to ask first.

1. What where the rags used for? For example, if they were used to clean up after oil painting, they also contain some oil and can spontaneously combust.
2. How tight is the lid?

1. The turpentine has an air quality standard of 20 ppm (TLV-TWA). If this is a painting class and real turpentine is used at everyone's easel, it is very likely the whole class is over exposed to turpentine. It takes an incredibly fast air exchange ventilation system to keep up with a solvent this toxic. If they would switch to Gamsol or Isopar L that has a TLV-TWA of 100 ppm, that would be much safer. And these solvents work the same.

The factors that make spontaneous combustion more likely are the present of linseed or any natural (unsaturated) oil, any drying agents, or paints that contain oil and/or metal pigments that act as drying agents such as compounds of manganese, cobalt, some iron forms, etc.

2. The lid needs to be really tight if there is oil, varnish, or oil paint present to insure the rags don't catch fire. If there is no oil source on the rags then the only problem would be the escape of the turpentine vapors contaminating the air in the room all night. The tighter that lid fits, the better. If the lid is tight, there is no problem leaving the rags overnight. (In my experience that wait in the can is usually a lot longer than overnight.)

There also may be an issue with how Facilities disposes of them. But at least the is no longer in your lap.

Monona

On Monday, August 26, 2024 at 10:16:31 AM EDT, Tricia Hahn <thahn**At_Symbol_Here**jbu.edu> wrote:

I'm looking for information on solvent-soaked rags protocols.

Our art department collects them in the red metal cans with a lid - turpentine soaked. Their question is whether it's ok for them to be left in the can overnight. The facilities staff pick them up in the morning. I can't seem to find clear direction on that.

Thank you!

Tricia Hahn

John Brown University

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Jeff Lewin

Chemical Safety

Environmental Health and Safety

Office of the General Counsel

Michigan Technological University

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