1. SOLVENTS
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Today we will talk about Solvents. The products that contain solvents and how you may be exposed to them in a collision shop, and what can you do to protect yourself. ▼

2. Characteristics Dissolve or disperse other chemicals
Evaporate quickly  you may inhale solvent vapors
Flammable solvents are a fire hazard
Solvents are used to dissolve or disperse other chemicals. ▼
Solvents evaporate quickly. This means that liquids readily become vapors that you may inhale. ▼
Many solvents are also flammable and can be a fire hazard in the shop. ▼

3. Products and Operations
Paint systems  mixing and spraying
Lacquer thinner  cleaning spray guns
Body filler and hardeners  body repair work
Degreasers  removing adhesives & paint prep
Polishing and buffing compounds  detailing
Gasoline  damage estimate/car return
Many products used in collision shops contain solvents. Let’s look at some of these products and the operations that involve solvents:
Paint systems release solvents during mixing and spraying ▼
Lacquer thinner is used for spray guns cleaning
These operations use the largest amounts of solvents. ▼
Body fillers and hardeners - used in body repair work ▼
Degreasers - used for removing adhesives and in paint prep work ▼
Polishing and buffing compounds - used in detailing ▼
And Gasoline . ▼

4. Labels Manufacturer’s name Product name Hazard warning Signal word
Safety and health hazards
You should always know the hazards of the products you are working with. The container label is a good place to start. It will give you a summary of the hazards.
The label will include: ▼
Manufacturer’s name – in this case – Spies Hecker ▼
The product name – in this case –Priomat – Plastic Reducer ▼
And a hazard warning which includes:
a signal word - Warning! or Danger!
and the main safety and health hazards.
On this label the signal word is Warning!, and the main safety and health hazard is “Flammable liquid and vapor. Harmful if inhaled”.
Remember, the label is not a substitute for the safety data sheet ▼

5. Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Ingredients
Physical and chemical characteristics
Fire and explosion data
Health hazard data
Precautions for safe handling and use
Control measures
The Safety Data Sheet or SDS, provides in-depth information about the products you work with.
Key sections on an SDS include: ▼
Ingredients ▼
Physical and chemical characteristics ▼
Fire and explosion data ▼
Health Hazard data ▼
Precautions for safe handling and use ▼
And, Control measures
Know where the SDS are located in your shop.
Tell students where to find SDS in your shop. ▼

6. Routes of Exposure Inhalation – solvent vapors
Skin contact – liquid solvents
Inhalation of solvent vapors is the main route of exposure. ▼
Many liquid solvents can enter your body through contact with your skin. However, you cannot always tell when this occurs. ▼
Never clean your hands using products containing solvents! You are exposing yourself to harmful chemicals. ▼

7. Short-term Health Effects
Vapors
Contact with liquid:
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Headache
Nausea
Eye irritation
Dry skin
Eye irritation
Health effects of short-term exposure to solvent vapors include:
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Headache
Nausea
And eye irritation.
Some describe these symptoms as “feeling slightly drunk”. ▼
Repeated contact with liquid solvents can make your skin dry and cracked.
If solvent splashes in your eyes you will experience eye irritation.▼

8. If you experience symptoms:
Evaluate your work area
Check that ventilation is working
Evaluate your work practices
Check your PPE
If you experience health symptoms when working with solvents, ▼
stop what you are doing and go to an area with clean, fresh air. ▼
When the symptoms clear:
evaluate your work area – are there any open containers nearby? Are there any spills?
Check that the ventilation is working properly
Evaluate your work practices – could you use a solvent-soaked rag instead of spraying?
Check your personal protective equipment ▼

9. Long-term Health Effects
Damage to your nervous system
Liver problems
Skin rash
Long-term exposure to solvents may cause health effects such as:
Damage to the nervous system
Liver problems
Skin rash
Consult the SDS for a list of health effects specific to the products you work with. ▼

10. Health Effects Severity of health effects depends on:
Type & amount of solvent you are exposed to
Duration of exposure – daily and over time
Where & how you do your work
The severity of the health effects you might experience after exposure to solvents depends on: ▼
The type and amount of solvent you are exposed to. Some solvents are more harmful than others. ▼
Duration of exposure - each day and over time. ▼
And, where and how you do your work. For example, do you work a well-ventilated area? Do you use any personal protective equipment? ▼

11. Minimize your exposure
Use in well-ventilated areas
Minimize spraying outside the booth
Label all containers
Find a safer substitute
Store properly
Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
To minimize your exposure to solvents: ▼
Use in well-ventilated areas – for example: spray all solvent-based coats in a paint booth. ▼
Avoid spraying if possible – for example: use a pre-soaked cloth when degreasing surfaces instead of spraying the degreaser. ▼
Label all containers with the name of the product and the main hazard– for example: if you transfer paint thinner in a smaller bottle – write down the name of the product and the warning word appearing on the main container or SDS - such as “flammable” or “harmful if inhaled” ▼
Find a safer substitute – such as low VOC or water-based products. ▼
Store all chemical products properly to prevent spills. Keep all containers closed when not in use and store all chemicals away from high traffic areas. ▼
Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) ▼

12. Chemical–resistant Gloves
Selection factors:
specific chemicals you work with
type of contact:
Immersion
Splash
Accidental contact
Medical-grade latex
Select chemical-resistant gloves that will protect you by taking into consideration:
The specific chemical you work with.
The type of contact you anticipate: ▼
Immersion
Splashes
Or Accidental contact
Do not use medical-grade latex gloves. ▼ They will not protect you and they can cause skin problems.
For most operations in collision shops, nitrile gloves, 8 mils in thickness are sufficient. However, they don’t work for ALL the chemicals you may handle.
Nitrile 8 mils – for most operations

13. PPE – Eye Protection
Use eye protection that seals completely around your eyes to prevent contact from splashes or spray mist. ▼
Protect your goggles from scratches, and store them away from heat and sunlight.
Rinse them immediately if they were splashed with chemicals. ▼

14. PPE - Respirators
Spraying products other than paint, primer, and clear coats  very low solvent concentrations  respirators are optional
Spraying products other than paint, primer, and clear coats generate very low solvent concentrations which are not harmful. Therefore, respirator use is optional. ▼
However, if you chose to use a respirator, be sure and follow all the requirements about use, storage and maintenance. This information is described in detail the Respirators module Part 1 – Respiratory Protection – Air-purifying Respirators.
Use only respirators with charcoal cartridges with a black label stating “for organic vapors”. ▼
Do NOT use a dust mask to protect yourself from solvents! Vapors pass through the filter and you inhale them. ▼
black label “for organic vapors”

15. Fire prevention Eliminate ignition sources Store properly
Ground & bond containers
No damaged lights in the paint booth
Many solvents used in collision shops are also a fire hazard. Prevent fires by following these precautions: ▼   
Eliminate ignition sources from areas where solvents are used. Never smoke in the shop. ▼
Store solvents properly. Limit the amount of flammable materials stored outside of the mixing room or flammable storage cabinets. Keep containers covered when not in use. ▼
Ground and bond the drum and the receiving container when pouring or pumping paint thinner. This prevents the buildup of static electricity and the generation of sparks. Be sure that the grounding and bonding wires are attached directly onto bare metal, and not over paint. ▼
Be sure that the lights in the paint booth are in good condition. ▼

16. Flash Point
Fluid
Flashpoint (oF)
Automatic Trans. Fluid
Brake Fluid
Coolant
    Ethylene Glycol (100%)
    Propylene Glycol (100%)
Diesel Fuel
Gasoline ( octane)
-36 to -45
Engine Oil (conventional and synthetic)
Methanol (in windshield fluid)
52-108
R134a 140 KPa (5.5 Psig)
350
Starter Fluid (ethyl ether)
-49
Lowest temperature at which enough fluid can evaporate to form a combustible concentration of gas
The lower the flash point the easier the product will burn
Examples
The flash point is the lowest temperature at which enough fluid can evaporate to form a combustible concentration of gas. ▼
The lower the flash point the easier the product will burn . ▼
Let’s look at some examples.
Here you see a range of temperatures listed, because the testing methods or the composition of products in the same class – for example “diesel fuel” – can vary.
The SDS for a specific product will usually list a singe number. Here is the information for the plastic reducer we saw in the beginning of this module. ▼

17. Spies Hecker Plastic Reducer 8581
This product has a flash point of 75F.
We will talk more about fire safety in the shop in another module. For now, keep in mind that whenever you handle solvents – especially products with low flash points – open flames and sparks must be avoided to prevent fires and explosions.
Add information specific to other products your students use in the shop. ▼

18. Summary Most solvents readily evaporate and many are flammable
May irritate your skin and eyes, and can affect your nervous system and liver
Use chemical-resistant gloves and goggles
Store and handle properly – minimize risk of fire
In summary, when working with solvents, remember that: ▼
Most solvents readily evaporate and many are flammable. ▼
Solvents may irritate your skin and eyes, and can affect your nervous system and liver ▼
Use properly selected chemical-resistant gloves and goggles ▼
Reduce the risk of fire by handling and storing solvents properly ▼
Never smoke in the shop! ▼
Never use solvents to clean your skin! ▼
Never smoke in the shop!
Never use solvents to clean your skin!

19. Questions?
Do you have any questions?