GHS – the unknown danger?
Hazard symbols – we put ourselves in danger every day; fortunately this danger is not unknown in the context of lubricants, cleaning agents or similar chemicals.
Since 2009, hazard symbols in accordance with the international GHS labelling system have been part of our everyday lives … both in a business context and in our private lives.
Understanding what the individual hazard symbols mean and how we should act based on the hazard statements and safety instructions on the labels and in the safety data sheets has now become an integral part of our work in the workshop, in production, in maintenance, during servicing and assembly, and in all activities in which we use lubricants, metalworking fluids, cleaning agents, sprays and similar chemicals.
In this article, we examine the ‘risk of aspiration’ associated with lubricants in somewhat greater detail; dThe risk of aspiration refers to the entry of a liquid or solid substance or mixture directly via the oral or nasal cavity or indirectly through vomiting into the trachea and the lower respiratory tract.
Why has this hazard symbol been appearing on the container labels of low-viscosity hydraulic, spindle and mould release oils for several years now? Have these lubricants now become ‘more hazardous’ than before? In principle, of course not, but as scientific understanding advances, substances are continually being reclassified. Hydrocarbons or, in this specific case, mineral oil-based lubricants are categorised according to their viscosity; all mineral oil-based and certain synthetic lubricants with a viscosity of ≤ 20.5 mm²/s at 40 °C must display the hazard symbol ‘Risk of aspiration’.
Are there any ways to circumvent this hazard symbol? Unfortunately, only to a very limited extent … as a rule higher-viscosity, thicker lubricants are not suitable for use or there are no ‘hydrocarbon-free’ alternatives available. This means that, in day-to-day work, one must adapt to these new circumstances and implement any necessary safety precautions based on the recommendations in the safety data sheets.
Responsible chemistry – true to our motto, we actively strive to monitor the increasingly stringent requirements regarding ingredients and the resulting hazard symbols and to proactively offer ROXOR lubricants that are label-free in accordance with GHS and thus sustainably minimise risks in the workplace; without compromising performance, provided this is feasible in practice. We use our own symbol “GHS ZERO” to distinguish our products that do not carry a hazard symbol in accordance with GHS. Naturally, it also applies to these ROXOR lubricants that the usual precautions must be taken to ensure that the handling of chemicals in day-to-day work is safe and poses no health risk .
GHS ZERO – our commitment to sustainable safety in the workplace.
Author: Martin Ruch, Head of Technical Support
Figure 1: Close-up of the LAEMMLE Chemicals ROXOR drum
These recommendations are based on the general experience of LAEMMLE Chemicals AG and its customers as well as the information provided to LAEMMLE Chemicals AG by its customers/users and have proved their worth in practice. Deviations in individual cases cannot be ruled out. The manufacturer’s instructions must be followed when used by the customer/user .