Safety Precautions When Handling Flammable Chemicals

Any time flammable chemicals are being stored or transferred in your facility, you run the risk of injury through spills, vapor (VOCs) release, static electricity generated ignition and more. These injuries, however, do not have to be an eventuality. By taking proper safety precautions, you can prevent hazardous injuries and costly spills.

Using Safety Data Sheets

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires that chemical manufacturers, distributors or importers provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for each chemical product to downstream users. In a user-friendly manner, the SDS must contain:

• Identification of the chemical, common names or synonyms, recommended uses and manufacturer contact information
• All the hazards that the chemical presents
• Identification of any impurities or additive substances
• First-aid measures should an individual be exposed to the chemical
• Fire-fighting measures should the chemical ignite
• Accidental release measures as a response to spills or leaks, including containment and cleanup
• Handling and storage guidelines
• Personal protective equipment recommendations
• Physical and chemical properties for identifying the chemical

Pump Compatibility & Testing

While the SDS is a useful tool for communicating what to do in the event of a spill or release of VOCs, it doesn’t spell out the best way of preventing these hazardous injuries in the first place: choosing the right pump configuration and materials to make transfer easy, spill-free and closed loop so that vapors cannot escape. Not only is a compatible pump system necessary for safety, it also increases the lifespan of your equipment as it won’t be easily corroded. Goat Throat is an established pump manufacturer with a detailed chemical compatibility database to help our customers find the right pump, gasket, hoses and additional accessories for their operation. If your chemical is not already in our database, we can review the SDS and if necessary, conduct testing–including vapor testing–to determine the correct pump for your usage. It’s our mission to make flammable chemical transfer safer and easier for your employees, reducing injury and enhancing the lifespan of your equipment. Contact us to find the right tools for your application or use our custom pump configuration tool to get started.