ON pHluorus Traction Treatment CLEANER

1.  Summary

2.  Personal Safety

3.  Material Safety

4.  Food Safety

5.  Transportation Safety

6.  Environmental Regulations

7.  Environmental Impact

1.  Summary:

Falls from slippery floors are a major cause of injury and expense.  pHluorus renews and maintains floors in a clean, slip resistant condition, and greatly reduces injuries from slips.

pHluorus is a relatively new product with a combination of chemicals used exclusively by pHluorus, Inc.  One chemical in particular, hydrofluoric acid (HF), is mostly used in industry at much higher concentrations, and has a reputation as a hazardous material.  We examined hazards associated with the low levels of hydrofluoric acid in pHluorus to see if they can be controlled appropriately.

As used for daily cleaning the product has .26% hydrofluoric acid by weight.  At this level, health effects are very small; it is not corrosive to living tissue and is non-toxic by OSHA standards.  Tests were conducted by an industrial hygienist, showing exposure to hydrofluoric acid vapors well below hazard limits established by OSHA.

As pHluorus is used to a great extent in food service settings, another concern is potential contamination of food products.  Safety in this regard comes from a combination of factors: 1) hydrofluoric acid is a very low concentration, 2) it is meant for use on floors, and is not as a general purpose cleaner for equipment, walls, etc., 3) it is typically used for large-scale cleaning after hours when most food products are in storage.

pHluorus has been used for several years on a variety of floor finishes with few problems.  Grout is the most common problem with ceramic tile floors; experience shows that pHluorus preserves and strengthens the grout.  Problems were limited to glazed tile where the product was used too strong, and were remedied by (1) cutting the concentration, (2) "neutralizing" with an oil-based application, or (3) a combination of these.  In a few cases the remedy was to reseal the floor surface with an acrylic or epoxy concrete sealer; solutions were always possible.

The product is dilute enough per DOT regulations to be shipped under classification 55, liquid cleaning compounds.  Any DOT approved plastic shipping container is appropriate for shipping the product.  pHluorus may not be shipped by air, as is true with all cleaners containing acids.

Environmental regulations do not call for regulating the storage of unused product and disposal of spent product in quantities used for normal janitorial purposes. pHluorus contains chemicals subject to the reporting requirements of SARA Title III (mandates reporting to local emergency management agencies), but as a practical matter, this applies to distributors only.

The environmental impact of pHluorus is anticipated to be minimal.  The dilute acids present should react with calcium carbonate (present in all water) to form fluorapatite. (fluorapatite is a mineral found commonly in many soils), which removes the fluoride from the solution and deposits it as a chemically stable solid which is often present anyway.

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NOTE: The opinions expressed are based on available information from safety, health, regulatory and scientific resources, believed to be current as of this summary, and are intended for use as general guidelines only.

2.  Personal Safety:

As the product contains hydrofluoric acid, a potentially harmful compound, the purpose of this is to demonstrate that use can be controlled so there is no human hazard.

Exposure to hydrofluoric acid:

The product has a very small quantity of hydrofluoric acid, .26% by weight.  At this level, the health effects of hydrofluoric acid are very small; it has not been shown to be corrosive to living tissue by OSHA definitions and is non-toxic (Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, Sixth Edition, pp. 1548-1549).

A. Cutaneous exposure:  While some studies have been done on cutaneous (skin) exposure to hydrofluoric acid, none have been done at the level present in Slip Safe end use product, suggesting that no one has determined it to be much of a hazard worth looking at.

B. Eye exposure:  No information has been found to suggest that concentrations below 1% are harmful to eye tissue.  Information on the Material Safety Data Sheet suggesting that eye protection is necessary is certainly appropriate for the straight concentrate.  However, a survey of industrial accidents involving hydrofluoric acid in the eyes showed a surprisingly small risk associated with eye exposure. (NIOSH hydrofluoric acid exposure study)

C. Respiratory exposure: The most extensive studies on health hazards of hydrofluoric acid have been done with regard to respiratory exposure.  Accordingly, standards for respiratory exposure have been well established.

                      OSHA OSHA  ACGIH    NIOSH          ODOR       % in

Hazardous components:       PEL-TWA (10 hr)  STEL (15 min)   TLV-TWA (10 hr)  IDLH        THRESHOLD     PRODUCT

Hydrofluoric acid2.5 mg/m³5 mg/m³2.5 mg/m³       25 mg/m³     .02 - .11 mg/m³    <3%

CAS#7664-39-33 ppm6 ppm3 ppm           30 ppm     .02 - .14 ppm

Phosphoric acid                1 mg/m³3 mg/m³         1 mg/m³            No        Not known       <2%

CAS#7664-38-2          1 ppm4 ppm            1 ppm           Standard

Note: Product is not known to exceed above standards when used as directed.

Highly toxic: No

Toxic: No

Corrosive: Yes

Irritant: Yes

Target organ effects: Yes - cutaneous, eye and lung hazards

Carcinogen (IARC, NTP, OSHA): No

Fire hazard: No

Reactive hazard: Yes

Industrial hygiene study

Tests conducted on our own employees by OSHA Health & Safety Consultation Service in a normally ventilated retail food service establishment showed exposure to hydrofluoric acid vapors well below the above limits; three sampling devices were used, with readings of .08 mg. hydrofluoric acid per cubic meter, .06 mg. per cubic meter, and .02 mg. per cubic meter, various conditions and types of exposure being measured.  These results were for the full exposure period, not time weighted averages.

Health data: 

hydrofluoric acid has good "warning" properties; the odor threshold is well below hazardous levels for vapor concentrations.  When used at the recommended concentration, the odor is barely detectable with normal ventilation. 

DO NOT USE WITHOUT MIXING WITH WATER.

NOT FOR HOUSEHOLD USE

CAUTIONS

Use proper protective equipment.

Acidic detergent.  Dilute with water as instructed.  Don't use more than needed for immediate use wetting floors to be cleaned.  Use only with good ventilation.  If spilled mop up with water or rinse to drain with water.  Keep container closed when not in use.  Don't mix with bleach or other chemicals, or use on glass, mild steel, galvanized iron or aluminum.

Please note the following changes in hazard levels, etc., in pHluorus Concentrate, from information shown on the MSDS sheet for pHluorus Basic Solution.  This sheet should not be provided to end use customers, as pHluorus Concentrate should never be sold unless diluted by least 4 parts water to 1 part concentrate.  Concentrate must only be used with adequate supervision with trained pHluorus representatives present at the time of application.

3.  Potential contamination of food

(fm. USDA submission) and no food products will be contaminated. 

4.  Material Safety:

TILE - CEMENT - VINYL - EPOXY - PAINT

Not recommended for marble

Q:  And pHluorus can't hurt cement.  Will it create any type of appearance problem on cement?

National companies enjoy the slip resistant qualities of our CERAMIC TILE INSTITUTE tested treatment.

Use only standardized application procedures, dilutions, etc., as shown on the product label and support material.  When using on a surface that may be especially sensitive to the acidic action of the product, test a small area first.

5.  Transportation Safety:

DOT Class 55 - Liquid Cleaning Compound

DOT Class # 55 - Cleaning Compound

NMFC Item # 48580-3

6.  Environmental Regulations

For waste disposal, consult state and local authorities for restriction on disposal of chemical waste.  Unused product as a waste is considered Corrosive by RCRA criteria; used product is not Corrosive by the same criteria.

Effective January 1, 1989, pHluorus Inc. is required to inform you that this product contains substances subject to the reporting requirements of Section 313 of SARA Title III and 40 CFR part

372.65.

[NOTE: THE NEXT SECTION NEEDS TO BE VERIFIED WITH DR. PARRY BEFORE SENDING TO ANYONE!!!!!!!!]

7.  Environmental impact

For cleanup, rinse small spills to drain with plenty of water.  For large spills, dike or dam, mop or pump to containers or soak up with inert absorbent.  Neutralize with soda ash or lime, flush residue with lots of water and rinse area thoroughly. 

Disposal of Waste:

Addition of calcium carbonate will react with the solution to form fluorapatite plus calcium carbonate.  This process removes the fluoride and the phosphate from the solution.  The water coming off after one or two treatments should be drinkable.  Solid fluorapatite can be buried.  Fluorapatite is a common mineral in  the west.

NOTE: The opinions expressed are based on available information from safety, health and regulatory resources, believed to be current as of the date of this Material Safety Data Sheet.  Since the use of this information and the product are not within the control of pHluorus Inc., it is the user's obligation to determine the conditions of safe use.  None of these suggestions are intended as, and nothing herein shall be construed as a recommendation to infringe any existing patents or violate any federal, state or local laws or relieve the user of obligation to check with state, local and other authorities regarding the use of this product.

SUMMARY OF

SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

ON pHluorus CLEANER

Falls from slippery floors are a major cause of injuries and expense.  pHluorus renews and maintains floors in a clean, slip resistant condition, and greatly reduces injuries from slips.

pHluorus is a relatively new product with a combination of chemicals used exclusively by pHluorus, Inc.  One chemical in particular, hydrofluoric acid (HF), is mostly used in industry at much higher concentrations, and has a reputation as a hazardous material.  We examined hazards associated with the low levels of hydrofluoric acid in pHluorus to see if they can be controlled appropriately.

As used for daily cleaning the product has .26% hydrofluoric acid by weight.  At this level, health effects are very small; it is not corrosive to living tissue and is non-toxic by OSHA standards.  Tests were conducted by an industrial hygienist, showing exposure to hydrofluoric acid vapors well below hazard limits established by OSHA.  The OSHA PEL (permissible exposure limit) is 2.5 mg. hydrofluoric acid per cubic meter, and readings of .08 mg. per cubic meter, .06 mg. per cubic meter, and .02 mg. per cubic meter were measured in tests conducted for pHluorus, with various conditions and types of exposure being measured.  Results were for the full exposure period, not time weighted averages.

As pHluorus is used to a great extent in food service settings, another area of interest is potential contamination of food products.  Safety in this regard comes from a combination of factors: 1) hydrofluoric acid is a very low concentration, 2) it is meant for use on floors, and is not as a general purpose cleaner for equipment, walls, etc., 3) major cleaning is typically done after hours when food products are in storage.

pHluorus has been used for several years on a variety of floor finishes with few problems.  Grout is the most common problem with ceramic tile floors; experience shows that pHluorus preserves and strengthens the grout.  Problems were limited to glazed tile where the product was used too strong, and were remedied by (1) cutting the concentration, (2) "neutralizing" with an oil-based application, or (3) a combination of these.  In a few cases the remedy was to reseal the floor surface with an acrylic or epoxy concrete sealer; solutions were always possible.

The product is dilute enough per DOT regulations to be shipped under classification 55, liquid cleaning compounds.  Any DOT approved plastic shipping container is appropriate for shipping the product.  pHluorus may not be shipped by air, as is true with all cleaners containing acids.

Environmental regulations do not call for regulating the storage of unused product and disposal of spent product in quantities used for normal janitorial purposes. pHluorus contains chemicals subject to the reporting requirements of SARA Title III (mandates reporting to local emergency management agencies), but as a practical matter, this applies to distributors only.

The environmental impact of pHluorus is anticipated to be minimal.  The dilute acids present reacts with calcium carbonate (present in all water) to form fluorapatite (a mineral in many soils).  This removes the hydroflouric acid from the liquid solution and deposits it as a chemically stable solid.

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The Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR Part 1910.1200) states that employer action is necessary in five areas:

1.Employee information and training.

2.Written Hazard Communication Program.

3.Hazard determination.

4.Labels and other forms of warnings.

5.Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

By September 23, 1987, all chemical manufacturers, importers and distributors were required to provide Material Safety Data Sheets to all customers.  All employers were required to comply with all provisions by May 23, 1988.

Your State Right to Know laws may differ. Contact the agency listed in the appendix for specific requirements of your State and and compliance assistance.

Determine Which Employees are Covered:

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) states all employees are covered by this law and must comply with its five requirements.  In a particular work place the HCS covers situations where employees "may be exposed" to hazardous chemicals either during normal employment activity or for unexpected releases or emergency situations.

This means that in the work place some employees will he covered since they "may be exposed" to chemicals, while other employees not exposed are not covered.  In a department store, for example, janitors are covered since their jobs involve exposure to chemicals, but an accountant would not be covered because he isn't exposed.

Exposure determines who is covered and who is not.  OSHA states most office workers and some others are not exposed to hazardous chemicals in such a way that the HCS would apply to them.  "Office workers or bank tellers who encounter hazardous chemicals only in non-routine, isolated instances are not covered" and would not need HCS training.

In some work places requirements are reduced because of the nature of the work conducted.

-Warehouses, Retail Sales, Marine Cargo Handling and other Work Operations in which sealed containers are handled and not opened under normal conditions of use.  No written program is required.  Labels on incoming containers and Material Safety Data Sheets must be maintained and made accessible.  Employees must be informed and trained to protect themselves in the event of a spill or leak from a sealed container.

-Laboratories.  Due to the large number of chemicals present, in typically small quantities, used under controlled circumstances, no written program is required.  Labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS's) which are received with incoming chemicals must be maintained and made accessible.  Employees must be informed and trained.

Determine Which Substances Are Covered

The HCS applies to any chemical known to be used or stored in the work place in such a way that employees may be exposed to it under normal working conditions or in a foreseeable emergency.  This covers nearly every chemical substance found in the work environment.

EXEMPT FROM HCS:

Certain products are exempt from HCS requirements.

- Consumer products regulated by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, if the employer can prove that they are used in the same way as normal consumer home use.  The duration and frequency of exposure to consumer products in the work place must not be greater than the exposure experienced by consumers outside the work place.

For example, consider a common consumer product used in many work places, abrasive cleaners.  When abrasive cleaners are used to clean out reactor vessels, causing a much greater level of exposure, or if the employee uses them to clean sinks all day, causing more frequent exposure, then they are covered by the HCS.  When used periodically to clean a sink, like at home, they are not covered.

When consumer products are used more intensively in the work place, and so are covered by the HCS, then Material Safety Data Sheets must be obtained from the retail establishment from which the products were purchased, or from the manufacturer.

If you are unsure whether a consumer product is covered, it's best to obtain MSDS's and include it in your hazard communication program.

- Physical objects that don't expose workers to hazardous chemicals in normal use, including many office products that may contain hazardous chemicals.  Pens, pencils, typewriter ribbons and so on, are "articles" under the HCS and exempt from the requirements.  In addition, the occasional use of a copy machine is not covered.  But if a designated copy machine operator is responsible for chemicals for the machine or operates the machine frequently, that person is entitled to information under the HCS.  Releases of tiny quantities of chemicals such as emissions from copy toner or paper, or pens, for example, are not covered by the HCS.

- Food, drugs, cosmetics or beverages packaged for sale to consumers.  Many of these products meet the definition of a "hazardous chemical" (for example, vinegar is acetic acid), but when packaged for retail sale they do not present retail employees with hazards that are different from the hazards of these products in their homes.

- Wood or wood products, other than wood dust, considered a hazardous chemical and covered by the HCS.

- Any drug in solid, final form for direct administration to the patient (tablets or pills).

- Hazardous waste regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA)

- Tobacco products

- Drugs, cosmetics or food intended for personal use of employees in the work place.

EXEMPT FROM HCS LABELING

Some potentially hazardous chemicals are regulated under the rules of another Federal agency and so are exempt from labeling requirements of the HCS., including:

- Pesticides, including germicides, disinfectants, insecticides and rodenticides, regulated by the EPA.

- Foods, food additives, color additives, drugs, cosmetics, medical and veterinary devices regulated by the FDA.

- Wine, malt beverages and distilled spirits intended for nonindustrial use regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

- Consumer products regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.