When it comes to working with spray foam insulation chemicals, there are generally four types of chemical exposure that you and your employees want to be aware of and prepare for.
This includes:
- inhalation
- skin contact
- eye contact
- and ingestion
With each of these types of exposure there are distinct first-aid, safety responses and protocols that should be followed and it is important for your team to be aware of what these guidelines are and where they can find them. I’ll tell you right away that these guidelines will appear in your manufacturer’s SDSs, but you could probably also find them in the SPF best practices guide and other documents published by CPI and SPFA. And of course, here at SprayFoamAdvisor.com we have videos and more content like this that is available for you to watch.
So, let’s take a look at each of these types of exposure individually.
- Inhalation – High concentrations of vapors and mists can reduce the amount of oxygen in the immediate environment. Avoid breathing these vapors or mists of either A-side or B-side so that you minimize exposure. If someone is affected by inhalation you have to get them to an area with fresh air immediately and find medical attention when necessary.
- Skin contact – If someone is exposed to chemicals through skin contact, the affected area should be cleaned. Thoroughly rinse the area with large amounts of water to cleanse the skin and then wash with soapy water. When it comes to MDI, better known as iso, corn oil or propylene glycol can be more effective than water at cleaning the skin. If there is skin damage, like a cut or abrasion, that occurs while handling the pressurized fluid materials, the chemical can enter the wound, so you need to seek emergency medical attention immediately to prevent further injury. Medical attention is advisable if skin contact occurs and results in widespread irritation or some type of large-scale irritation throughout the body, definitely seek medical attention under these circumstances.
- Eye exposure – We want to minimize the risk of eye exposure, so we wear goggles most of the time. But in the event of exposure with your eyes make sure to continuously flush your eyes for at least 15 minutes with warm water and seek medical attention.
- Ingestion – Do us all a favor and do not drink any SPF chemicals. It’s easy to say but you know accidents do happen, it is possible for ingestion to occur because of exposure to food or drink that is ingested. This possibility often leads to an industry best practice of not allowing food or beverages in the chemical compartment of the spray foam rig, however if chemicals are ingested do not induce vomiting and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
This has been a review of some of the job site first-aid practices and safety concerns for you and your employees.
Make sure to review your SDSs for further details and any additional information. Keep a copy of the SDSs on your truck so that if something like this does occur a copy of the SDS can go with the injured party to the medical professional. Make sure that you’re making the best decisions that you can out there, doing the best that you can, and make sure that you and your crews are doing things as safe as possible to protect yourself and of course to protect the industry.
