Re: Chemistry and risk

>>>But it also brings out the problems that people are going to have in a more
and more regulated environment - no more just rolling up to the counter and
asking for a pint of whatever - they are going to want to check your bona
fides and your documentation from now on. I suspect that most of you already
know this and that New Zealand is well behind the times in this, as in most
things.>>>

I agree.

When I was actively involved in the electronics business (I was a trainer, technical writer, related jobs) part of my job was developing training for workers handling hazardous materials. We thought we knew what needed addressing because we used common sense.

Slowly increasing numbers of lawyers became involved and eventually, we were required to train people on the proper handling of alcohol. We used standard rubbing alcohol, but we were required to train the technician as though RA was extremely dangerous.

Our lawyers demanded the training. Nobody purchasing the stuff at the local drugstore is required to be trained. Our lawyers pointed to specific Utah laws and regulations and what we, as manufacturers, must tell people about, as did OSHA.

We went from a handful of people (at Megahertz Corporation) to hundreds, as we were bought by US Robotics, then 3Com, finally MSL. Each new bureaucracy added more liability concerns and eventually, alcohol was just about the most dangerous material in existence.

We had to teach people to always wash their hands if it comes into contact with their skin. Remember, this is a product designed for the skin. We had to teach people not to smoke when they used it. We had to teach people not to drink it; if spilled, they were required to notify the clean-up team to take care of the spill. The technician never kept enough alcohol on the production floor to make spill cleanup a Haz-Mat issue.

What apparently mad all the difference was the fact that we were using it in a manufacturing setting.

Buying some chemicals will perhaps be a tad more difficult or require some additional paperwork, because sellers might fear a lawsuit and new regulations might be put into place that mandate the additional tracking.

In the United States, we are generally free to purchase most chemicals. Some of these chemicals might be also used for making drugs or explosives, but if we have a legitimate end use, I do not expect too many problems.

Some of you might be able to answer this question: What if you purchase something like Ferric Chloride (I buy this material so I will use it as an example) in large quantities and it is discovered that I (you, others) have a side business and using the chemical is part of business. What about the disposal issues?

The photo hobbyist is slightly more "free" to dump some chemicals down the sewer, but as soon as you become a "business" you, must follow a bunch of new regulations that apply to business and not to the hobbyist. Do fines await the occasional user that manages to sell the work product and therefore is a "business" that would be ignored if the user is just a hobbyist?

For the record, I do not dispose materials down the sewer.

Bob
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Received on Wed Feb 15 16:15:18 2006