This document discusses hazards and safety considerations for dry cleaning operations. It covers fire hazards from flammable solvents, static electricity, and improper equipment and storage. It also addresses toxicity hazards from chlorinated solvents. The document provides information on equipment, materials, and types of dry cleaning operations.
This document discusses hazards and safety considerations for dry cleaning operations. It covers fire hazards from flammable solvents, static electricity, and improper equipment and storage. It also addresses toxicity hazards from chlorinated solvents. The document provides information on equipment, materials, and types of dry cleaning operations.
This document discusses hazards and safety considerations for dry cleaning operations. It covers fire hazards from flammable solvents, static electricity, and improper equipment and storage. It also addresses toxicity hazards from chlorinated solvents. The document provides information on equipment, materials, and types of dry cleaning operations.
This document discusses hazards and safety considerations for dry cleaning operations. It covers fire hazards from flammable solvents, static electricity, and improper equipment and storage. It also addresses toxicity hazards from chlorinated solvents. The document provides information on equipment, materials, and types of dry cleaning operations.
Dry cleaning is a process of cleaning textiles with Dry cleaners are further broken down by the solvents they use, including solvents generally classified as “petroleum” such as Stoddard solvent and solvents, rather than detergent and water. The other combustible hydrocarbon solvents, or “synthetic” such as textiles are cleaned by chemical agitation in a Perchloroethylene (also known as PERC, tetrachloroethylene, no-aqueous solvent bath, rinsed, spun to remove tetrachloroethene, carbon dichloride, and ethylene tetrachloride). Approximately 75% of dry cleaners use PERC and 23% use petroleum excess solvent and then tumbled dry in warm air. solvents. A small number (2%) use an alternate synthetic solvent known as triflouorotrichloroethane (Fluorocarbon 113).
Equipment Dry cleaning operations may use various types of equipment, such as: Hazards Associated with Dry Cleaning Operations • Boilers • Extractors • Compressors • Tumblers FIRE • Spotting boards • Solvent re-claimers • Presoaking tanks • Solvent storage tanks • Flammability of petroleum based solvents, like Stoddard solvent. • Dry cleaning units • Drying cabinets -- Stoddard solvent is defined as petroleum – based distillate, clear and free from suspended matter, undissolved water, and has a Materials rancid and objectionable odour. Flash point is between 37.8ºC (100ºF) and 60ºC (140ºF). This makes it a Class II Combustible Liquid. Other materials used with cleaning operations also include: • Improper electrical wiring of equipment and plant, and • Dry cleaning solvents, water based and solvent based spotting overloading of circuits. agents and bleaches. • Failure to maintain solvent temperatures at no less than 11.1ºC • Steam heated presses of various shapes and sizes, steam air (20ºF) below their flash points. forms, puff irons, ironing boards with steam and electric irons. • Unsafe storage of solvent, chemicals and spotting agents. • Wet cleaning washers. • Failure to instruct employees in, and to make routine inspections of, fire prevention practices and the use of fire extinguishing equipment. Types of Operations • Static electricity, sparking from metal objects and ignition of The dry cleaning industry includes three types of firms: commercial, matches left in clothing can also be hazards in the dry cleaning industrial, and coin-operated. operations using petroleum – based solvents because of the There are two distinct types of commercial dry cleaning operation: movement of material within the machinery. • Large plants that do the cleaning for owned or independent • Heavy fire load consisting of clothing either cleaned or waiting to receiving stations (i.e retail store fronts). be cleaned. • The dry cleaning service operates its own receiving station on the premises. • Static electricity, sparking from metal objects and ignition of Type II Dry Cleaning Plants FIRE
matches left in clothing can also be hazards in the dry cleaning Location and construction operations using petroleum – based solvents because of the • Dry cleaning operations shall not be performed in the same movement of material within the machinery. building with other occupancies. • Heavy fire load consisting of clothing either cleaned or waiting to • The building shall be accessible from at least one side for fire be cleaned. fighting and shall not be closer than 3.1m (10 feet); to the • Flammable packaging materials, plastic bags, etc. adjoining property line. Walls must be non-combustible (at least). • Acceptance of clothing that may be soaked or covered with • Dry cleaning and tank storage rooms shall not be located below flammable liquids. Clothing such as coveralls or uniforms typically grade or above any other storey. worn by automobile mechanics or oil field workers may be heavily • The dry cleaning room shall be separated from other related covered with flammable and combustible liquids. As this clothing operations by at least two hour fire partitions. is subject to spontaneous combustion when left lying around for • Dry cleaning rooms must have at least two doors as a means of even a short period, operators should have a process in place to exiting; they must be located at the opposite ends of the room, at properly identify, tag and process these items immediately. If it is least one of which leads directly outside. not possible to begin the cleaning process right away, the clothing • Electrical equipment and wiring shall be designed for Class I, should be kept in a metal can with a tight fitting lid. This way if the Division 2 locations. clothing does ignite, it will self-extinguish in the can. Storage tanks • Toxicity of chlorinated synthetic solvents, such as PERC. TOXICITY
• Solvent storage tanks must be installed and constructed as
-- Although it is a non-flammable liquid, it does give off toxic vapours outlined in NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. at normal temperatures and, if exposed to excessive heat such as that • Solvent storage tanks shall be underground or outside above produced by open flames, hot surfaces, etc., breaks down to form phosgene and other poisonous gases and corrosive gases. ground, except up to two tanks with a maximum capacity of 5,678 litres may be located inside a dry cleaning room. Phosgene was used as a chemical weapon in Word War one. It is colourless, but can appear as a white or yellowish haze when Fire protection released into the air due to refraction of light. In low concentrations, • A building housing a dry cleaning room must be completely its odour resembles recently cut hay. protected by a sprinkler system. • At least two 10BC portable fire extinguishers are required near the • Poor housekeeping, lint, and trash accumulation and a lack of doors in a dry cleaning room. OTHER
general cleanliness. • Failure to properly operate and maintain equipment, especially For full information steam boilers, compressors, tumblers and finishing equipment. Due to environmental and health risk concerns, the Government of Canada has developed regulations pertaining to the use and handlingof Safeguards Necessary to Control the Hazards PERC. For additional information, Environment Canada has the The class of solvent used governs the location and design, the complete Compliance Guide for Dry Cleaners available on its web site. ventilation, electrical and equipment requirements, the fire control measures required, and the construction of a dry cleaning plant. The U.S. National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has established CHECKLIST FOR DRY CLEANERS USING PERC categories based on the flammability of the solvent used in their Standard for Dry Cleaning Plants (NFPA 32). These are: Dry Cleaning Facility Systems using solvents with a flash point less than 37.8ºC such as naptha • PERC, waste water, and residue stored in closed containers. TYPE I (f.p. 10ºC). These systems are now prohibited by the “Standard for Dry • No spotting agent that contains PERC. Cleaning Plants”. • PERC resistant floor drain plugs are readily available. • Containers, tanks, or dry cleaning machines containing PERC, waste water, TYPE II Systems using solvents with a flash point at or above 37.8ºC but below 60ºC. or residue are stored within a secondary containment system.
TYPE III Systems using solvents with a flash point at or above 60ºC but below 93.4ºC. Dry Cleaning Machines • No transfer machine or self-service machine. TYPE IV Systems using solvents with a flash point at or above 93.4ºC. • Must be equipped with an integral refrigerated condenser and an integral Systems using non flammable solvents with cleaning equipment not PERC water separator. TYPE V operated by the general public. • No vent to the atmosphere during the washing, extraction, drying and aeration cycles. Systems using non flammable solvents with cleaning equipment being • No carbon absorbers as the primary vapour control device. TYPE VI operated by the general public. Most commonly these would be • Must be a closed direct-coupled delivery system for PERC delivery. coin-operated machines. • The manufacturer’s design rating for PERC consumption is equal to or less than 6.2 L (or 10 kg) PERC/100 kg of clothing cleaned (for machines installed after July 31, 2003). As Type I is prohibited, the remainder of these safeguards pertain to the second most hazardous type of operation from a fire protection Secondary Containment System standpoint, the Type II operation. For additional information on Type II • Impermeable to PERC. and the remaining four types, please refer to the following sources: • Encompasses at least the entire surface under each dry cleaning machine, tank, or other containers containing PERC, waste water, or residue. • NFPA 32 – Standard for Dry Cleaning Plants. • Capable of containing at least 110% of the capacity of the largest tank or • NFPA 90A and 91 – Ventilation and Electrical Equipment. container within the containment system. • NFPA 30 – Flammable & Combustible Liquids Code. 20186 (08/17)
