GHS For Canada

HOW DOES GHS AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

If you haven't heard already, in Canada there is going to be an integration of GHS (Global Harmonized System) with our current WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System).

This does not mean that WHMIS is going away. In Canada, we are merely integrating the missing components of GHS to our current standards. The updates include changes to classification rules, label requirements and safety data sheet (SDS) formerly Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Why are these changes taking place?
There are many reasons as to why all countries are adopting GHS. One of these is to ensure consistency between countries and allow for smaller nations that cannot afford their own standards to be able to adopt these standards for safety. There are also easier to understand symbols in GHS. To let the users of the products know how to safely handle materials, a more user friendly system has been adopted. It was found that even after training on WHMIS many would not remember what WHMIS symbols and classifications meant. By adopting a 'household' symbol style, classification should be easier to recognize.

What are the benefits of GHS?
The basic goal of hazard communication is to ensure that employers, employees and the public are provided with adequate, practical, reliable and comprehensible information on the hazards of chemicals, so that they can take effective preventive and protective measure for their health and safety. Thus, implementation of effective hazard communication provides benefits for governments, companies, workers, and members of the public.

What must change to meet GHS?
Most of these changes will occur on the end of the supplier. It is your supplier's responsibility to review classifications, have up-to-date SDSs and labels that adhere to the new policies for the products which they provide. We will outline in a later post what these labels and SDSs need to include to comply with the new standards.

In Canada, as an employer, your responsibilities to educate and train workers on hazardous materials regularly, ensure those materials are properly labelled and stored, prepare workplace labels and have up-to-date SDS (MSDS) available do not change.

Revised training from WHMIS to GHS standards will be necessary. If you have your own in house training 

program, slight modifications may be necessary to meet the new standards. If you purchase your WHMIS training system from your supplier or a third party, such as the WHMIS training course through Corporate Chemicals & Equipment, it is that party's responsibility to have the course up-to-date for your training needs.

When does this come to effect?

In the US, most companies have completed their changes to meet the GHS standards. In Canada, complete implementation needs to be done by May 2015. In this time suppliers may be updating their labels and MSDS (SDS)s to meet these standards. Having these newer labels and SDSs does not violate current WHMIS standards and adopting them earlier is encouraged as to meet the May 2015 deadline.

Next Steps.

As a business or employer, consult with your chemical supplier on how to start making the changes if they haven’t already approached you on it. They should have a plan in place. If they do not have a plan, you may want to consider a new supplier. Also continue the discussion here, on LinkedIn under our Corporate Chemicals & Equipment company page or on Twitter @CorpChem #GHS.

Microfiber for Cleaning. Is premium worth the added cost.

As a distributor I have to do my best to serve all markets.  As a manufacturer I am forced to service the most viable markets.  Microfiber is without a doubt one the most challenging markets that I am forced to compete in on a daily basis.  Some products are made to the most rigid of expectations.  Others are built with economy in mind.  Here is the rub.  Why should the Customer buy a cloth for $2.50 when they can get as many as 6 cloths at a chain store for the same money?  I can and have said these words hundreds of times.  You get what you give.  If you give 35 cents you will get similar return on your investment.  Likewise in the other direction.

Of course there will always be arguments that offer good reasoning.  "I lose nearly 50% of my microfiber due to pilferage over the year."  Or...  "Why would I buy premium products when I don't have the budget to supply all staff with enough microfiber to do their job?"  The value proposition is yours to decide and to justify.

But here is my logic.  When you buy premium product you can be assured of 300-700 washes before replacement,  while a low cost alternative might be only useful for 50 washes. You can most certainly guarantee better efficacy with premium cloths.  Use cost will be lower when you buy premium.  But results are absolutely #1.  Education, Healthcare and related fields do need to pay attention to this.  Ironically, they have been.  The focus on low cost alternatives will always be a reality in public bids.  Fortunately most buyers can justify the investment in "The Good Stuff". 

Where do I see Green Chemistry in 5, 10, 20 years?

When I entered the Jansan industry in 1985 the beginnings of the sustainability movement were already under way.  Almost every industry insider knew that ortho dichlorobenzene was a known carcinogen.  D'limonene was a miraculous new solvent that could easily replace butyl solvents.  Now d'limonene is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions.  In the early 90's manufacturers made us aware nonyl phenols were known endocrine disrupters.
In the past 25 or so years I have noticed a natural progression towards what has become a cash cow for some companies.  Entire industries have developed as a result of market reaction.  Certainly there will always be manufacturers that develop products that fool consumers into the belief that they are purchasing products that are greener, safer and more gentle on the environment.  The reality is that consumer/user safety is the most important factor in the acquisition process.  Many consumers believe that a rubber stamp on the product that they purchase means that everything is ok....
In the late 90's biologicals became an even bigger part of Jansan chemistry with the addition of bacterial and enzyme products for cleaning and odor control.  In fact it was said at that time, that in some parts of the world 25% of all cleaning products contained enzyme additives.  These bacterial solutions have evolved well beyond the expectations of industry veterans.  Shortly after an oil spill it was discovered that specific bacteria thrived in the ocean in areas where oil was nearly non existent. Just a few years ago a strain of bacteria was discovered that had effective biological activity in the presence of plastics and their additives.
What's next?  We all have our suspicions.  But here is the good news!  The likelihood of there being toxins present in these new cleaning compounds is significantly greater than it was just a few years ago.  The moral of the story is....
The revolutionary chemistry of today is the everyday cleaning solution of tomorrow.  And that is the reality of the free market economy.  Safer products shouldn't mean additional costs.  Third party approval agencies offer the consumer a guarantee.  For this guarantee the end user must accept that products will cost more.  My two cents worth...  If you purchase your cleaning products from a trusted source.  You shouldn't have to pay more for safer technology and biodegradability.

What is the most overlooked product in the Canadian Sanitation industry?

Toilet seat covers?????
How can toilet seat covers make a difference in your facility?
Toilet seat covers will accomplish two things.

#1 They will cut down toilet paper consumption. How? The average washroom user will use 13 feet of toilet tissue to protect themselves on a toilet seat.

#2 They will make your facility look better. How? The small pieces of toilet tissue that are left on the ground after patrons visit your public restroom will not be there!
All things considered ….

You will provide your guests with a more sanitary environment.

You will save money on toilet tissue. At an average cost of 1.8 cents per toilet seat cover. You will save 4.5 cents per patron on toilet tissue.

The environment will experience a great deal less abuse. Less paper will make it’s way into municipal water treatment.

Our suggestion is:
Buy one starter pack of toilet seat covers with a free dispenser. See the results for yourself. We know you will see very quickly why toilet seat covers are so common in other parts of the world.

H1N1 Reality is here. Pandemic Declared! How do I deal with it?

Stay home when you are sick: Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Stay home when you are sick.

2. Staff who appear to have flu-like illness should be sent to a room separate from others until they can be sent home. CDC recommends that they wear a surgical mask, if possible, and that those who care for ill students and staff wear protective gear such as a mask.

3. Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette: The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

4. Routine cleaning: Staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

5. Early treatment of high-risk students and staff: People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible.
Consideration of selective closurel: Although there are not many businesses where all or most staff are at high risk (for example, schools for medically fragile children or for pregnant students) a community might decide to dismiss such a school to better protect these high-risk students.

Simple Steps to protect yourself, co-workers and your family.

Have infection control plans in place.
Have plenty of instant sanitizer avail able.
Have disinfectant wipes, disinfectant, safety glasses, gloves and masks available.
Wipes: Clorox or Virox Wipes
Masks: N95 or N98 masks.
Instant Sanitizer: Alcohol Based is preferred.
Disinfectants must have an Influenza A claim to be considered effective

The Custodial Closet

Custodial managers should pay close attention to the custodial closets within the facility. Cleanliness, storage options, layout and supplies all play a significant role in the effectiveness of the cleaning crew.

Watch for:
1. Multiples of the same product Are managers purchasing too much?
2. Varying brands of the same product This may cause confusion among cleaners.
3. Cleanliness Messy and unorganized closets become a safety issue and can take workers longer to organize materials necessary for cleaning tasks.
4. Equipment quality –Cleaning will not be effective if the equipment that is used is dirty itself. Overfull vacuums emit dust back into the air, dirty cloths spread bacteria and can leave a film on surfaces, torn squeegees leave streaks, etc.
5. Product information – Post MSDS and other safety/training materials in each cleaning closet so it can be accessed by staff.
6. Consistency – Make sure each cleaning closet within the facility is laid out the same. Doing so creates consistency for staff.

Oxo-Degradeable Plastic- What is the real truth?

When it comes to discarding waste, we are becoming more aware of the hazards and negative impacts of traditional means of disposal with each passing day-namely, plastic garbage bags. The best attributes of plastic – tensile strength and durability have also become its downfall. Quite simply, traditional plastic garbage bags, due to their long lifespan in landfills, have created more litter. As a result, plastic as we know it has needed to evolve, and it has in the form of Oxo-biodegradable Plastic. This minor alteration of traditional plastic has been developed to create a plastic product having the property of high tensile strength yet at the same time have the means to degrade to simple, safe organic materials when its time of utility is over.

Oxo-biodegradable technology produces a plastic product with equivalent performance characteristics as its conventional counterpart, is extremely cost competitive, and allows for programmable degradation. This results in a product that will totally and harmlessly disintegrate in multiple environments, commencing at a predetermined time such as from 6 months to 5 years. By comparison, traditional plastic garbage bags may remain in landfills for upwards of 50 years!
Reverte™ is an example of a product line of resin additives producing a controlled and safe oxo-biodegradable effect to standard polyethylene and polypropylene products. Reverte™ causes plastic to oxo-biodegrade until it becomes only CO2, H20 and biomass. It does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil and the additional product cost is minimal, since only a small amount of additive is required (generally 1%) and existing manufacturing equipment and processes are used without modification. Furthermore, Oxo-biodegradable garbage bags provide the following advantages vs. Traditional:

-Programmable and controlled degradation
-Avoids the emission of methane
-Fully compatible with our recycled raw materials
-Degrades in any environment
-Requires no fertilizers, pesticides or water
-Won't hurt forestland and reduce biodiversity

As you know, at Corporate Chemicals and Equipment, we take great pride in being at the forefront of the Environmentally Preferable Products Movement, and we will continue to educate and encourage our clients to make responsible choices whenever they are available. We appreciate your openness to what we have to offer and we hope you will consider choosing Oxo-Biodegradable Garbage Bags for your business needs. To those of you who have already made the switch-thank you.

Want to arrange a trial of Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Bags for your facility? Please speak with a Corporate Chemicals Team Member right away to get started.