Caustic Soda Handling Procedure 6z3p21

Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure

SAFE HANDLING OF CAUSTIC SODA (SODIUM HYDROXIDE)

Contents 1. OBJECTIVE

2

2. SCOPE

2

3. DEFINITIONS

3

4. REQUIREMENTS

3

5. VERIFICATION

7

6. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

7

7. REFERENCES

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure

1.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this standard is to set requirements for the safe handling of caustic soda (= sodium hydroxide) in order to assure an appropriate level of protection of personnel. Mandatory is:    

2.

To train all personnel potentially exposed to caustic soda regularly how to handle caustic soda safely, how to use PPE and how to deal with caustic soda exposure (documented); To provide personnel with possible caustic soda exposure with the appropriate PPE, at least chemical splash resistant safety goggles and chemical resistant gloves; To apply media coding, safety signs, first aid instructions at places of possible caustic exposure; To have safety showers and eyewash fountains operational (regularly inspected and tested) at places with risk of severe caustic exposure;

SCOPE

The standard applies to all storage, handling, use and discharge of caustic soda (= sodium hydroxide or NaOH) or abbreviated to caustic. Caustic soda is used: - in water treatment as neutralisation agent, regenerant of cation exchangers as 2%-5% solution; - in process installations as cleaning agent as 1% - 3% solution; - in process installations as deep cleaning as 2 – 5% solution - in the regeneration of PVPP as 2% solution; - in kegs and bottle cleaning as 2% - 3% solution; - in wastewater treatment for pH control as 5 % - 10% solution; So caustic soda can be found in many places in the Production Unit (brewery, soft drink plant or cider mill). The caustic soda is supplied and stored in concentrated form: - as solid in bags (flakes, pellets, granules) as 98% NaOH - as liquid of 30% - 50% NaOH .The caustic soda is generally diluted to the concentration at the Production Unit. The exposure of caustic soda to personnel can take place: - reception of caustic soda from supplier (truck unloading) - preparation of caustic soda solutions at desired concentration (especially manual dilution) - intervention in process installations containing caustic soda (trouble-shooting, maintenance, sampling) - unintended exposure due to failing equipment (caustic soda sprays due to leakage) or wrong preparation - with waste caustic soda e.g. in sewer system (overflow)

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure

3.

DEFINITIONS

Sodium hydroxide

Solid sodium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide solution IBC PVPP PPE

4.

Chemical substance with chemical formula NaOH. A white non-combustible solid. In with water, it will generate substantial heat. The solid and its solutions are corrosive. NaOH is odourless, so does not provide a warning of hazardous concentrations. It can cause severe burns in all tissues, in particular eyes. EC nr 215-185-5 CAS nr 1310-73-2 Sodium hydroxide has not been classified for carcinogenic effects. Can be in the form of flakes or pellets with 98% NaOH Trade solution between 30 - 50wt% NaOH solutions between 1 - 10% NaOH Intermediate Bulk Container Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone used for beer stabilisation Personal Protective Equipment

REQUIREMENTS

4.1. GENERAL The Manager of the Operating Unit is responsible:        

To comply with the prevailing legislation on the storage, handling, use and discharge of caustic soda; To train personnel on the dangers of caustic soda, preventive measures; To make all necessary PPE and clothing available to personnel working with caustic; To have procedures in place when working with caustic soda; To investigate caustic soda incidents and accidents to review and improve procedures; To display first aid instructions at high risk areas; To mark all caustic soda lines with medium coding : fluid and concentration; To have safety showers / eyewash fountains operational (inspections !) in places where with caustic soda can arise;

4.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF CAUSTIC SODA EXPOSURE The extent of toxicity due to caustic exposure is determined by several factors:  duration of ,  ability to penetrate human tissues,  caustic concentration,  caustic temperature and  volume of exposure; Human tissue exposed to an alkaline compound results in tissue penetration of hydroxide (OH-) ions, causing liquefactive necrosis. Liquefactive necrosis is the dissolution of proteins, the destruction of collagen, fat saponification, cell membrane emulsification, transmural thrombosis and cell death. Tissue necrosis following exposure to caustic can occur in minutes. The longer the time, the greater the risk of increased area of necrosis.

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure Caustic soda is classified according to EU Regulation 1272/2008 (page 353): Concentration Risk Explanation > 5% C, R35

C = corrosive R35 = causes severe burns 2 – 5%

C R34

C= corrosive R34 = causes burns 0.5 – 2%

Xi R36/R38

< 0.5%

Xi = irritant R36 = irritating to eyes R38 = irritating to skin Human skin irritation test (EU Risk Assessment Report): 0.5% caustic : half of volunteers showed a skin irritation reaction within 1 hour 1% caustic : half of volunteers showed a skin irritation reaction within 30 minutes > 1.2 % caustic : likely corrosive properties to eyes (animal study) No skin irritation or corrosion has been observed (EU Risk Assessment Report)

The safety measures according to EU Regulation 1272/2008 (page 353) to be taken are: S (1/2) – 26 37/39 – 45  S1 = keep locked up  S2 = keep out of the reach of children  S 26 =In case of with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice  S37 = Wear suitable gloves  S38 = In case of insufficient ventilation, wear suitable respiratory equipment  S39 = wear eye/ face protection  S45 = In case of accident or you feel unwell, seek medical advice immediately (show the label where possible) Inhalation of NaOH dust, mist or aerosol may cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. Mucous membrane irritation occurs at OSHA PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) of 2 mg/m3. Swelling or spasms of the larynx leading to upper-airway obstruction and asphyxia can occur after high-dose inhalation. Skin with solid sodium hydroxide or its concentrated solutions (> 5%) can cause severe burns with deep ulcerations. Burns appear soft and moist and are very painful. with concentrated solutions with any part of the body causes immediate pain and irritation within 3 minutes. with dilute solutions (< 2%) may not cause symptoms for several hours, but serious burns can result when not washed off quickly. Spilling sodium hydroxide over large areas of the skin may cause shock and even death. A serious eye exposure can result in blindness.

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure 4.3 RISK OF CAUSTIC SODA EXPOSURE AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES The risk of caustic exposure and resulting injuries can be calculated by: Risk = E (Effect or possible injury)* D (Duration or frequency of exposure) * P (Probability), e.g. using the Fine-Kinney method. E = Effect of possible injury, depends on  Concentration of the caustic solution  The surface area of skin affected (volume of caustic spilled)  Temperature of the caustic (hot or cold) D = Duration or frequency of the exposure  The time between caustic and skin  (Lack of safety provisions like safety shower or eye wash) P = Probability  Availability of Standard Operating Procedures  Training of personnel working with caustic  Presence of correct PPE, discipline to wear PPE  Presence of safety shower and eyewash  Presence of media coding on piping, safety signs  Pressurised caustic solution In the table below the preventive measures are given based on the risk per task. Task Risk Preventive measures Unloading of concentrated Spray, leakage through S Caustic storage tank with containment, hoses caustic in bulk connection, defective hose and valves in good condition, G Unloading procedure, training I Full face mask, safety suit, IBC, jerry can handling Splash, through S Labelling of chemicals as corrosive, containers defective closure, punctured in good condition container G Procedure for leaking containers I Safety goggles, safety gloves Handling bags with caustic Dust exposure by defective S Handling with minimum with bags pellets, flakes bag G I Safety goggles and safety mask Preparation of diluted caustic Mists, spattering, violent S Equipment designed to dissolve or dilute solutions, e.g. for deep eruption and overboiling caustic (mixing, slow addition) cleaning of brewhouse G Procedure for dissolving caustic equipment, pasteuriser I Safety goggles/full face mask, safety gloves Cleaning of process Leakage of valves, ts S Regular inspection installations/ lines (CIP) G Procedure in case of leakage (check with litmus paper) I Safety goggles, safety gloves Supervising water/ wastewater Leakage of valves, lines S Regular inspection treatment, PVPP G Procedure in case of leakage (check with regeneration, bottle washer litmus paper) I Safety goggles, safety gloves S = Preventive measures at the source G = General preventive measures I = Individual preventive measures

DILUTION OF CAUSTIC SODA Always add caustic soda to the water and never add water to the caustic soda. Mixing of caustic soda and water will cause the liquid to rise in temperature. Careful addition of the caustic to the water ensures dissipation of the heat of dissolution into the liquid. Always use lukewarm water (25 – 38 C), never start with cold or hot water. If water is added to the caustic, or the caustic soda is added too quickly, a rapid temperature increase can occur causing the formation of dangerous mists, spattering, boiling or an immediate violent eruption. These conditions can result is severe bodily injury.

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure CAUSTIC SPILLS Do not discharge caustic spills into sewer systems, onto the ground or open waters. Try to contain the spill, slowly neutralise the contaminated area with diluted acid, preferably acetic acid. Drain and properly dispose off the neutralised solution, in accordance with local environmental regulations.

4.4 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT The minimum to wear are:  safety goggles close fitting, protecting eyes from all sides and  chemical protective gloves. Chemical splash goggles according to ANSI Z87.1 or EN 166-1B:

Chemical resistant gloves (neoprene, nitrile or latex) according to ANSI 105 or EN374:

Effective use of proper PPE to protect the skin may reduce the external exposure with 90%. In contrary, improper PPE can result in increased absorption through the skin. Additional protective equipment is required when dealing with concentrated caustic solutions, risk of substantial exposure, emergency situations:  transparent face shield  chemical protective safety boots  chemical protective full body suit : coat over pants and pant legs over the boots  preferably an additional person in the direct vicinity is recommended Assure that large volumes of water are available for first aid, through safety showers and eyewash fountains (continuous flow and low pressure). The safety showers and eyewash fountains must be easily accessible and operational. The safety shower and eyewash should be reachable within approx. 10 seconds. After with caustic soda, never touch your eyes or skin with the gloves that have been contaminated with caustic soda. Wash out your PPE after usage. Never breath dust, mist which may cause irritation to the upper respiratory tract. Never enter tanks or containers which could contain caustic soda e.g. after cleaning. If entry is necessary, drain the tank and flush it thoroughly with water prior to entry, To be sure, test the pH before entering

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Rules, Standards & Procedures

Safety Procedure FIRST AID: In all cases the caustic soda must be removed as quickly as possible by washing with water only. Serious permanent injury can occur in seconds. If wearing goggles, do not remove till washing out has been completed (splashes can contaminate the eyes). Water is the only accepted method for the removal of caustic soda. Do not use soap and do not neutralize caustic soda with chemicals. Seek medical help immediately while continuing washing if possible. Eye :  Wash eyes immediately and continuously with plenty of water for at least 30 minutes, while holding eyelids open and rolling eyes back and forth  Call immediately a doctor and continue flushing until the doctor advises to stop Skin  Do not remove the chemical goggles  Immediately shower with large volumes of water for at least 30 minutes  Remove contaminated clothing and shoes while showering  Remove chemical goggles last to keep caustic from washing into the eyes  Call immediately a doctor and continue flushing until the doctor advises to stop  Do not apply oils, lotions or acids to the burned area  If the person goes into shock, make sure the person is laying down and kept warm until the doctor arrives  If you help a person, use PPE to protect yourself  Do not pull shirt over the head (cut it off) as this could transfer caustic in the eyes or airways.

5.

VERIFICATION

The following documents have to be present (e.g. in case of an internal or external audit):    

6.

Standard Operating Procedures for acceptance, storage, handling, use and discharge of caustic; Training material and records for safe handling of caustic; Safety shower, eye wash and Safety Data Sheet where a reasonable risk of caustic exposure exists; Media coding and safety signs at appropriate places

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE

The measures shall be implemented as soon as possible.

7.

REFERENCES    

EU Regulation 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directive 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC and amending Regulation 1907/2006 Council Directive 2006/102/EC on classification, labelling, packaging of dangerous substances See MSDS and safety instructions of your caustic supplier or e.g. Liquid Caustic Soda : safe handling and first aid (DOW Chemical Company) European Union Risk Assessment Report : Sodium Hydroxide

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