Russ Johnson
Equipment Expert
A recent mishap has prompted me to remind all of you of the hazards involved in our industry.
A customer had Aluma Bright in an unlabeled container, and, in order to determine what it was, took a sniff, and ended up in the ER for HF inhalation treatment.
Another time, a customer had diluted Aluma Bright in a 409 spray bottle in his garage so he could get the brake dust off his wheels when he washed his personal car. His daughter decided to clean her car, and needed something to wipe down the interior with. She went in the garage and got the bottle of 409, sprayed it on the vinyl surfaces in her car, and wiped it with a rag held in an ungloved hand. Another trip to the ER.
Remember the guy in FL who put bleach in a pump sprayer that contained an acid residue, only to blow a hole in the roof he was cleaning?
Mis-labeled or unlabeled containers are asking for an accident. If the product you're using is put in a spray bottle, gallon jug, 5 gallon pail, or any container which is not the original, labels MUST be used to identify the contents. I can supply self-sticking labels for my products, but any relabeling will help, even writing the contents on the container with a Magic Marker. Keep MSDS and any first aid instructions handy in case of a problem. EMTs and emergency room personnel need to know what type of exposure they're dealing with.
And, don't smell or taste (yeah, I had one do that once, too...caustic burns on the tongue) unidentified substances to try to figure out what it is. It may not turn out well.
Please be careful.
A customer had Aluma Bright in an unlabeled container, and, in order to determine what it was, took a sniff, and ended up in the ER for HF inhalation treatment.
Another time, a customer had diluted Aluma Bright in a 409 spray bottle in his garage so he could get the brake dust off his wheels when he washed his personal car. His daughter decided to clean her car, and needed something to wipe down the interior with. She went in the garage and got the bottle of 409, sprayed it on the vinyl surfaces in her car, and wiped it with a rag held in an ungloved hand. Another trip to the ER.
Remember the guy in FL who put bleach in a pump sprayer that contained an acid residue, only to blow a hole in the roof he was cleaning?
Mis-labeled or unlabeled containers are asking for an accident. If the product you're using is put in a spray bottle, gallon jug, 5 gallon pail, or any container which is not the original, labels MUST be used to identify the contents. I can supply self-sticking labels for my products, but any relabeling will help, even writing the contents on the container with a Magic Marker. Keep MSDS and any first aid instructions handy in case of a problem. EMTs and emergency room personnel need to know what type of exposure they're dealing with.
And, don't smell or taste (yeah, I had one do that once, too...caustic burns on the tongue) unidentified substances to try to figure out what it is. It may not turn out well.
Please be careful.