Storage and Management of Chemicals in Dyeing and Printing Enterprises

Table of Contents

Xinhua News Agency, Dhaka, October 15 (Reporter Sun Nan) -- According to Bangladeshi media reports on the 15th, the death toll from the fire at a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, on the 14th has risen to 16.

The chemical warehouse where the fire broke out reportedly stored bleaching powder, plastic products, and hydrogen peroxide. The specific cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Fire trucks are parked near the fire scene at a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on October 15. Xinhua News Agency Photo (Habib Rahman)

The following is "Storage and Management of Chemicals in Dyeing and Printing Enterprises," compiled by Dyeing and Finishing Encyclopedia, for reference:

I. Chemical Storage Classification Principles

1. Separate Storage of Solids and Liquids:

Solid or powder chemicals (dyes or auxiliaries) must be stored separately from liquid chemicals (dyes or auxiliaries). For example, solid powder dyes must be stored separately from liquid auxiliaries to prevent moisture evaporation from the auxiliaries, which could cause the dyes to become damp, and to prevent leakage of liquid auxiliaries, which could contaminate the dyes.

2. Separate Storage of Acids and Alkalis:

Acidic chemicals and alkaline chemicals should be stored separately. For example, acetic acid and caustic soda.

3. Separate Storage of Oxidizing and Reducing Agents:

Oxidizing and reducing chemicals should be stored separately. For example, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hyposulfite should be stored separately.

4. Separate Storage of General Chemicals and Hazardous Chemicals:

The key here is to store and manage hazardous chemicals separately.

5. A chemical storage catalog and receipt, delivery, and storage records should be maintained for all chemicals.

II. Storage of General Solid Chemicals

Common solid chemicals used in printing and dyeing plants include dyes (including brighteners) and inorganic salts (such as sodium sulfate and soda ash).

Solid chemicals must be stored in a dry area to avoid moisture. Chemicals should not be placed directly on the ground; they should be stored on a platform 5-10 cm above the ground to facilitate collection and disposal of any spills. Cement platforms are generally suitable for this purpose.

III. Storage of Common Liquid Chemicals

Common liquid chemicals used in printing and dyeing plants primarily include various additives, including refining agents, degreasers, liquid soap detergents, softeners, and so on. These additives are generally non-hazardous, but they must be stored in a secondary container. What is a secondary container?

Secondary Chemical Containers

1. For liquid chemicals or chemicals prone to leakage, in addition to the product's primary packaging, they should be stored in a secondary container to prevent the spread of leaked chemicals.

2. Currently, there are no dedicated secondary chemical containers, but other seamless, open containers can be used as substitutes. However, the material selection of these alternative containers should be cautious.

3. Alternative secondary containers can be made of materials such as plastic, metal, and cement, but they must be protected from corrosion by leaking chemicals.

4. The capacity of the secondary container is generally required to be no less than 110%-150% of the volume of the stored liquid.

In summary, the purpose of a secondary container is to prevent the spread of leaked liquid chemicals and facilitate their collection. For large quantities of chemicals, cement tanks are recommended. For smaller quantities of liquid chemicals, open plastic containers can be used.

IV. Storage of Hazardous Chemicals

In principle, hazardous chemicals, such as hydrosulfite, hydrogen peroxide, and caustic soda, should be stored separately.

Storage areas for flammable hazardous chemicals should be equipped with fire extinguishers (the required hanging height of fire extinguishers is also regulated by national regulations), fire sand, and shovels, and prominent flammability signs should be posted.

Storage areas for corrosive hazardous chemicals should be equipped with eyewash stations. The water pressure in these eyewash stations is generally required to be at least 10-15 cm. Corrosive hazardous chemical warning signs should also be posted.

Storage areas for explosive hazardous materials should generally be locked and prominently marked with a prohibition on fireworks.

The management of precursor chemicals requires two people, two locks, and two locks. For example, hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of 27.5% or higher is considered a precursor chemical.

In principle, detailed records should be kept of the receipt and distribution of hazardous chemicals.

V. MSDS

All chemical storage areas must have chemical name labels and MSDSs. About MSDS:

The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), also known as the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), is a document used by chemical manufacturers and importers to describe the chemical's physical and chemical properties (such as pH, flash point, flammability, and reactivity) as well as potential health hazards to users (such as carcinogenicity and teratogenicity).

In European countries, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is also known as the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) uses the term SDS, while the United States, Canada, Australia, and many Asian countries use the term MSDS.

Before 2008, China used the term CSDS in the GBT16483-2000 standard. The revised 2008 standard, GBT16483-2008, "Material Safety Data Sheet - Contents and Order of Items," standardized the abbreviation with the ISO and uses the new term SDS.

The two abbreviations SDS and MSDS play exactly the same role in the supply chain, with only slight differences in content.