New Chemical Exposure Regulations for Canada

Are you operating a vapor degreaser in Canada with nPB?  The solvent n-propyl bromide, also known as “nPB” or 1-Bromopropane is going to be subject to more strict operator exposure limits in Canada in areas like Ontario.  On August 2, 2017, the Ontario Ministry of Labour stated that the occupational exposure limit recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for nPB of 0.1 PPM will be effective January 1, 2018 (https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/resources/notices.php).

A huge proportion of Canada’s manufacturing sector industries such as auto-making, food and beverage, fabricated metals. etc is concentrated in Ontario. Approximate 39% of Canada's GDP originates from the Ontario industrial sector.  Therefore, it is highly likely that many advanced manufacturing companies in Canada will be affected by this new rule, even though it is only a provincial requirement at this time. An unusual feature of this rule-making effort is the rules are scheduled to become effective very quickly, in less than six months, suggesting the government is moving with an unexpected sense of urgency. Companies in Canada have less than five months to review the applications where nPB is being used, identify possible alternatives, test and validate a new choice, and then commercially integrate the new cleaning fluid into their manufacturing process. Additionally, for companies using the products on this list of amended materials, new air sampling requirements have been proposed. These proposals include a requirement for employers to establish procedures for determining the airborne concentrations of these chemical substances and thereby monitoring worker exposure to these substances and their possible health hazards.

Miller-Stephenson has foreseen the pending phase-out of solvents such as nPB and TCE for several years and has engineered specialty cleaning fluids designed to offer optimal cleaning efficiency, direct "drop-in" alternatives, and significantly improvements to worker safety, emission, and global warming potential.  Miller-Stephenson is unique in world of critical cleaning and vapor degreasing - We offer numerous alternatives to nPB and TCE which all significantly exceed the required air-quality regulations.  Combine this with our team of technical experts and on-site implementation engineers, and we offer the complete solution to help your company make the best choice of replacement solvents with the time available. Our highest performing, and most future-looking solvent system is Opteon SF-79.  This product combines exceptional solvency, high cleaning efficiency, ultra-low global warming potential and a high TLV (Threshold limit value). Our other specialty fluids may better fit your current process better, please see the partial list below

• Vertrel™ MCA
• Vertrel™ SDG
• Vertrel™ SFR
• Vertrel™ SMT

Miller-Stephenson – An Industrial Leader in Critical Cleaning

Miller-Stephenson started producing aerosols to clean electronics. Today, our mission has expanded to include cleaning answers that utilize the industry’s most innovative technologies. Miller-Stephenson has optimized clean solutions, and collaborates with equipment makers around the world. Customers can have cleaning studies with Miller-Stephenson fluids performed at no charge in our state-of-the-art applications laboratory. Our “best-practices” approach to critical cleaning makes Miller-Stephenson products more cost-effective than any competing technology. Lastly our product stewartship provides a complete solution, from choosing the right solvent through implementation with an emphasis on safety and environmental regulations.

Don't hesitate to call us, our technical staff and engineers are ready to help begin your transition, today.