What to Know about Safety Data Sheets (SDS) - Including Lubricants!

LUBRICANT RECEPTION & STORAGE

- Bennett Fitch

More about this ASCEND Factor

Factor: R3P-Lubrication Safety Practices: 

Level: Platform(P)

Stage: Lubricant Reception And Storage

About: Lubrication safety practices involve the proper storage and marking of lubricants, as well as safety equipment.

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For many of us, getting oil or grease on our hands may seem harmless. In fact, the inconvenience of the mess it makes is usually considered more than the health and safety factors.

But certain types of lubricants, especially in larger quantities, can pose significant concerns to our health and the environment when not managed correctly. Many have been made more aware of this with media attention in recent years, but there have been actions taken to communicate the impact and safety measures of lubricants for over a century. These are written and provided in a document called a Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

If the lubricant is spilled, how should it be cleaned up, and with what materials?

How should the lubricant be disposed of properly?

What type of personal protection (masks, gloves, etc.) should be used when handling the lubricant?

Questions like these are a few examples of what is answered by the Safety Data Sheet. Lubricants are just one of the many kinds of substances that are required to have Safety Data Sheets provided by the manufacturer and easily accessible anywhere they are used, stored or otherwise possibly exposed to humans or the environment. For anyone who has worked in an industrial environment, particularly in maintenance, the availability and purpose of these documents are a routine reminder as part of safety trainings. Nevertheless, many of the key aspects of these documents remain unclear to those who handle these lubricants. And for anywhere where exposure is a more frequent occurrence, like when adding grease or oil to a machine, this is particularly important.