Health and Safety

Anyone who works in graphic arts will eventually come in contact with ink. Both energy curable and conventional inks are potential skin sensitizers, which means a person can become allergic to certain components of the inks over a period of time. Most people never become allergic; however, because energy curable inks act as a penetrating liquid when spilled on skin or clothing, more attention must be paid to ink handling procedures and personal hygiene than with conventional inks.

Personnel Affected

• Ink Technicians
  • Press Operators and Helpers
  • When mixing inks
  • When thinning inks
  • When pouring inks into fountains
  • When cleaning the press
• Janitor
  • When handling contaminated rags
  • When cleaning up around presses

Precautionary Steps

The following precautionary steps should be followed by all personnel who come in contact with inks or solvents to reduce the possibility of becoming 'sensitized'.
 

• Personal Hygiene: Use soap and water for cleaning hands. A UV hand cleaner can also be used for this job. Do not, however, use a conventional waterless hand cleaner. The petroleum-based solvents not only dry the skin but also encourage skin absorption of industrial chemicals.

   

• Never eat when handling any type of ink or coating. Always wash hands before going on break or to lunch!

   

• Clothing: Always wear nitrile gloves, aprons and eye protection when working with energy curable inks. Since uncured ink never dries out, cloth gloves or aprons will not work

   

• NEVER WEAR CONTACT LENSES WHEN WORKING AROUND ANY INK OR SOLVENT

   

• Contaminated Clothing: Contaminated clothing should be removed and washed with lots of soap and water. Since energy curable inks do not dry out, clothing contaminated with these inks should be washed separately from other clothing.

   

• Shoes: Discard shoes contaminated with UV ink. Shoe covers are highly recommended since they are far cheaper to throw away than shoes.

   

• Housekeeping: Practice good housekeeping. All ink spills, leaks and contaminations should be cleaned up immediately with soap and water. Conventional inks may be cleaned up with solvent. Wear rubber gloves.

   

• UV Lamps: Superficial eye damage and burning of the skin can occur with even brief exposure to UV light. Serious injuries can result from prolonged exposure, especially if unshielded.

   

• Some UV lamps operate at very high temperatures (approximately 800° C). Never touch a lamp which has been in operation. Let the lamp cool before attempting any maintenance, and then use extreme care in handling the bulbs. Most bulbs contain a small amount of metallic mercury which is toxic when ingested, handled, or breathed. Therefore, if bulbs are broken, care should be taken to clean up the spill immediately.

   

• Ozone: Ozone is a toxic gas which all medium pressure UV lamps create. As the lamp warms up, it briefly passes through a section of the light spectrum which excites oxygen molecules enough to create ozone. Once a UV lamp has completely warmed up, only very minute amounts of ozone are present.

   

• Ozone has a very distinctive odor which smells somewhat like fresh air in very small quantities. Initial exposure to excessive amounts of ozone will result in dryness in the throat. Continued exposure, may cause a stronger sore throat, but more often will result in a headache and eventually nausea. Unlike carbon monoxide, which actually displaces oxygen in the blood, ozone poisoning is a more temporary situation. However, upon continued exposure, it can create a health problem due to severe irritation.

   

• Ventilation: All UV processors should be vented to the outside. Proper ventilation serves two useful purposes:
  • Small amounts of ozone emitted by the processor are immediately passed outside of the building where they are harmlessly dispersed.
  • The venting serves to remove excessive heat buildup in the lamp and printing area.

   

• Electron accelerators: Electron accelerators can produce stray electrons and x-rays which are biologically active and can cause severe burns and cell damage. For this reason, EB curing units are stringently designed to safely contain these elements.

First Aid

• Eyes: Flush with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical help! Advise doctor that material contains 'reactive monomers'.
• Skin: Wash well with bar soap or powdered soap. Do not use conventional waterless hand cleaner or organic solvents.
• Ink inhalation: Move to fresh air. Although UV inks are not volatile, if heating or misting occurs, a sensitive individual could experience an asthmatic or allergic reaction. Treat accordingly.
• Ozone Inhalation: Remove the affected person from the source. If they are nauseous, have a paramedic administer oxygen.

These guidelines have been developed with the assistance of raw material suppliers. Personal safety dictates that all affected employees strictly follow safety guidelines. For additional information, refer to the appropriate MSD Sheet.