Diesel Replacement Committee
History
In the past couple of years there have been three serious incidents resulting from the ignition of diesel vapour in asphalt plants causing severe burns and fatalities among workers. WorkSafeBC approached the Construction Safety Network, representing the B.C. road building industry with a request to strike up a committee responsible for finding an alternative product to replace diesel as a cleaning agent in asphalt plants. This committee was made up of industry representatives and was facilitated by the Construction Safety Network.
Issue
Diesel fuel was being used as a both a degreaser and release agent in asphalt plants as this was an accepted industry practice; however Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 5.32 – Manual Cleaning states “A flammable liquid must not be used as a manual cleaning solvent unless a thorough review of alternative solvents by the employer indicates that a suitable non-flammable substitute is not available.
In recent years many new alternative products have flooded the market that claim to have the same effect as diesel. It was the committee’s responsibility to research the products and poll industry in order to show that alternative products are available and are similar in cost and as effective as diesel.
Alternative Products
Disclaimer: The following list is not intended to be inclusive of all possible products that could be used as diesel replacements, nor should any Construction Safety Network endorsement or recommendation of products or manufacturers be implied. Responsibility for product selection remains with the consumer.
The committee was able to create a list of six products that have been tried and tested in industry. As stated, this list is not inclusive of all viable products that are available. Companies are welcome to try other alternatives as well.
The letter to industry and alternative product list was mailed out to all companies (approximately 150), which are registered in B.C. in the Classification Unit 723004, Paving Services or Asphalt Manufacture in mid November. The letter was sent to each company owner and Health and Safety person.
Letter to Industry Diesel Alternative Product List
WorkSafeBC
After April 30th, 2007, the practice of using diesel as a release agent or degreaser in asphalt plants will no longer be acceptable. WorkSafeBC will begin to encourage the use of alternative products and will eventually begin to inspect workplaces. If required they will write orders or may even recommend penalties for those companies still using diesel.
Thank You
The Construction Safety Network would like to thank Industry committee members as well as those companies who shared information during the research phase for their time and valuable experience. Thank you also to WorkSafeBC for dedicating resources to this cause.
Contact
Inquiries can be directed to Urvi Ramsoondar, Safety Advisor at the Construction Safety Network.
