Safety

the health and safety of every employee is critically important this guide will cover material hazards, safety standards and facilities best practices that will create a safe environment for you and your team material hazards two sources of material hazards are present in a lab using carbon's products liquid resins solvents liquid resins the liquid resins used in dls™ production are hazardous materials you must learn how to protect yourself and others when working with these materials liquid resins can contain the following chemical hazards health hazard harmful corrosive environment (non mandatory) acute toxicity health hazard carcinogen mutagenicity reproductive toxicity respiratory sensitizer target organ toxicity aspiration toxicity harmful irritant (skin and eye) skin sensitizer acute toxicity (harmful) narcotic effects respiratory tract irritant hazardous to ozone layer (non mandatory) corrosive skin corrosion/burns eye damage corrosive to metals environment (non mandatory) aquatic toxicity acute toxicity fatal or toxic sensitization the liquid resins used in dls™ production may cause sensitization osha (occupational safety & health administration – united states department of labor) defines a sensitizer as a chemical that causes a substantial proportion of exposed people or animals to develop an allergic reaction in normal tissue after repeated exposure to the chemical sensitization is an immune response some people are prone to a reaction, while others may never have a response there may not be immediate health effects, but repeated exposure can manifest in a reaction quite suddenly, even after years of exposure once you are sensitized, repeated reactions are usually a life long possibility, with even minute amounts of exposure walking into a lab prevention of sensitization can be achieved by following guidelines in safety data sheets and the measures outlined in this course for more information on sensitizers and their health risks, refer to your region’s health and safety regulatory body resin safety data sheets the safety data sheet (sds) provides details on the chemical composition of a resin, health and safety hazards, and indication of its flammability or combustibility the sds is your certified source for all safety information on resins an sds is included with every resin shipment make sure you know where the sdss are located in your production area refer to the safety data sheets for each resin for detailed information solvents the solvents used to clean liquid resins are also hazardous materials refer to solvent safety data sheets provided by the manufacturer that supplies your lab's solvent hazardous waste the liquid resins used in dls™ production and the solvents used to clean them are hazardous materials that require proper disposal follow local regulations and work with your compliance officer to determine the best methods of storage and disposal ( incineration is the preferred method ) generally there are three categories of hazardous waste disposal that you will require solid waste supplies contaminated with resin or solvent, such as paper towels, empty containers, and gloves liquid resin waste unused resin that must be disposed solvent waste soiled solvent no longer viable for use refer to the safety data sheet for each resin for detailed information personal safety standards exposure prevention guidelines ventilation no food or drink containment personal protective equipment (ppe) ventilation work in a well ventilated area or workstation at all times when working with resins and solvents no food or drink do not eat or drink while working in the lab containment keep contaminated clothing/items contained • check your lab coat frequently to make sure that it is clean • soiled items should be properly disposed of immediately personal protective equipment (ppe) wear appropriate ppe and change frequently as needed personal protective equipment (ppe) always wear ppe when working with liquid resin or uncured parts! carbon resins contain chemicals that are known sensitizers ppe will protect you from exposure to potential physical and health hazards tie back hair if you have long hair, tie it back to keep it out of your face and away from resins and solvents safety glasses safety glasses protect you from splashes of resin, solvent and ambient uv light lab coat lab coats protect you against accidental resin and solvent spills or splashes wear a clean, chemical resistant, flame retardant lab coat with elastic sleeve endings in the lab at all times gloves always wear gloves when handling liquid resin or uncured parts never touch liquid resin, clean or dirty solvents or unbaked parts with your bare hands pants long pants are required at all times in the production area make sure no skin is exposed between your lab coat and enclosed footwear closed toe shoes closed toe shoes protect your whole foot from spills leather and synthetic material shoes are preferred over fabric safety glasses carbon printers and the uv curing flood lamp systems emit a strong uv light that can damage your eyes while the hardware does have safety mechanisms in place to block uv light, overrides may be available and uv safety goggles are back up protection safety goggles also protect you from splashes of resin and solvent wear uv blocking safety glasses(z87+rating) whenever you are in the lab prescription safety glasses are recommended don’t use personal eyeglasses as your safety glasses unless they have a uv coating completely cover the front and sides of your eyes do not wear contact lenses when working with hazardous materials in an accident, the contact lenses could trap resin in your eye longer and make it more difficult to thoroughly clean lab coats lab coats protect you against accidental resin and solvent spills or splashes wear a clean, chemical resistant, flame retardant lab coat with elastic sleeve endings in the lab at all times lab coat options own and launder lab coats (recommended) carbon recommends having three lab coats per employee to facilitate cleaning once per week (1 for wearing, 1 for back up and 1 for laundry) if a coat is soiled, it is immediately removed, stored for laundering and replaced with a clean coat follow proper laundering protocol for industrial garments (opens in a new tab) laundering services may also be available in your area disposable coats do not use disposable coats for production work such as printing or washing parts these coats do not provide the needed chemical resistance disposable coats may be used for someone who is observing the printing process if resin gets on a disposable lab coat, it is contaminated and requires immediate change as well as proper hazardous disposal own and launder lab coats disposable coats gloves disposable gloves protect your hands from uncured resin and solvents always wear gloves when handling liquid resin or uncured parts never touch liquid resin, clean or dirty solvents or unbaked parts with your bare hands parts are safe to handle with bare hands after fully cured (secondary curing) pull gloves over the cuffs of the lab coat to cover all skin for maximum protection double gloving is recommended to increase safety the double layer of gloves increases safety by ensuring that when you need to switch out a soiled pair, the inner glove layer protects your bare skin as a soiled hands remove the outer layer this method also saves time in the lab because it is quicker to replace a pair of gloves over gloves than bare skin change gloves often to avoid cross contamination promptly remove and dispose of resin soiled gloves glove dispensing stations should be readily available in the lab to change your gloves often as soon as you finish a task with acetone, change gloves, which degrade gloves more quickly alternatively, use butyl or latex gloves additional personal protective equipment heat resistant gloves heat resistant gloves are necessary to remove pans, trays and parts from the oven cut resistant gloves cut resistant gloves may be used as an additional safe guard against cuts while removing parts from the platform razor safety during part removal parts need to be removed from the platform with a sharp razor manage cut hazards when using sharp tools your part may separate suddenly from the platform , causing the tool to accelerate forward or slip for this reason, always cut down and away from yourself while holding the platform firmly against the bench do not use blades as pry bars if you do cut yourself, remove your gloves immediately wipe any resin from your skin, and wash with soap and cold water for at least 10 minutes before bandaging the wound if the cut is serious, seek medical attention immediately dispose of blades in a sharps container, and treat areas exposed to blood as a biohazard that must be cleaned appropriately optionally, wear cut resistant gloves first aid measures inhalation move to an area with fresh air skin contact remove contaminated clothing wash hands with soap and cold water for 10 15 minutes eczema or skin disorders seek medical attention for any eczema or other skin disorders eye contact immediately flush eyes with water for 15 minutes ingestion rinse mouth and seek medical attention workplace safety standards lab safety equipment make sure each employee is properly trained to quickly locate and use the lab safety equipment in case of emergency first aid kit used for treating minor injuries fire extinguisher (abc or halon) the following classes of fire extinguishers are suitable abc halon carbon resins belong to the class b fire group, which includes other flammable liquids such as gasoline, petroleum oil and paint spill kit a set of items that aid in containing and cleaning chemical spills safety data sheets (sds) carbon sdss can be downloaded here for solvent and 3rd party material safety data sheets, refer to the manufacturer safety shower a safety shower washes chemicals off a person in the event of a chemical spill eye wash station in case of eye exposure to chemicals, used to rinse eyes can be a feature of a safety shower containment production areas should be clearly separated from common areas through physical boundaries (doors) or visual cues (tape or signs) boundaries clearly defined contaminated items and uncured parts remain in lab fully cured parts never re enter lab clearly label door handles for gloves or no gloves follow local regulations for hazardous waste disposal ensure all employees are trained in good chemical hygiene practices in order to prevent contamination of work surfaces, tools, equipment, etc surface contamination is a safety hazard, as it increases the likelihood of unintended chemical exposure clean zones in the production lab, most surfaces will come into contact with liquid resin or uncured parts ans should be considered a ppe work zone you may need to designate specific surfaces as clean zones that will be used for laptops or paper notebooks clean zone or glove free designated area to remain free of resin, such as a small rolling table or workstation to use equipment such as laptops no gloves (glove free zone), labeled clearly safety glasses and lab coat still required no chemicals, prints, solvents or other materials are allowed in this area ventilation proper ventilation is important to maintain a safe working environment below are some examples of equipment that can be used during part production compressed air cabinet ductless hood snorkel exhaust fume hood work surface protection utilize disposable lab materials to cover all work surfaces to maintain a clean and safe lab reference the accessories & supplies docid 95twe3ttl 5ihi6dnl4xi page for recommended product links absorbent mats cover the entire surface with an absorbent mat self adhesive absorbent mat (pig blue mats) recommended or absorbent mats (change frequently) tape the edges down with a vinyl duct tape to seal edges from liquids change the covering as necessary to maintain a clean work surface aluminum foil works well as a secondary covering each time you dispense resin and discard if resin spills onto the foil consistent cleaning consistently cleaning and wiping down equipment after use is key to containing contaminates small amounts of resin can slowly build up over time and lead to handles, buttons and surfaces that are coated in a thick layer of sticky resin we recommend keeping the following areas clean, using an ipa dampened towel or wipe when resin contact occurs platform handle cassette latch latches on the compressed air cabinet handles on the oven, uv cure equipment hand tools transfer trays any other surface that could spread resin platform handle cassette latch oven handles transfer trays monitoring you may want to appoint a designated safety officer who will be responsible for production area safety and monitoring this person would be responsible for making sure all employees are following your company’s established safety guidelines some areas to consider are as follows work area inspection monitor safety protocols hazardous waste handling and disposal procedures communication to the team on protocol, hazards found, etc training new employees on safety safety culture creating an environment that encourages team members to watch out for one another has several benefits builds team enforces safety maintains safe products and processes encourages accountability sets expectation of responsibility of protecting yourself and coworkers