More than 70 million gallons of metal-working fluids (MWFs) - the most complex material to evaluate and control for employee exposure purposes - are produced annually in the U.S. Other generic classes of materials such as welding fumes, heated rubber and plastic, and some solvent-based paints also are complex. But MWFs hold the top spot, mostly because their composition is constantly changing.
The only way to effectively deal with the health risks from MWFs is by taking a comprehensive approach to preventing and controlling problems caused by the changing composition of the material. Consider what happens when a specific type of MWF is first put to use: