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April 16, 2024

According to Decree 280-2024 published on February 28, 2024, in the Gazette officielle du Québec, the amendment to the Appendix 1 of the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST, RLRQ, c. S-2.1, r. 13) will come into force on March 14, 2024. These regulatory changes have not yet been incorporated into the current Substance Data Sheets of the Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace. An update is currently underway and will be available as soon as possible. Consequently, the information contained in the data sheets of substances modified or added in Decree 280-2024 is partially inaccurate or incomplete. Please consult our infoLABO (in French only) for more details. Please contact our client service: [email protected] for further information.

Methyl alcohol

French name in the regulation: Alcool méthylique
CAS : 67-56-1
Synonyms: Carbinol; Methyl hydroxyde; Wood alcohol

Exposure Standards in RROHS regulation

Permissible exposure values (PEV)
ppm mg/m3 f/cc Notes
TWAEV 200 262 - -
STEV 250 328 - -
Ceiling - - - -
Simple asphyxiant Percutaneous
Minimum exposure Sensitizer
Prohibited use Prohibited recirculation
Carcinogenicity

TWA adjustment for unusual work schedules

IV : Daily or weekly adjustment ( the more stringent of the two)

CNESST – Toxicological Index Service

Consult REPTOX file: Methyl alcohol

Analysis:

Alcool méthylique

Method: IRSST - 92

Sampling device:
Sampling media required:
#IRSSTDescription
2140 Silica gel tube 150/75 mg

Parameters:
Flow rate: 0,1 L/min
TWA sampling volume: 3 L
STEL sampling volume: 1,5 L
Remarks: Methanol must be sampled specifically due to the sampling device used and a specific desorption solvent.

Principle: Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)
Precision (%): 6,7
Minimum reported value: 60 µg

IRSST. "Dosage du méthanol (67-56-1) dans l'air". Méthodes analytique. Méthode 92, Montréal, IRSST, 2008.

Alcool méthylique

Method: IRSST - 415

Sampling device:
Sampling media required:
#IRSSTDescription
2197 Anasorb 747 tubes (2) 400/200 mg in series

Parameters:
Flow rate: 0.05 L/min
TWA sampling volume: 3 L
STEL sampling volume: 0,75 L
Remarks: At the end of sampling, the front tube must be separated from the back tube to avoid migration. Reseal each end of the tubes. If the relative humidity is greater or equal to 50% at 25°C, the sampling volume can be increased to 5L. Additional information is also available in french in "consigne d'utilisation I-MAT-039". Methyl alcohol must be sampled specifically because of the sampling device used.

Principle: Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID)
Precision (%): 2,4
Minimum reported value: 20 µg
Remarks: However, simultaneous sampling and analysis of Isopropyl alcohol, Ethyl alcohol, sec-Butyl alcohol, n-Butyl alcohol, Isobutyl alcohol and n-Butyl alcohol is possible.

IRSST. Détermination des alcools prélevés sur tubes de charbon activé synthétique dans l'air (non publié)
Following the amendment of Appendix 1 of the Quebec Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST, RLRQ, c. S-2.1, r. 13), part of Quebec Occupational Health and Safety Act, which came into effect on March 26, 2020, the TWAEV, STEL and Ceiling values for certain substances are now expressed in ppm. For these substances, the IRSST performed the conversion calculations to express these TWAEV, TWA and Ceiling values in mg/m3, which thus appears in its Sampling Guide for Air Contaminants in the Workplace (Guide d'échantillonnage des contaminants de l'air en milieu de travail ) and the associated Substance Data Sheets. However, it is imperative to refer to the values expressed in the RSST which are legally binding.