Abstract

In Québec, more than 150,000 workers are regularly exposed to organic solvents. Their flammability and toxicity as well as environmental protection are prompting companies to attempt to replace these products. It is in this context that new replacement products are appearing. This project attempts to produce a compendium of knowledge on three of these products: benzyl alcohol, propylene carbonate and ethyl lactate. These compendiums will take into account the occupational health and safety, environmental, and technical aspects necessary in evaluating their use as substitutes for traditional solvents. They will be intended mainly for industrial hygienists, industrial physicians, other occupational health and safety specialists, and companies that can refer to them to carry out an actual substitution project. Six monographs on an equal number of substitution products have already been produced by this team and published by the IRSST.