OHS in Detergent and Cosmetics Manufacturing

Detergent manufacturing safety: start with a process map

In a detergent or cosmetics plant, neutralisation with caustic, enzyme powder blending, ethanol-based perfume preparation and aerosol filling with flammable propellant may all take place on the same day. That is why detergent manufacturing safety cannot be managed with a single chemical list; each process step has its own hazards. Start the risk assessment not from the product catalogue but from the route materials follow from the moment they enter the site until dispatch.

This table is the backbone of the risk assessment. Art. 6 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures for Work with Chemical Agents explicitly requires the assessment to cover non-routine work such as maintenance, repair, installation and decommissioning. Tank cleaning and line changeovers should therefore be added to the table as separate rows.

Corrosive raw materials: caustic, acids and hypochlorite

Raw materials for liquid detergents and cleaning products include strong corrosives such as sodium and potassium hydroxide, sulphonic acid, sulphuric acid and sodium hypochlorite. Eye contact with these can cause permanent damage; on the skin, deep burns can form before pain begins.

Three rules are decisive in raw material preparation:

1. Order of dissolving: Significant heat is released when solid caustic dissolves in water. Add caustic to water gradually while stirring; never the other way round. When diluting acids, too, the acid is added to the water.
2. Neutralisation rate: Neutralising sulphonic acid with caustic is an exothermic reaction. Tie the feed rate to the recipe, monitor the temperature and do not leave the vessel lid open during the reaction.
3. Incompatibility: Hypochlorite releases chlorine gas if mixed with an acid, and chloramine if mixed with an ammonia-based product. Hypochlorite and acid lines, tanks and filling equipment should be separated; shared hoses and containers should be washed at product changeover. For storage layout, see our article on chemical storage compatibility.

Surfactants and powder detergent

Surfactants are the components that give detergent its cleaning power. In concentrated form they irritate the eyes and skin; prolonged contact breaks down the skin's natural oils and paves the way for dermatitis. Chemical-resistant gloves and eye protection should be standard for operators working with concentrated product.

Powder detergent manufacturing involves two separate issues:

• Enzyme dusts: It has long been known in the detergent industry that protease enzyme dusts cause respiratory sensitisation and occupational asthma when inhaled. For this reason enzymes today are mostly used in dust-free granular or liquid form. Use closed transfer or local exhaust ventilation at bag emptying and weighing points; the workplace physician monitors employees in dusty work for respiratory complaints. For details, see our article on occupational asthma.
• Dust build-up: Dusts containing organic components can ignite when they form a dense cloud in the air. Tie dust build-up in ducts, filters and drying equipment to the cleaning programme; carry out the assessment using the steps in our article on dust explosion risk.

Entering equipment such as spray drying towers, cyclones and silos for cleaning or maintenance is confined space work; nobody enters without a permit to work, gas testing and a standby person.

Cosmetics manufacturing OHS: ethanol, fragrances and hot phases

From an OHS perspective, cosmetics manufacturing carries three risks that differ from detergent:

• Ethanol and solvents: Ethanol vapour used in preparing perfumes and lotions forms a flammable mixture with air. Areas where ethanol is weighed, transferred and mixed should be included in the explosive atmosphere assessment.
• Fragrances and preservatives: Some fragrance components and certain preservatives are skin sensitisers. List the substances whose safety data sheets carry the warning "may cause an allergic skin reaction" and link the glove rule to this list.
• Hot phases: In cream and emulsion production, the oil and water phases are heated and mixed. Transferring the hot phase and opening the homogeniser lid carry a burn risk.

During maintenance and cleaning of homogenisers and mixers, energy must be isolated, locked and tagged; you will find the steps in our article on LOTO lockout and tagout. Hygiene and good manufacturing practices in cosmetics protect the product; measures that protect the employee must be planned separately.

Aerosol filling: propellant and explosive atmospheres

Aerosol products mostly use flammable gases such as propane, butane or dimethyl ether as propellant. Aerosol filling is therefore the part of the plant with the highest fire and explosion risk.

• Separate filling room: The unit where gas is charged into the can should be in a section separated from the main production area, with mechanical ventilation.
• Gas detection: The filling room should have a flammable gas detector, with an arrangement that stops filling and increases ventilation in the event of an alarm.
• Equipment selection: Electrical and mechanical equipment used in zoned areas must be of the Ex category appropriate to the zone.
• Leak testing: A can may burst during leak testing of filled cans in a hot water bath; the bath should be operated with a protective cover and the operator should wear a face shield.
• Storage: Filled aerosol cans form a stock with a high fire load until dispatch; the storage area should be a separate heading in the fire plan.

The filling line: chemical splashes and machine risks

On the filling line, chemical and machine risks are intertwined:

• Nozzles and line changes: When a filling nozzle clogs or a hose is changed, pressurised product can splash. To reduce filling line chemical risk, write the line depressurisation step into the instruction.
• Cleaning in place: The caustic and acid solutions used to clean the line can be more corrosive than the product itself. Decide who will be at the line during cleaning and which protective equipment will be used.
• Entrapment points: Access to moving parts on capping, labelling and case packing machines should be prevented with guards. Reaching in by hand to straighten a fallen bottle while the line is running is the most common injury scenario. For guard types, see our article on machine guards.
• Repetitive movement: Stations where cases are packed and bottles fed by hand need rotation and adjustable working heights; we described the methods in our article on repetitive movements and assembly lines.

Training, labels and health surveillance

In detergent and cosmetics plants, many employees on filling and packaging lines think they work with the product, not the chemical itself. Yet concentrated product, cleaning solutions and leaking propellant are present on these lines too. In training, cover the following topics under job-specific risks, on site and hands-on:

• What the hazard pictograms and warning statements on the label mean; our article on chemical labels and pictograms offers a starting point.
• Which raw materials must not be mixed with which, and why.
• What to do first in a splash, spill or gas leak; the location of the eyewash and spill kit.
• Rules on ignition sources in aerosol and ethanol areas.

In health surveillance, the workplace physician separately monitors skin and eye complaints in employees working with corrosive and sensitising substances, and respiratory complaints in those working in enzyme and dust areas. At the pre-employment examination the physician asks about any existing history of asthma and eczema and, if necessary, recommends the employee's work area accordingly. We plan tests with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers.

Action list

1. Draw up the process map and enter the hazards for each step into the table.
2. Collect up-to-date Turkish-language safety data sheets for all raw materials; mark those that are sensitising, corrosive and flammable.
3. Separate incompatible raw materials in storage and on the line.
4. Position eyewashes and spill kits close to splash points.
5. Prepare or update the explosion protection document for aerosol and ethanol areas.
6. Include employees in enzyme and dust areas in the health surveillance plan.
7. Write energy isolation and depressurisation instructions for maintenance and line changes.

Where chemical measurements are needed, we plan them with authorised laboratories and enter the results into the risk assessment. Our approach to chemical plants in Bursa and the surrounding provinces is on our chemicals and plastics page; you can see the OHS specialist and physician time required for your hazard class with the OHS obligation calculator. We carry out the work on site together with our OHS specialist service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common mistake in detergent manufacturing?

Using hypochlorite and acidic products with the same hose, container or filling equipment without washing in between. This mixture releases chlorine gas. The lines for incompatible products must be separated, and the washing step at product changeover written into the instruction.

Is a separate room required for aerosol filling?

If flammable propellant is used, it is strongly recommended that the filling unit be in a separated section with mechanical ventilation and gas detection. The zone classification in the explosion protection document determines the boundaries of this area and the equipment requirements.

Is health surveillance needed for employees working with enzyme powder detergent?

Because enzyme dusts are respiratory sensitisers, the respiratory complaints of employees in these areas should be monitored by the workplace physician. The physician decides which tests are done and how often, based on exposure.

Does cosmetics manufacturing fall under the same risk assessment as detergent manufacturing?

If both are done at the same site, a single risk assessment can be prepared, but hazards specific to cosmetics, such as ethanol, fragrances and hot phases, should be dealt with in separate rows.