Criteria for the Quality Label
Requirements for washing agents for which a Quality Label application is submitted
When used, the product must not exceed the relevant occupational exposure limit value. (Products which satisfy the following criteria normally fulfill this requirement.)¹⁾
| Criteria or Hazardous Substance | Health Grounds | Technical Grounds |
|---|---|---|
| Flash point above 60°C | low evaporation rate, thus reduced air contamination |
GHS labelling threshold; no special explosion protection measures necessary; lower consumption; |
|
Benzene: Content less than 0.1% |
carcinogenic | Aromatic compounds can damage seals, roller and blanket materials. |
| Toluene and Xylene content less that 1% | AGW ²⁾ (≈ OEL Occupational Exposure Limit Value) 50 and 100 ppm respectively | |
|
Aromatic compounds:
Content (≥C₉) less than 1% |
hazardous substances: low AGW ²⁾ values |
Substances which the cleaning agents must not contain:
| halogenated hydrocarbons | neurotoxic; ozone-depleting | can damage blankets (shrinkage / swelling) |
| terpenes | sensitizing; can cause skin irritation | can damage various materials in the printing machine |
| n-hexane | neurotoxic; AGW ²⁾ 50 ppm | very low flash point (-22°C); other hydrocarbon-based washing agents can be used |
| secondary amines and amides | possible formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines under certain conditions | brass corrosion; other anticorrosives available |
| nonylphenole and its derivates | reprotoxic | substitutes available: e.g. sorbitan laurate as an emulsifier |
| N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) |
reprotoxic, easily absorbed through the skin, corrosive/irritant to skin; AGW ²⁾ (steam) 20 ppm |
|
| 2-butoxyethanol | AGW ²⁾ 10 ppm since January 2012; on the basis of toxicological data and GHS classification criteria: “Toxic upon contact with skin or if inhaled”; high steam pressure | |
| Substances which, when used, represent unacceptable health risks in the light of the current state of knowledge in the fields of occupational health and toxicology. | ||
¹⁾For products containing VOCs with an AGW (≈ Occupational Exposure Limit Value) < 25 ppm with more than 25% w/w, the manufacturers must prove (with measurement test results, for example) that the AGW ²⁾ can be safely complied with under normal offset printing conditions.
²⁾AGW Arbeitsplatzgrenzwert (≈ Occupational Exposure Limit Value OEL) pursuant to TRGS 900 ( Germany’s ‘Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances’)
