A “cold cleaner degreaser” is defined as a tank containing organic solvent at a temperature below the boiling point of the solvent used to spray, brush, flush, or immerse an article for the purpose of cleaning or degreasing.
Organic solvents are known as volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOCs contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and related public health problems. Some VOCs do not significantly contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and could potentially be substitutes in part or total.
Degreasing equipment are prevalent and can be located throughout a business. Ones utilized for maintenance purposes are usually small and generally use mineral spirits. They are often times overlooked and not thought of as being regulated.
Degreasing equipment can range in size from bench-top units to industrial-sized cold cleaners. VOCs evaporating from organic solvent degreasing operations contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and related public health problems. Facilities should review Safety Data Sheets (SDS) of the organic solvents used in their degreasing operations and determine whether or not the solvents contain hazardous chemical compounds.
326 IAC 8-3, Organic Solvent Degreasing Operations requires the use of certain equipment standards and work practices to reduce evaporative losses of VOCs from cold cleaner, open top vapor, and conveyorized degreasing operations.
326 IAC 8-3 restricts the maximum vapor pressure of the organic solvent used within a cold cleaner degreaser to less than one (1) millimeter of mercury (nineteen-thousandths (0.019) pound per square inch) measured at twenty (20) degrees Celsius (sixty-eight (68) degrees Fahrenheit).
326 IAC 8-3 is not applicable to solvents where the VOC is less than one percent (1%) by weight excluding VOCs having been determined not to significantly contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.
Additionally wipe cleaning activities is not considered to be cold cleaning degreasing and therefore not subject to 326 IAC 8-3.