Quaker Chemical Corporation is a member of The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA). The Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association was established in 1948 and is the principal voice for the industry before Congress, federal regulatory agencies and other industry groups. Through its enforceable Code of Ethics, ILMA promotes integrity and quality in lubricant manufacturing and marketing.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Independent Lubricant Manufacturer’s Association (ILMA) have established a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces.

OSHA and ILMA have formed an Alliance in February 2004 to provide ILMA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to metal working and industrial hazards, in the manufacturing environment. OSHA and ILMA are working together to achieve goals in areas related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health; training and education; and outreach and communication.

OSHA’s Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as training and education, outreach and communication and promoting a national dialogue on workplace safety and health.

The "MWF QUICKSTART Guide and the "Dermal Assessment Guide" are resource products developed from the Alliance.

MWF QUICKSTART Guide

This “MWF QUICKSTART Guide” is designed to help small businesses and their employees effectively manage the health, safety and environmental impacts of metalworking fluids. MWFs are used to reduce heat and friction in metal cutting, grinding and shaping operations. MWF's also provide corrosion protection for the newly machined part and machine tool.

This guide provides a brief step-by-step outline on how to work safely with MWF's. It also includes links to web sites where shops and small businesses can get detailed information about how to effectively and safely use MWF's.

Dermal Assessment Guide

As part of the Alliance with OSHA, ILMA pledged to develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media, including electronic assistance tools and links from OSHA's and ILMA's Web sites. ILMA will also share information on best practices in lubricant manufacturing and distribution, as jointly determined by OSHA and ILMA, with others in the industry and promote awareness of occupational hazards through ILMA's product stewardship program--LubeCare^®.

ILMA's Safety, Health & Regulatory Affairs group (SHERA) felt that it could add significant knowledge base to OSHA's information regarding dermal irritation potential when working metalworking fluids. As a "product" of the Alliance, SHERA has developed a "Dermal Assessment Guide" which can be used when there is a dermatitis concern at a plant. It has been SHERA members' (collective) experience that there are multiple factors in the work environment that can act to cause a skin irritation response. This guide explains and addresses these factors.

The guide, however, is not intended as a primer on dermatitis for individual employees. Rather, it provides a framework to evaluate operations in a systematic manner to uncover a possible collection of factors that may relate to instances of employee dermatitis, especially when there does not appear to be an obvious cause. It can also be used as a pro-active (Product Stewardship) approach to preventing skin irritation - as well as problem-solving aid. Topics of The Guide are: Machining Operation Variables, Metal Removal Fluid Variables (including fluid type, concentration, system additives, contaminants), Engineering and Environmental Parameters, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Skin Care, and Other Considerations in relation to skin irritation potential.

backtotop