• Chemitec has supported a number of charitable causes during the past years. A campaign launched in 2000 whereby the concern’s Christmas message is linked to a donation made by Chemitec and its business relations has proven highly successful, and over the years substantial donations have been made to the following charitable organisations:

  • 2000: CliniClowns
  • 2001: CliniClowns
  • 2002: War Child
  • 2003: Disabled Welfare Foundation Netherlands
  • 2004: Children’s Cancer Fund Foundation ( Stichting KIKA )
  • 2005: Sophia Children’s Hospital ( Sophia Kinderziekenhuis )
  • 2006: Sophia Children’s Hospital ( Sophia Kinderziekenhuis )
  • 2007: Sophia Children’s Hospital ( Sophia Kinderziekenhuis )
  • 2008: Sophia Children’s Hospital ( Sophia Kinderziekenhuis )

Chemitec has succeeded in achieving costs savings of millions of euros for a major steel multinational by developing an entirely new liquid for the CIP cleaning of the concern’s cooling-pipe systems. This new liquid has reduced the shutdown time to just 53% of the former time.

• Chemitec has been awarded Kosher certification for a number of specialised products for the food industry.

• Subsequent to a lengthy period of testing and the award of the necessary external approval Chemitec has now concluded a delivery contract with a computer manufacturer for the supply of a number of specialised cleaning and maintenance products to the manufacturer’s European repair centres.

• Chemitec has been awarded FDA approval 21 CRF 173.340 for a number of specialised products supplied to the food industry.

• Chemitec has concluded a delivery contract with the largest purchasing combine responsible for the central procurement of products for the professional technical wholesale companies in the Benelux. The contract encompasses the supply of a customised range of industrial cleaning and maintenance products.

The Arbeidsinspectie has announced that it will visit some 1000 companies that regularly use volatile organic compounds, such as companies in the construction, ship-cleaning, textile and metal-processing industries. These visits will be supplemented by inspections at about 150 companies in the graphical and car-body repair sector. Specific regulations govern these sectors’ use of volatile organic compounds. Exposure to volatile organic compounds can result in the development of Organic Psycho Syndrome (OPS), a severe and frequently permanent form of damage to the nervous system. As from 1 October 2000 companies in the graphical and car-body repair sectors are governed by what is referred to as a ‘replacement obligation’, pursuant to which products containing volatile organic compounds must be replaced by alternative less harmful products whenever possible. The Arbeidsinspectie will inspect the extent to which volatile organic compounds are used, and the sectors’ compliance with the new regulations. In addition, the Arbeidsinspectie will also investigate whether the employers devote adequate attention to the risks associated with the use of these compounds, and review the measures they have implemented to reduce the risks. This phase of the project will also extend to a renewed inspection of interior painters and parquet layers.

The 16th edition of the Chemiekaarten material data safety sheets (in Dutch) contains all the information you need to use chemical compounds in safety. The 16th edition has been supplemented with sheets for 25 new chemicals, as a result of which the annual publication and the CD-ROM now both contain information about 1,258 hazardous compounds. Each material safety data sheet lists information about all the properties of the relevant compound that are of importance to your safety, namely the physical and chemical properties, supplemented with data such as the CAS number, MAC and EU labelling (hazard symbols, and R and S phrases).

The Chemiekaarten devote extensive attention to prevention and emergency measures, and consequently when you require information about protective clothing, first aid, recognizing symptoms of exposure, safe storage, special fire extinguishers or cleaning up spills then you will find everything you need in the Chemiekaarten!

Rapid action is of vital importance in emergencies, and for this reason the sheets have a conveniently-arranged and uniform layout. The data for each compound are given in a clear and explicit list on one page, which is extremely useful when you need to look up something quickly!

The Health Council of the Netherlands’ Committee for Compounds Toxic to Reproduction has published draft reports in which it assesses the consequences of occupational exposure to toluene, styrene and xylene for fertility and the development of the progeny. The Committee’s serve as the basis of the classification as compounds toxic to reproduction pursuant to Article 34.2 of the Environmentally Hazardous Substances Act and Article 4.2 of the Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit (Working Conditions Decree).

The Committee concludes that there is insufficient human data for the classification of toluene, and that there is sufficient animal data available which show that toluene is not harmful to fertility. For this reason the Committee recommends that toluene should not be classified. The Committee recommends that the developmental toxicity of toluene should be classified in category 3 (substances which cause concern for humans owing to possible developmental effects) and that toluene should be labelled with R63 (possible risk of harm to the unborn child). The Committee recommends that in view of the lack of data toluene should not be labelled for effects during lactation.

The Committee has found insufficient data for the classification of styrene. The Committee is of the opinion that there is a lack of data for developmental toxicity, and consequently recommends that styrene should not be classified. The Committee also recommends that in view of the lack of data styrene should not be labelled for effects during lactation.

The Committee has also found insufficient data for the classification of xylene. The Committee recommends that the developmental toxicity of xylene should be classified in category 3 (see toluene) and that xylene should be labelled with R63 (see toluene). In view of the lack of data the Committee recommends that xylene should not be labelled for effects during lactation.

Samsom has published a new edition of the Arbonormenboek (Working Conditions Standards Manual), which lists all the relevant legislation and regulations governing every conceivable occupational health and safety issue. The requirements governing each issue can be assessed very rapidly, whereby the manual also refers to the relevant literature, standards, and case law.