Why ORC developed this guide

Why should I use this guide?

What's on this website?

How do I use this electronic document?

Glossary
terms

metal removal fluids

in-use MRF

What's on this website

Getting around the site

When the basics of good fluid management are unknown or ignored, the result can be health and safety problems, reduced product quality, and unnecessary expense. These problems are all avoidable, as this document will show you. Once you fully understand how best to manage MRFs, the problems that can result from an out-of-control system can be avoided.

For many industrial organizations, focusing on the systematic management of MRF systems has proven effective in controlling exposures in the wet metal removal/machining environment. The recommendations offered by this document are not new, but have been distilled from the experiences of these companies and represent what good practice has been for the past 15-20 years.

ORC began work on the guide because we believe that an aggressive effort to educate employers and employees about the benefits of systematic MRF management is the best way to ensure a healthy workplace and improve working conditions in those workplaces.

The MRF environment is highly complex, and with a majority of operators in the field being small businesses, a traditional OSHA standard is not likely to address the real issue--that MRF is often not being managed and controlled in a systematic way. The best and quickest way to improve health and safety for these shops is to teach their proprietors how to effectively manage their systems. Experience has demonstrated that effective fluid management will lead to a safer workplace and, in many cases, to economic benefits.

 Why should I use this guide?

Wet machining requires the use of chemical products known as metalworking fluids or, more specifically as used in this guide, metal removal fluids. Metal removal fluids are used in many manufacturing operations that cut or grind metal to produce a finished part. There are potential health effects associated with use of metal removal fluids, so this guide was developed to help MRF users successfully manage the metal removal environment using the best practices available today. Not every user will need to follow all recommendations offered by this guide, but every user concerned with better managing the environment in which metal removal fluids are used can benefit from following the information and practices suggested in this document.

What’s on this website?

Please see the Table of Contents to see what the site includes. There are six major areas covered in MMRFE:

Notice that at the top of each main section there are links to the other main sections of the document (see top of this page). These pages are the site's top level. Under each of these general categories you will find pages that cover subtopics. In addition, there is a QuickStart section that provides a brief overview and a quick way to assess MRF management in your shop. QuickStart includes a link to a page of Do's and don'ts in the MRF workplace.

This is a living document--as new information becomes available, and as metal removal fluid formulations change, we hope to update this guide so that it continues to reflect best practices for small and large shops.

What’s the best way to use this electronic document?

There are several features that make it easy for you to get where you want to go.

If you already know what information you need, you can go to the Table of Contents.

If you want to find a specific keyword, go to the Search Page. Type in the keyword and you'll be directed to the page you need.

The left side of each page is meant to help you navigate through the page and the site. Words and phrases in red are not links. They give you an idea about what's being discussed in the main body of the page. If glossary terms are listed, the heading "Glossary Terms" will appear on the left in red.

The underlined blue words and phrases on the left are links to other places on the page, other places in the document, or other web sites. They'll take you to a definition, a fuller discussion of a topic, or supplemental material. They're your paths to a deeper understanding of the issues. After you've visited a link, the link will appear orange.

Some information of a more technical or scientific nature is available by linking from a more general page. When this information is available, the document will provide you with a link and a suggestion to visit the linked page. 

Links at the top left of most pages will take you to the Table of Contents, Getting Started, the Glossary, the Search page, and the Information and Links page, which provides you with other sources of information. If these are not visible on the left of the page, click the "Up" button. If you want to return to the page immediately before the one you're currently visiting, you can use your browser's Back button. Buttons marked "Up" will take you to the level above the page you're on. "Back" and "Next" will take you to another page on the same level.

If you still haven't a clue as to where you want to go, visit the Quick Start. The Overview will introduce you to some of the main issues of good metal removal fluid management. It will also give you a quick way to tell how your plant measures up to the "best practices" standard.