Aerosol Cans are used in a variety of applications today. Even if you look around your house, you will find a number of aerosol cans lying around for different purposes. They can be simple products like your can of hair sprayer, deodorants, insecticides, air fresheners and so much more. The cans are made up of sheets of steel and contain materials under high pressure. The highly pressurized compounds are usually different kinds of hydrocarbon propellants such as carbon dioxide, butane or propane.
As harmless as they seem, Aerosol cans can prove to be deadly if they explode. Moreover, these cans contain a harmful compound known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) that affect the ozone layer. During the 1970’s a campaign against the aerosol cans led to their ban of these elements. Although, CFC’s were banned aerosol cans are still widely used. Airpo believes in non-aerosol products that would be safe for the users and help conserve the environment. Let’s look at the harmful effects of aerosol cans in detail
Threat to Workers
Aerosol Cans pose a number of threats to the workers. The first threat is that of the building pressure within the cans. A puncture or a faulty can poses the threat of explosion on the workers. The explosion can result in burns and injuries. Additionally, the disposal of the cans is a cause of great concern. The products contained in them are usually of flammable nature. Partially empty cans can explode and result in a fire.
Disposing Issues
As mentioned before, any leftover product inside the aerosol can could result in a fire and is classified as hazardous waste. A can that is not working properly or has some amount of material within it should be returned to the supplier for safe disposal. These cans should be properly recycled in order to avoid any issues later.
Better Safe than Sorry
With the dangers associated with Aerosol Cans, there is a need to contemplate whether we really need aerosol cans or not. Even if we do, we need to think of ways to minimize their use. There are loads of other products available in the market that are safer and can substitute these cans.
However, if it is just impossible to do a task without using aerosol cans then there should be certain rules that need to be followed. The workers must be educated with the hazards that are associated with them. Aerosol cans must not under any case be exposed to high temperatures and should be stored in a dry area. Moreover, safe practices to dispose them must be followed too. It is better to use non-aerosol air fresheners and other environmental friendly products that would benefit our planet in the long run.