EN.pdf

The Good Practice Sheet for Use of Chromium Trioxide provides guidelines for employers to comply with EU Directive 2004/37 and REACH authorizations for chromium trioxide uses. Chromium trioxide may cause cancer, and this sheet describes good practices to reduce exposure in industrial electroplating operations. The process involves an aqueous chromium trioxide solution in covered plating tanks, with articles or parts mounted/demounted to a hoist manually or automatically outside the chamber and fed through the plating system via gates.

An enclosed plating system must have features such as the plating tanks, rinse tanks, and hoist line enclosed within a chamber, articles mounted/demounted outside the chamber, automated transportation through the plating process, and access to the chamber only via gates that are closed/locked when the plant is operational. Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) must be provided to efficiently remove chromium trioxide mist from the chamber, and the chamber must be maintained under negative pressure when the plating system is operating.

Risk management measures for workers include electrically interlocked control systems, restricted access to the chamber, regular testing of the LEV system, regular inspection and rinsing of process equipment, use of a mist suppressant, and full personal protective equipment (PPE) for maintenance and cleaning purposes. Risk management measures for the environment include air extraction systems with filtration or scrubber units, treatment of wastewater containing hexavalent chromium, and regular maintenance of floors, drains, equipment, and waste storage areas.

PPE is not required during normal operations, but full PPE is necessary during cleaning and maintenance, including protective eye goggles, gloves, acid-resistant clothing/footwear, and a P3 filter. Training and supervision are essential, with all persons with access to the plating line instructed about the risks of working with chromium trioxide and the safe handling of chromium trioxide. Monitoring is also necessary to evidence the absence of worker exposure and evaluate environmental release, with a typical worker exposure monitoring program including static measurements at the plating line and adjacent to the outer face of each gate to the chamber.