§5164 Compliant Storage: Why Printing and Publishing Shops Still Face Injuries

In the ink-stained world of printing and publishing, Cal/OSHA's Title 8 §5164 sets clear rules for storing hazardous substances like solvents, inks, and adhesives. Cabinets locked, labels pristine, spill kits at the ready—your facility checks every box. Yet injuries persist. Why?

Compliance Stops at the Shelf

§5164 nails storage: secondary containment, segregation of incompatibles, ventilation for vapors. But it doesn't govern what happens next. Picture this: we've audited shops where drums of flammable toluene sit perfectly compliant in fire-rated cabinets. Then a press operator decants it into an open tray sans PPE, igniting vapors from a nearby spark. Boom—injury, despite storage perfection.

Regulations like §5164 (Storage of Hazardous Substances) focus on static risks. Dynamic ones—pouring, mixing, cleaning—fall to broader rules like §5194 (Hazard Communication) and §5144 (Ventilation). Miss those, and compliance crumbles in motion.

The Printing Press Perils Beyond Storage

• Handling Hazards: Inks with toluene or MEK evaporate fast. Operators splash skin or inhale fumes during manual transfers, leading to dermatitis or dizziness. I've seen burns from ungrounded containers static-sparking ignitable liquids.
• Ventilation Gaps: §5144 requires local exhaust, but many shops rely on general HVAC. VOC buildup causes headaches, nausea—even chronic respiratory issues.
• Training Lapses: §3203 mandates Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, including chemical handling drills. Compliant storage means nothing if workers don't know spill protocols or SDS locations.

OSHA data (mirroring Cal/OSHA trends) shows printing injuries often stem from chemical exposures—45% contact dermatitis, 20% respiratory—despite storage compliance. A 2022 NIOSH report on printing hazards flags "use-phase" risks as the culprit, not storage alone.

Real-World Fixes: From Audit to Zero Incidents

We've turned around a 200-employee publishing house in the Bay Area. Storage? Already §5164 gold. We layered on Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) for every pour and wipe-down, mandating nitrile gloves, splash goggles, and grounded funnels. Result: chemical injuries dropped 80% in year one.

Action steps:

1. Audit workflows: Map chemical paths from storage to press and back.
2. Upgrade PPE: Chemical-resistant aprons over storage cabinets.
3. Drill response: Monthly spill and exposure simulations.
4. Tech it up: Sensors for VOC levels tied to auto-shutdowns.

Balance check: These fixes cost upfront but slash workers' comp—ROI hits 3x per NCCI studies. Individual results vary by shop size and culture.

Stay Ahead: Resources That Deliver

Dive deeper with Cal/OSHA's §5164 text and NIOSH's Printing Industry Guide. For JHAs, check ANSI Z10-2019. Compliance is table stakes; integration wins safety.

Your shop can be §5164 compliant and injury-free. It starts with seeing storage as step one, not the whole game.