Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) COSHH assessment guide

IPA is used to clean electronics, degrease surfaces and prepare work for bonding or painting. It is a highly flammable liquid, irritates eyes, and its vapour can cause drowsiness or dizziness.

Taken from the Propan-2-ol (over 95%) safety data sheet from Fisher Scientific UK, revision 20 October 2023. Open the data sheet. Formulas differ between products, so check against the sheet for the product you actually buy. This is a laboratory-grade sheet. Trade products sold under the same name can have a different strength and different hazards.

Hazards on the data sheet

Signal word: Danger.

H225 Highly flammable liquid and vapor
H319 Causes serious eye irritation
H336 May cause drowsiness or dizziness

Precautions

P210 Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking
P240 Ground and bond container and receiving equipment
P261 Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapors/spray
P280 Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection
P305 + P351 + P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing

Workplace exposure limit

Long-term (8-hour): 400 ppm or 999 mg/m³. Short-term (15-minute): 500 ppm or 1250 mg/m³. From EH40/2005 Table 1, under propan-2-ol.

PPE

Eyes	Goggles (European standard - EN 166).
Hands	Protective gloves. Butyl rubber: > 480 minutes, 0.5 mm, EN 374, permeation rate < 0.9 µg/cm2/min. Nitrile rubber: > 360 - 480 minutes, 0.35 - 0.55 mm. Viton (R): > 480 minutes, 0.4 mm. Neoprene: < 40 minutes, 0.7 mm.
Breathing	Certified respirators when facing concentrations above the exposure limit. Large scale/emergency: Organic gases and vapours filter Type A Brown conforming to EN14387. Small scale/laboratory: EN 149:2001 approved respirator; half mask EN405, or EN140 plus filter EN 141.
Skin	Wear appropriate protective gloves and clothing to prevent skin exposure.

First aid

Eyes	Rinse immediately with plenty of water, also under the eyelids, for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
Skin	Wash off immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention if symptoms occur.
Breathed in	Remove to fresh air. Get medical attention. If not breathing, give artificial respiration.
Swallowed	Do NOT induce vomiting. Get medical attention.

Storage, spills and what to keep it away from

Storage	Keep away from heat, sparks and flame. Flammables area. Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Spills	Remove all sources of ignition and take precautionary measures against static discharges. Prevent further leakage if safe to do so. Soak up with inert absorbent material, using spark-proof tools and explosion-proof equipment. Keep in suitable, closed containers for disposal.
Keep away from	Strong oxidizing agents. Acids. Halogens. Acid anhydrides.

What your assessment still has to cover

Record the size of the area being wiped, because large surfaces give off far more vapour than a small cloth. Note how rags are disposed of, where the bulk container is kept, and any static or ignition risks. Check glove choice against the task: this sheet lists butyl above 480 minutes.

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