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Electroplaters, SIC categories and Building Codes

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Electroplaters are SIC 3471 and users of chemicals.

We have run into a snag since a building code classification has "platers" classified as "manufacturers and fabricators" of chemicals requiring very stringent storage and building requirements because of being a "manufacturer".

Have you run into this?

Do you have a good reference for Chemical Storage regarding electroplating?

As always, your "on target" answers will be appreciated.

LESTER GRESS
- Cleveland, Ohio

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Hello, Lester. Sorry, I am not familiar with this problem, although I do feel that many plating shops are far too casual with chemical storage, and I can't say that it alarms me that the codes are getting tougher :-)

I don't have the exact statistics, but countless plating shops have been saddled with million-dollar-plus cleanups. And I think the majority of owners do not sleep well, over concern that the earth below their shops is contaminated. We don't do each other a service if we fight to maintain chemical handling standards that are so lax that they so commonly result in horribly expensive soil contamination. Let's start by trying to adhere to those "very stringent storage and building requirements", and only fighting them if/when we have demonstrated to ourselves that they are unworkable.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey