Module 2 — Equipment & Chemicals: SDS Habit + Truck Safety Loadout (Lesson)
What you’re doing today
You’re setting your safety baseline: SDS discipline + a truck loadout that makes you hard to hurt and hard to sue.
Why this matters
We don’t win by “having stronger chemicals.”
We win by:
- using the right method
- protecting property
- controlling risk
- documenting results
Premium companies operate like they’re going to be audited.
Tools & materials (minimum viable)
- A place SDS lives (shared folder + naming)
- A printed safety loadout checklist
- A printed spill/exposure response card
SDS habit (public-safe)
If you can’t pull the SDS in 60 seconds, you’re not ready.
Minimum standard:
- SDS location is known to the whole crew
- Everyone can find: first aid, incompatibilities, PPE
- Labels are treated as the law
Truck safety loadout (non-negotiable)
If you touch chemicals, ladders, or traffic—this gear is part of the job.
Foreman reminder: sprayer lane discipline
If you’re using pump-up sprayers, here’s the unsexy truth: they fail. Treat them as semi-disposable.
- Run dedicated sprayers by lane (label them; don’t cross-contaminate).
- Carry a backup pump-up sprayer. Downtime kills momentum and sprayers fail at the worst time.
Printable:
Spill + exposure response
You don’t “wing it” when something splashes.
Printable:
Step-by-step: the 2-minute readiness drill
Downtime kills momentum.
Carry the parts that fix the common failures and stop the bleeding before you lose the day.
- “Where is the first aid kit?”
- “Where is the eyewash?”
- “Where are the gloves + eye protection?”
- “Where is spill control / neutralizer?”
- “Where are the SDS?”
If the crew can’t answer fast, the system is broken.
Decision points
-
If something feels unsafe:
- stop. fix. then proceed.
-
If you add a new chemical:
- read SDS first (first aid + incompatibilities)
Common mistakes + fixes
-
Mistake: SDS exists but nobody knows where it is
- Fix: make SDS part of onboarding.
-
Mistake: truck is “mostly stocked”
- Fix: print the checklist and audit weekly.
What good looks like
- Every tech knows the SDS location.
- The truck is stocked the same way every time.
- You can handle a spill without panic.
How to prove it (Proof Pack)
Add one “safety + readiness” photo once per week:
- stocked spill kit
- PPE ready
Do this next (assignment)
- Decide where your SDS library will live (folder + naming standard).
- Print the safety loadout checklist.
- Stock the truck.
- Run the 2-minute drill.
References
- Chemical index: 02_chemicals/chemical-index.md
- Heat SOP: 04_sops/safety/heat-sun-hydration.md
- Final Walk checklist: 04_sops/universal/final-walk-checklist-v1.md
Field Guide & Interactive Calculator (tbsoftwash.com)
🧪 Interactive Soft Wash Ratios, Pump TCO & Compliance Guides:
Gear Box (Amazon)
Essential Truck Safety, PPE & Chemical Delivery Loadout
- 3M Half-Face Respirator 6300 + 3M 60926 Multi-Gas/Vapor & P100 Cartridges — non-negotiable respiratory protection for SH and acid work.
- 3M Splash-Proof Safety Goggles + LANON Chemical-Resistant Nitrile Gloves + FROGG TOGGS Chemical/Rain Suit.
- XTRATUF Men's 6" Ankle Deck Boots / Dunlop Chesapeake Steel-Toe Waterproof Boots.
- Delavan 5850 5.0 GPM 12V Diaphragm Pump + General Pump 100776 High-Draw Downstream Injector + X-Jet M5 Nozzle.
- 0-14 pH Test Strips + Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (5 lb) — verifying neutral pH on spills and acid work.
- GigaTent Pop-Up Pod Portable Changing Tent — emergency truck-side changing privacy and shade.
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