Is the production of chlorine safe?

As in all industrial operations, the process of extracting chlorine from salt is not without risks, but the men and women who work in the high-tech facilities where chlorine is produced are highly trained to manage those risks. When combined with certain other substances, chlorine becomes beneficial and long lasting. For example, chlorine combined with sodium forms salt; chlorine with other chemicals forms 85 percent of all pharmaceuticals on the market; and chlorine with hydrogen and carbon forms polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or vinyl. The long service life of vinyl products translates into reduced need to dispose of and replace products.

When vinyl is made into products such as commercial flooring, chlorine is in a very stable form, which is chemically different from the reactive elemental form. No chlorine is emitted from finished products. The chlorine component also inhibits the spread of a fire.