By identifying risk factors in the work environment, employers can better ensure the safety, health and well-being of their employees. To assess the safety of the personnel, instructions on which is part of the
Workplaces that use dangerous chemicals need to be made .
Handling of hazardous substances
Hazardous substances are defined by their nature and the hazard which they cause or may cause and must be fulfilled in order to be considered hazardous and should be classified as such.
Substances may be explosive, flammable, oxidizing, radioactive, toxic, irritating, corrosive, corrosive, environmentally destructive, gases under pressure, or contain other hazards with later effects. The same substance may be accompanied by different hazards and can be flammable, corrosive and harmful to health.
Workplaces using hazardous substances must carry out a special hazard assessment. The risk assessment shall be based on information from substances used which is included in the company''s written safety and health strategy.
Support may be given to identification of chemical hazards, to identify and reduce hazards related to hazardous chemicals and chemical products in the workplace.
Substances can be imported into the body through different pathways such as:
respiratory system
skin
digestive tract
At workplaces the risk from inhalation is greatest, followed by skin contact, but rarely through the digestive tract.
The condition of chemicals is important.
In other situations, harmless substances may be dangerous in hot water or wheat dust, which could cause an explosion in certain circumstances.
Two or more harmless or innocuous substances may react to form more dangerous substances.
The same substance can be in different states such as a gas, liquid or solid.
The processing methods or work descriptions must be kept under review, taking into account whether the same results can be achieved with non-hazardous or less hazardous materials.
PPE must be assembled with all devices, designed to be worn or held, which are used by staff to protect themselves against risks likely to jeopardize their safety and health, and by any additional or additional devices with an equivalent purpose.
Personal protective equipment can be:
gloves
protective clothing
breathing masks
Personal protective equipment must be used when the risk of using hazardous materials cannot be avoided. Safety data sheets for dangerous substances, where provided for under Section eight, shall indicate the use of personal protective equipment with the substances in question.
Dangerous substances storage places and containers must be properly marked with warning signs or warning signs.
Danger-labelled substances should be stored in a closed container, properly labelled and, where possible, in their original packaging in a locked and secured way.
A list of contents must be available and regularly updated.
Dispose of unused product in an appropriate manner.
Substances that die in storage can create a particular hazard. Packaging can give way over time and chemicals can leak out of it and create danger.
Pollution limits in workplaces the maximum concentration of substances which may be present in the indoor air at workplaces is based both on an eight-hour day and on fifteen-minute peaks (roof-levels).
Employers are to ensure that pollution is within the specified limits.
Whereas companies using large quantities of dangerous substances should have a major-accident prevention policy (LINK) drawn up, together with a safety management system which provides for the continuous and systematic monitoring of hazards and dangerous substances at the establishment;
A major accident is an uncontrolled chain of events in the handling of chemicals such as spillage, fire or explosion, which constitutes a serious risk to health and/or the environment, both inside and outside the facilities containing the chemicals.
Flammable materials can cause fires that spread outside establishments.
Explosives can destroy large areas and cause loss of life.
Toxins that escape from their storage sites can cause damage to people and the environment long after the spill.
