Wright Safety Solutionsestablished 2006
Wright Safety Solutionsestablished 2006
providing Health and Safety for Coventry and Warwickshire medium/small businesses
Safety with Chemicals
How should you handle chemicals?
The COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations have now been in place since 1989. They are arguably the most significant and wide-ranging regulations yet made under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Complying with COSHH involves:
How much of all that you do depends on the materials you use and how much you use. So before you even assess the risks you need to know what you are using. Look around at all the chemicals you use. Are they all properly labelled? Do you have safety data sheets for each? Do you need ventilation? Do your staff need protective clothing? Do you need help?
Wright Safety Solutions can help you identify the chemicals you use; ensure you have all the necessary information and that all chemicals are labelled and packaged properly, and stored correctly, as required by the CHIP3 regulations (2002). I can guide your business through the relevant stages of COSHH and CHIP3 compliance.
If your workplace is using chemicals then as well controlling their use you need to provide for the welfare of your employees: protective gloves, glasses, clothes, provide facilities for washing and eating, provide medical checks, and take appropriate precautions to prevent fires with the flammable chemicals.
Industrial processes use many different chemicals. In large industrial units many processes are automated or semi-automated which reduces the amount of direct contact of employees with the chemicals but contact is never completely eliminated - employees may come into contact with chemicals when:
All these activities can result in contact of chemicals with skin, face, eyes, clothes and inhalation into lungs. Employers have a duty to protect employees, ensure chemcals are handled safely, provide information on chemical hazards and ensure that any incidents are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
Employers have a duty to investigate the dangers of chemicals they use, determine the hazard they can present to employees, and put in place controls to minimise risk to employees.
|
|
Classification of Chemicals
1. The Health risks
Chemicals are classified by the health dangers they present:
Chemicals containers that you have purchased should have labels on them indicatiing if they are harmful, irritant, corrosiove, or toxic:
and there are other labels required for transportation, e.g.
Risk phrases should be printed on the labels of all hazardous chemicals that you purchase. Note: very small print!
e.g.
and also Safety phrases, which offer good instruction:
e.g.
2. Other dangers from chemicals
Many chemicals are flammable, and this applies to chemicals containing solvents like acetone, alcohols, hydrocarbons. They are labelled:
There are also special labels also for transportation, e.g.
Obviously, there should be no naked flames near containers of solvents nor near areas using flammable solvents. Cans of cleaning solvent should be kept in suitable storage cabinets
Many chemicals are also environmentally dangerous, and regulations require that these be labelled, used and disposed of responsibly. e.g. anything labelled 'harmful to aquatic organisms' should not be allowed to enter drains. These materials are usually labelled:
3. Common chemicals presenting hazards to employees
I'll just mention a few chemicals often encountered in factories and processes:
Ammonia is a gas but is often used as a solution in water. It's used in refrigeration and chemical manufacture. It has a strong odour and is a severe irritant if breathed or gets in contact with the eyes.
Chlorine is also a gas and also used in solution. It is also an irritant but is also corrosive if inhaled.
Isocyanates are present in many paints and adhesives. If spray is inhaled isocyanates can cause sensitisation.
A common solvent in factories is Acetone, often used as a degreaser. Complacency sets in in workplaces who consider Acetone to be relatively safe to use as a cleaner, but repeated usage without gloves can cause skin problems. Acetone is very volatile and highly flammable - a spark can result in a serious fire!
There are many types of solvent used in industry as cleaners and degreasers. Toluene and Xylene are flammable and also harmful if inhaled. They are also irritant to the skin with repeated exposure. Other solvents like styrene and dichloromethane are very dangerous if exposure occurs. High levels of volatile solvents e.g. acetone, can cause drowsiness and unconsciousness. Employees must be protected from all these solvents.
4. COSHH assessments
|
|
Contact Wright Safety Solutions :
Wright Safety Solutions |
| ||
| 
| 
|  |
References:
this page first published 12 March 2007
last updated 4 May 2012
Health and Safety for Coventry and Warwickshire medium/small businesses
return to the
