CHEMICAL WORK

What is a Chemical Hazard?

Any chemical that can cause illness, injury, or an emergency.

Chemical Hazards

Physical
Health

Physical Hazard

Hazards due to physical characteristics of a chemical:

Flammable - catches fire easily and burns rapidly.

Combustible - will burn under most conditions.

Explosive - will explode / detonate releasing hot gases.

Oxidizer - yields oxygen to enhance combustion, may cause

ignition of combustibles with no external source.

Organic peroxide - uniquely hazardous, potentially explosive.

Unstable - tends to decompose during normal handling and

storage.

Water reactive - reacts with water to release flammable gas,

causes fire or presents a health hazard.

Health Hazard

Produces acute or chronic effects in exposed workers :

Carcinogen - cause cancer or suspected to cause cancer.

Toxic Agent - poisonous / cause acute or chronic effects.

Reproductive toxin (teratogen) - could have harmful effect on

male or female reproductive system or on developing fetus.

Irritant - can cause inflammation of skin or eyes.

Corrosive - cause irreversible damage to living tissue.

Sensitizer - cause exposed person to develop allergies to the

substance.

Target organ (specific agents) - hazardous to specific organs

in body (e.g., lungs, liver, blood, kidneys, nervous system).

Route of Entry

For a chemical to have an effect on a worker, s/he must be

exposed to it and some of it must get into his/her system:
Inhalation / breathing - most common route, gases / vapors
can pass to blood, solid particles inhaled into lungs.

Absorption through the skin - many solids, liquids, vapors and

gases can be absorbed through the skin.

Ingestion / swallowing - while not intentional, failure to wash

hands, eating in contaminated lab, etc.

Injection - accidents handling glass, sharps, etc.

Eye Contact - either physical damage or absorption.

The route of entry dictates selection of protective equipment.

Signs & Symptoms

How will you know if you have been exposed?

Dose - Amount of chemical absorbed depends upon chemical
strength / concentration, exposure duration, frequency of
exposure. In general, the greater the dose, the more severe
the health effects.

Acute effects - occurs rapidly following brief exposure (e.g.,

acid burn).

Chronic effect - develops/recurs slowly, over long period

following repeated, long-term, low-level exposure (e.g.,
benzidine linked to bladder cancer).

Individual variability - not all people exhibit the same signs and
symptoms (especially to chronic effects).

Locating of Chemical Hazard

Chemicals can be found in a range of locations at your workplace.

This means chemical hazard may be in places you dont expect:
Science and laboratory facilities - labs, prep areas, store
rooms.
Industrial and manufacturing areas ITD workshops, wood,
metal, plastics, paint or welding facilities.
Creative arts areas - photographic areas, kilns, theatre.
Grounds maintenance storage areas.
Cleaning storage areas.
Classroom and administrative areas cupboards and under
sinks.
Reprographic facilities printing and copy rooms.
Other practical areas agriculture sheds, marine studies.

Control Principles

To make sure all the hazards of chemicals are evaluated.

That information concerning their hazards is communicated to

employers and employees.

Employer and employee must know how to handle hazardous

chemicals.

Minimise risk - avoid contact or produce chemicals to dangerous

level.

Need to know what protective measures are available to prevent

adverse effects from occurring

Medical surveillance and consistent working environment.

Properly dispose chemical waste.

Responsibilities - Employer

Employers are required to provide information to their employees

about the hazardous chemicals to which they are exposed using:
A hazard communication program.
Labels and other forms of warnings.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
Information and training.

Employers must do the following:

Ensure labels on incoming chemicals are not defaced or
removed.
Maintain copies of any Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
that are received with incoming shipments.
Provide employees with information and training (no written
program required) to the extent necessary to protect them in
the event of a spill or leak of a hazardous chemical from a
sealed container.

Responsibilities - Employer continued

Employers must provide employees information and training on

hazardous chemicals in their work area:
At the time of their initial assignment.
Whenever a new physical or health hazard the employees
have not previously been trained about is introduced into their
work area.

Training may cover categories of hazards.

Responsibilities - Officer in Charge

Officers in charge e.g. principals and institute directors are to

ensure that:
Risks of exposure to chemicals are controlled.
Information, instruction and training are provided - and records
kept.
Resources and time are provided to support the safe
management of chemicals.
Safe work practices are developed and implemented .
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are made available to
users.
A register of hazardous chemicals is maintained.
Risk assessments on hazardous chemicals are recorded and
reviewed.
Hazardous chemicals are labelled.
Prohibited chemicals are not purchased or used.

Responsibilities - Workers & Others

As a worker you are required to:

Follow health and safety instructions
Follow safe work practices
Take reasonable care for your own health and safety
Take reasonable care that your actions do not adversely affect
the health and safety of others
Participate in training
Assist in identifying, assessing and managing risks
Use appropriate equipment and personal protective equipment
Not purchase or use prohibited chemicals.

Implementation

Locate chemicals in your workplace:

Determine if they are hazardous or non-hazardous
o by accessing the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and
labels.
For ALL chemicals
o ensure correct labelling.
o follow safety instructions on label and MSDS.
o inform users of correct use, storage and disposal.

In addition, for hazardous chemicals

o ensure the MSDS is accessible
o add details of the hazardous chemicals to the register
o complete and record a risk assessment

Provide information and training to ensure safe practice

Keep records of training, register, risk assessments.

What is a MSDS?

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):

Identifies if the product is classified as hazardous or nonhazardous.
Helps make an assessment of the risk to the health of people
at your workplace from chemical exposure.
Provides safe use advice including recommended control
options - this helps inform risk assessments and management.
Provides emergency information including first aid advice and
spills treatment.
Must be made available by suppliers.

Some Effective Controls

We can eliminate or minimise the risk of injury or illness by
preventing chemicals entering our body or reducing our exposure.
Chemicals can only enter our body by
Inhalation

Effective controls
Good ventilation, face masks

e.g. breathing in vapours, particles or gases

Ingestion

Wash hands after use, gloves

e.g. swallowing residues after failing to wash

hands after using chemicals and before eating

Absorption
e.g. through the skin or eyes

Injection
e.g. unintentional skin penetration by needles or
other sharp objects

Good ventilation, eye protection and

other PPE
Use tongs, gloves, handle items with
care

Training

Induction
Identify the chemicals to be used by staff .
Provide information about the chemicals and the associated
hazards.
Add safe work practices for using the chemicals including use
of PPE.
Ensure emergency procedures are understood.

Ongoing Training
On the job training experienced staff mentoring new staff.
Review of procedure and relevant sections of the Guideline.
Participation in risk assessment processes.

Identify other training needs

Conducting risk assessments can also assist to identify who
needs further training, what training is needed and the method
of training.

Chemical Storage Considerations

Dry Chemical Storage

Keep organic and inorganic separated.

Liquid Chemical Storage

Determine major storage groups (acid, base, etc.).
Designate separate storage for highly toxic chemicals.
Store only cleaning materials under sink.

Chemical Storage Requirements

Inventory chemicals annually.

Dispose of old and unused chemicals through following chemical

waste requirements (Environmental Quality Act (EQA) ).

Segregate chemicals according to hazard, i.e. flammables

separate from oxidizers, acids separate from bases.

Keep containers closed unless you are working with container - do

not store waste containers open with funnels in opening, do not
evaporate solvents as a means of disposal.

Ensure all containers are labeled - no abbreviations or formulae

Controlling Risks
Fire and
To ensure an ignition source is not introduced to a hazardous area
ignition sources
where there is a possibility of a fire or explosion.

Spills and
damage

Containment of spills is required for all hazardous chemicals (not just

dangerous goods). Compatibility of substances or mixtures must be
considered.
Provision is to be made for clean-up and disposal of wastes.

Emergency
Plans

The plan is required to address all hazardous chemicals not just

dangerous goods.
A copy of plans must be given to the primary emergency services
where manifest quantities are exceeded.

Fire loads, including those from other sources, are to be assessed.

Fire, emergency
Assessment criteria now includes use and generation of hazardous
and safety
chemicals.
equipment
Records of testing of fire equipment are to be retained.
Protection

Wording has changed to require protection against damage by an

impact or excessive loads .