Chemical Safety

Walking the walk

NOT
Talking the talk!
Chemicals are a hazard

 Hazard: Potential to cause harm

 Risk: Likelihood that harm will arise

 Perception of risk is critical

 Risk depends on exposure

Minimise EXPOSURE & reduce the RISK!

Hazardous Substances

 Physico-chemical Hazards

 include flammable, explosive and oxidising

 Toxicological Hazards

 include toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, harmful,

irritant, corrosive and sensitising

 Environmental Hazards
 Flash-Point
 The flammability of Liquids defined by its flash-
point
 The lowest temperature at which a fuel-
air mixture present above the surface of
a liquid will ignite if an ignition source is
introduced
 21-55 0C ~ Flammable
 <21 0C ~ Highly flammable
 < 0 0C ~ Extremely flammable
Toxic

LD50 (oral) LD50 LC50(inhal)

mg/kg (skin) mg/l(4hrs)
mg/kg
Very toxic <25 <50 <0.5
(T+)
Toxic (T) 25-200 50-400 0.5-2

Harmful 200-2000 400-2000 2-20

(Xn)
Adequate Risk Assessment

 Should be commensurate with the risk

and complexity of the process

 Competent person
 Must take into account the substances, nature

of the work, human variability and the nature

and degree of exposure

Chemical Risk Assessment

 Step 1: Collect the relevant information

 Step 2: Assess the risk
 Step 3: ID prevention and protective
measures
 Step 4: Plan for an emergency
 Step 5: Audit and review
 Step 6: Communicate the RA
Chemical safety

Minimise
EXPOSURE
and reduce the
RISK!
Chemical reality I

 30th January 2003 - Irish Independent

 34 year old worker habitually exposed to
excessive dust and fumes
 “Such a character and such concentration
as to be likely injurious to his health”
 Contracted asthma
 €165000 plus costs against the company
Chemical reality II

 Research laboratory – Spring 1988

 Safe systems of work
 Solvent stills
 Water pressure
 ‘Pulling capillaries’
 Presence of mind is good – absence of
body is better!
Chemical reality III

 9th September 1993

 Amino alcohol production

 Ester formation

 Thionyl chloride leak

 €16,000 per day