Check out these tips for safely managing workplace chemicals
These tips were shared at the recent RCNZ conference and are sourced from Responsible Care
1) Appoint a person in charge: Responsible for security and management of chemicals
2) Maintain a Site Hazard Register
- Identify each chemical product you have, particularly tracked substances
- Record the hazard classification and maximum quantities at any one time in this register
- Obtain compliant Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from your supplier (ACoP)
3) Manage the risk
Obtain advice from:
- Person in Charge, Approved Handlers
- Chemical Suppliers
- Group Standards including Site and Storage Conditions
- Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs)
- Health and Safety Inspectors
- Hazardous Substances Enforcement Officers
- Test Certifiers
- Industry Association
4) Safely manage your site chemicals
- Ensure chemicals are correctly packaged and labelled
- Ensure SDS are available within 10 minutes (ACoP)
- Provide correct PPE
- Ensure Secondary Containment is in place (ACoP)
- Correctly segregate and store chemicals (ACoP)
- Provide appropriate fire extinguishers and spill kits
- Install Emergency Showers/Eyewash adjacent to
- chemical operations
- Provide trained First Aiders
- Review site signage (ACoP)
- Develop and annually test emergency response plan (ACoP)
5) A helping hand
Verify the need for:
- Test certificates
- Approved handlers
- Location Test Certificates
- Stationary Container Sytems (Bulk Storage) (ACoP)
- A site plan must include
- Hazardous substances locations
- Hazardous atmosphere zones
- Hazardous control zones