The Health and Safety Kit: Substance Safety

No matter what industry you’re in, it is likely that you will come across many different types of materials or substances that are used every day, or created as part of your work, that could be harmful to your health.

These substances can be anything from liquids, gels and powders to dusts, gases or fumes – even something as common as cleaning fluid or paint is classed as a harmful substance and could easily come into contact with your skin or eyes resulting in injury, infection or allergic reaction.

Injuries of this kind range from minor reactions to poisoning and burns, but are completely avoidable and if used correctly will almost never cause any harm.

The Hazards

• Long term illness

The long term effects of exposure to harmful substances may go unnoticed for a long time, but prolonged exposure to some dusts and fumes can result in chronic, incurable illnesses, such as asthma, cancer and lung disease. Asbestosis is a prime example of the sometimes fatal, long term effects of harmful substances.

• Injury

The immediate effects of contact with a harmful substance can be anything from dizziness and stinging eyes to burns and allergic reactions. The more toxic the substance, the more harmful the results, and serious burns and allergic reactions can be fatal.

• Poisoning

Ingesting a harmful substance can have immediate or prolonged effects. It may well be that it will simply cause short term sickness, but in some cases the substances can be sufficiently harmful as to result in internal burns, reactions or even death.

• Fire risks

Many harmful or toxic substances are also flammable, which, if stored incorrectly, can result in a fire. This type of risk offers its own series of risks, from smoke inhalation and burns, but fires involving toxic chemicals are notoriously difficult to tackle and often have much worse consequences as a result.

The Law

The main piece of legislation application to substances is the is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH), which states that you must adequately control exposure to materials in the workplace that cause ill health.

Your Responsibilities

The most effective thing you can do to conform with the COSHH regulations is carry out a full risk assessment to determine adequate control measures.

• Identify any harmful substances (check labels, safety data sheets and contact suppliers if in doubt). Remember to include anything produced during your working processes, such as dust and fumes.

• Identify who is at risk of harm – think of the route of exposure (inhalation, skin contact, ingestion), how often they are exposed and how long exposure lasts. Consider casual workers, including cleaners, maintenance engineers and the public.

• Assess present measures to avoid harm, ensuring they are adequate for the risk and changing them to reflect higher risks. Remove unnecessary risks (possibly change process or supplier).

• Provide suitable information, instruction and training to those at risk of harm, ensuring they know how to keep themselves and those around them safe.

Available Training

The team here at Health and Safety Training Ltd are dedicated to providing tailored training courses designed to keep you, your staff and anyone who may visit your premises, safe and protected from harm. This includes expert Risk Assessment Training that will allow a competent and responsible person to investigate, identify and take precautions against all risks, including those relating to hazardous substances.

We can also offer Fire Safety and Awareness training, alongside First Aid at Work training to keep your staff as safe as possible.

So if you think you need assistance and training to keep your business running smoothly, safely and legally – simply get in touch today to find out how our courses can help.