Managing Risks with Chemicals

Chemicals can be divided into hazardous chemicals and non-hazardous chemicals: Hazardous chemicals is a term that collectively describes substances, mixtures or articles which are classified according to the hazard they present. A chemical’s hazardous nature is stated on its label and safety data sheet. Specific legislation applies to hazardous chemicals but all chemicals need to be managed safely at your workplace. Non-hazardous chemicals generally do not represent a threat to the health and safety of employees if used correctly and safely. Chemical is a general term that includes substances, products, mixtures and preparations composed of elements, compounds or mixtures. Chemicals may exist as solids, liquid or gases. Such chemical products may be classed as hazardous or non-hazardous, or as dangerous goods depending on their potential to cause harm to workers, the environment or property. What are hazardous chemicals? A hazardous chemical (also known as a hazardous substance) is a substance, mixture or article that satisfies the criteria for a hazard class within either the AC Classification system (the original system in the OSH regulations 1996) or the Globally Harmonised System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals 3rd revised edition (GHS). Hazardous chemical classes are listed in Schedule 11 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. What are non-hazardous chemicals? Chemicals that are not classified as hazardous chemicals are referred to as non-hazardous chemicals. Non-hazardous chemicals generally do not represent a threat to the health and safety of employees and others provided that they are used for the purpose specified and in the manner specified. Nevertheless, there is still a duty for the safe management of non-hazardous chemicals in the workplace under the WHS Regulation 2011.

Dangerous Goods Hazardous chemicals are those that, following worker exposure, can have an adverse effect on health. They are classified according to the nature of the hazard into nine classes (Explosives, Gases, Flammable Liquids, Flammable Solids, Oxidizing Substances, Toxic & Infectious Substances, Radioactive Material, Corrosives, Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods), some of which are divided into sub-classes. These classes are denoted by specific labels (or diamonds). What are dangerous goods? Dangerous goods describe certain substances, mixtures or articles that present a risk during transport, either through their physical and chemical (physicochemical) hazards, acute toxicity or hazards to the environment. They are classified on the basis of immediate physical or chemical risk and usually present an immediate hazard to people, property or the environmentdue to the possibility of fire, explosion, chemical reaction or release of toxic, flammable or corrosive materials during storage or handling. In Australia and Queensland prior to 2012 chemicals were classified as hazardous chemicals or dangerous goods according to different criteria. About 95% of chemicals were classified as both dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals and were subject to both sets of laws wherever there was an overlap between the two groups. Under new Queensland laws (the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011), chemicals are now classified as hazardous chemicals in line with the GHS. Further to this, the Dangerous Goods Safety Management Act 2001 has been repealed and is now covered in Chapter 7 of the WHS Regulation 2011. Dangerous goods classifications now apply to the transport, placarding and segregation of chemicals only.

Responsibilities- Officer in Charge Officers in charge 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 Departmental supervisors and managers have duties to ensure that the health and safety of themselves, their staff and any other persons (such as students and volunteers) is not affected by the use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace.

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. Workers at a workplace have responsibilities to comply with any reasonable instruction and co-operate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety in the workplace with respect to hazardous chemicals. Contractors, visitors and students also have workplace health and safety responsibilities with respect to hazardous chemicals.

Implementation Locate chemicals in your workplace: Determine if they are ‘hazardous’ or ‘non-hazardous’ by accessing the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and labels For ALL chemicals – ensure correct labelling follow safety instructions on label and MSDS inform users of correct use, storage and disposal In addition, for hazardous chemicals – ensure the MSDS is accessible add details of the hazardous chemicals to the register complete and record a risk assessment Provide information and training to ensure safe practice Keep records of training, register, risk assessments. Labelling of chemicals is a critical issue because it is the most visible hazard communication tool. The label is often the first source of information alerting users to the inherent hazards of a chemical and any instructions for its safe storage, handling and use. In the workplace, you must: ensure that any hazardous chemical that is used, handled or stored at the workplace is correctly labelled (i.e. a label, so far as reasonably practicable, accurately reflects the hazardous contents is fixed to the container); ensure that a hazardous chemical is correctly labelled if the chemical is ‘manufactured’ at the workplace (a dilution or reactant); or transferred or decanted from the chemical’s original container at the workplace; and ensure that containers that are labelled for holding a hazardous chemical are used only for the use, handling or storage of the hazardous chemical. Specific labelling requirements for decanted and transferred chemicals, research chemicals, small containers, and waste are discussed in detail in Chapter 4 of the Guideline.

What is a MSDS? A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): identifies if the product is classified as ‘hazardous’ or ‘non-hazardous’ 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 provides emergency information including first aid advice and spills treatment A Safety Data Sheet (SDS; previously known as a material safety data sheet (MSDS)), is a document that provides information on the properties of a chemical. If a chemical’s hazards and consequences of exposure are known and understood, then appropriate measures can be taken so they can be stored, handled and used safely. If an SDS identifies a chemical as ‘hazardous’ then risk assessments and registers are to be completed and maintained An SDS therefore helps you to safely manage hazardous chemicals in the workplace. An SDS must: be written in English contain measurements in Australian legal units (e.g. mL, L, cm3) state the date it was last reviewed, or if it has not been reviewed, the date it was prepared. state the name, Australian address and business telephone number of (i) the manufacturer or (ii) the importer SDS formats are standardised to communicate hazard information in a structured way. An SDS must contain the following information about the chemical: Section 1 - Identification- Product identifier and chemical identity Section 2 - Hazard(s) identification Section 3 - Composition and information on ingredients Section 4 - First-aid measures Section 5 - Fire-fighting measures Section 6 - Accidental release measures Section 7 - Handling and storage, including how the chemical may be safely used Section 8 - Exposure controls and personal protection Section 9 - Physical and chemical properties Section 10 - Stability and reactivity Section 11 - Toxicological information Section 12 - Ecological information Section 13 - Disposal considerations Section 14 - Transport information Section 15 - Regulatory information Section 16 - Any other relevant information

What is GHS? The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international approach to chemical labels and safety data sheets (SDS). OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard has adopted the GHS to improve safety and health of workers through more effective communications on chemical hazards.

Labeling Every container of hazardous chemicals is labeled by the manufacturer. Labels make it easy to find at a glance the chemical’s possible hazards and basic steps to take to protect yourself against those risks.

Requirements of a GHS Label

Pictograms A symbol plus a red diamond border intended to convey specific information about the hazards of a chemical. 4 Health Hazard Pictograms 5 Physical Hazard Pictograms

Health Hazard Pictogram- Corrosion Skin Corrosion/Burns Eye Damage

Health Hazard Pictogram- Exclamation Mark Irritant (skin and eye) Skin Sensitizer Acute Toxicity Narcotic Effects Respiratory Tract Irritant Hazardous to Ozone Layer (non-mandatory)

Health Hazard Pictogram- Health Hazard Carcinogen Mutagen Reproductive Toxicity Respiratory Sensitizer Target Organ Toxicity Aspiration Toxicity

Health Hazard Pictogram- Skull & Crossbones Acute Toxicity (fatal or toxic)

Physical Hazard Pictogram- Flame Flammables Pyrophorics Self-Heating Emits Flammable Gas Self-Reactives Organic Peroxides

Physical Hazard Pictogram- Flame Over Circle Oxidizer – a substance that is not necessarily combustible, but may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other material

Physical Hazard Pictogram- Gas Cylinder Gases under pressure

Physical Hazard Pictogram- Exploding Bomb Explosives Self-Reactives Organic Peroxides

Physical Hazard Pictogram- Corrosion Corrosive to Metals

Non-mandatory Pictogram- Environment Aquatic Toxicity

Signal Words “Danger” – more severe hazards “Warning” – less severe hazards

HMIS/NFPA Labeling Systems Blue - Health Red – Flammability Yellow – Reactivity White – Protective Equipment and Other Scale 0-4 0 = no danger 4 = highest danger

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) SDS are multi-page documents that contain more detailed information about a chemical than the container label. The revised HazCom standard requires that the information on the SDS is presented using consistent headings in a specific order.

Safety Data Sheets Detailed information sheet prepared by manufacturer or importer Available for every hazardous chemical or substance Contains information that: Enables you to prepare for safe day-to-day use Enables you to respond in emergencies

16-Section SDS Format Identification Hazard(s) Identification Composition/Information on Ingredients First-Aid Measures Fire-Fighting Measures Accidental Release Measures Handling and Storage Exposure Controls/Personal Protection

16-Section SDS Format Physical and Chemical Properties Stability and Reactivity Toxicological Information Ecological Information Disposal Considerations Transport Information Regulatory Information Other Information

Location of SDS In your work area Your supervisor will inform you of the specific location Office of Environmental Safety and Health

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 Effective controls Inhalation e.g. breathing in vapours, particles or gases Good ventilation, face masks Ingestion e.g. swallowing residues after failing to wash hands after using chemicals and before eating Wash hands after use, gloves Absorption e.g. through the skin or eyes Good ventilation, eye protection and other PPE Injection e.g. unintentional skin penetration by needles or other sharp objects Use tongs, gloves, handle items with care More information about chemical exposure can be found in Appendix 2a of the Guideline