Chemical Safety

1
Chemical Safety

• Walking the walk
• NOT
• Talking the talk!

2
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!

3
Hazardous Substances

• Physico-chemical Hazards
• include flammable, explosive and oxidising
• Toxicological Hazards
• include toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, harmful,
  irritant, corrosive and sensitising
• Environmental Hazards

4
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
• lt21 0C Highly flammable
• lt 0 0C Extremely flammable

5
Toxic
6
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

7
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

8
Chemical safety

• Minimise
• EXPOSURE
• and reduce the
• RISK!

9
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

10
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!

11
Chemical reality III

• 9th September 1993
• Amino alcohol production
• Ester formation
• Thionyl chloride leak
• 16,000 per day