THE COSHH ASSESSOR

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An Introduction to Chemical Awareness
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Aims and Objectives

• Current legislation
• Hazards and symbols of chemicals
• Types of chemicals and what they do
• PPE
• Risk assessment

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EXAMPLES

• Legionnaires disease
• Blood borne viruses
• MRSA
• Latex gloves
• Respiratory Sensitizers
• Cyotoxic drugs
• Clinical Waste
• Glutaraldehyde

• Bleach
• Paints
• Glues
• Lubricating oils
• Wood dust
• Pesticides
• Ozone (Photocopying)
• Toilet cleaners
• Chlorohexidine

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• Current legislation

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Definitions

• Very toxic or toxic substances and preparations
  cause death or acute or chronic damage to health
  when inhaled, swallowed or absorbed via the skin,
  even in small quantities.

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Definitions

• Harmful substances may cause death or acute or
  chronic damage to health when inhaled, swallowed
  or absorbed through the skin.

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Definitions

• Corrosive substances and preparations may destroy
  living tissues on contact and include
• Acids Sulphuric Acid
• Alkalis Sodium Hydroxide

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Definitions

• Irritant substances and preparations are
  non-corrosive but may cause inflammation through
  immediate, prolonged or repeated contact with
  skin or mucous membranes

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Definitions

• Sensitising substances and preparations may cause
  an allergic reaction.
• (Inhalation and Skin contact)
• Di-Isocyanates, Flour/Grain Dust, Crustaceans/Fish

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Definitions

• Carcinogenic substances and preparations may
  induce cancer or increase its incidence if
  inhaled or ingested or absorbed by the skin.
• Mustard gas, hardwood dusts, coal soots

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Definitions

• Mutagen substances or preparations which cause a
  permanent change in the amount or structure of
  the genetic material in an organism, resulting in
  a genetic change or the characteristics of the
  organism. Eg Ethidium Bromide (dye)

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Definitions

• Teratogenic substances which are capable of
  disturbing the growth and development of an
  embryo or foetus. Eg Ethanol

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Definitions

• Solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a
  solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a
  solution.
• In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic
  compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and
  carbon.

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Definitions

• Oil a colloquial term used to refer to certain
  diverse and unrelated compounds sharing the same
  physical properties (such as viscosity and a
  hydrophobic nature), while ignoring related
  compounds.

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Definitions

• Oxidisers a chemical compound that readily
  transfers oxygen atoms.
• Eg Hydrogen Peroxide

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Definitions

• Flammable or Highly Flammable or Extremely
  Flammable is the ease with which a substance will
  ignite, causing fire or combustion.

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Definitions

• Explosion is a sudden increase in volume and
  release of energy in an extreme manner, usually
  with the generation of high temperatures and the
  release of gases.
• Eg Chemical

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Definitions

• Dangerous when wet
• substance is one that spontaneously undergoes a
  chemical reaction with water.

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Substance Hazardous to Health ?
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Substance Hazardous to Health ?
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Other signs
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EVALUATING THE RISK

• FIND OUT
• The likelihood of exposure
• What level of exposure could occur
• Potential duration of exposure
• Potential for recurring exposure
• CONCLUDE
• Whether existing or potential exposure is
  significant or not?

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Substance Hazardous to Health

• very toxic, toxic, harmful, corrosive, irritant
• WELs
• Biological agent
• Any substance creating a comparable hazard

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FACTORS FOR ASSESSMENT

• Routes of entry
• Health effects
• Chemical reactions
• Engineering controls
• Safety data sheets
• Personal protective equipment

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ROUTES OF ENTRY

• INHALATION
• INGESTION
• SKIN ABSORPTION
• INJECTION

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TOXIC EFFECTS

• THE EFFECTS OF A CHEMICAL ON THE BODY ARE
  DTERMINED BY
• THE AMOUNT TAKEN INTO THE BODY
  
• THE EXPOSURE TIME

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TOXIC DOSES

• ONE GRAM OF SALT CAN KILL A RAT
• SIX GRAMS OF CAFFEINE CAN KILL A HUMAN
• ONE TABLET OF PENICILLAN CAN KILL A PERSON WHO IS
  ALLERGIC TO IT

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ACUTE EFFECTS

• Usually results from short exposures to high
  doses
• Very often short lived, and usually followed by
  permanent damage or complete recovery
• Effects are usually very visible so cause is
  easily found
• Wide variation in effects from simple irritation
  to death

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CHRONIC EFFECTS (1)

• Health Effects - from exposures over a long
  period of time.
• Cause and effect difficult to identify

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CHRONIC EFFECTS (2)

• CARCINOGENIC
• TERATOGENIC
• MUTAGENIC

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CHRONIC EFFECTS (3)

• REPRODUCTIVE TOXINS These
  chemicals, unlike teratogens, can affect the male
  and female reproductive systems. As a result the
  ability to have children may be impaired.
• SPECIFIC ORGAN TOXICITY Chronic
  overexposure to some substances can damage
  specific organs e.g. Carbon Tetrachloride can
  cause liver damage.

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WELs ( 1)

• Workplace Exposure Limit (WELs)- Is the
  concentration of airborne substance, averaged
  over a reference period(e.g. 8 hour long term) to
  which employees may be exposed by inhalation
  under the circumstances.

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WELs ( 2)

• The concentration of an airborne substance,
  averaged over a reference period at which,
  according to current knowledge, there is no
  evidence that it is likely to be injurious to
  employees if they are exposed by inhalation, day
  after day, to that concentration

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WELs
Cumulative effects of different chemicals.
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MAINTAINING CONTROL

• Health questionnaires
• Monitoring exposure
  -WELs
• Emergency plans
• Auditing procedures
• Health surveillance

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SAFETY DATA SHEET 1

• Identification of the substance/preparation
• Identification of the company or undertaking
• Composition/information on ingredients
• Hazard identification
• First Aid measurements
• Fire-fighting measurements
• Accidental release measures
• Handling and storage

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SAFETY DATA SHEET 2

• Exposure controls/personal protection
• Physical chemical properties
• Stability reactivity
• Toxicological information
• Ecological information
• Disposal information
• Transport information
• Regulatory information
• Other information

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ABBREVIATIONS

• TWA Time Weighted Average
• STEL Short term exposure limit (15 mins)
• LTEL Long term exposure limit (8 hours) (TWA)
• WELs Workplace Exposure Limit

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Skin Absorption

• SK Can be absorbed through the skin Exposure
  via the dermal route may Make a
  substantial contribution to the body load.
  
  Cause systemic effects so conclusions based on
  airborne concentration limits may be invalid.
• SEN Causes respiratory sensitization (Asthmagen)

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COSHH Essentials
Skin Care Bodys largest organ. Protection
against the environment. First line of defence
against harmful bacteria. Without its sensory
organs we would have no warning of dangerous
contact. Wash hands regularly. Apply a
moisturiser.
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CONTROL MEASURESHEIRARCHY OF CONTROL

• ELIMINATION
• SUBSTITUTION
• CONTROL AT SOURCE
• ENGINEERING CONTROLS
• ( Total / Partial Enclosure / Isolation / LEV )
• MAINTAIN DISTANCE
• REDUCE CONTACT TIME (Rotation)
• PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
• DISCIPLINE

• OPERATING PROCEDURES
• SUPERVISION
• TRAINING

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PRACTICAL CONTROLS

• Limit volumes being handled /stored.
• Review type, size, shape, weight of containers
  used.
• Store incompatible substances separately.
• Implement spillage /emergency procedures.
• Transport substance in closed/sealed containers.
• Use substances in less volatile states /forms.
• Restrict access.

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PRE-INFORMATION, TRAINING INSTRUCTION

• Inform the employee about the risks
• Give the employee information on PPE
• Provide instruction on use
• Arrange for training

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HEALTH SURVEILLANCE

• Reactions / behaviour
• Skin examination
• Lung function test
• Breath sample
• Saliva sample
• Blood sample
• Urine sample

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Risk Assessment

• 1. Identify hazards
• 2. Decide who may be harmed and how
• 3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions
• 4. Record findings and implement them
• 5. Review your assessment update, if necessary

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• Myth
• Risk assessment is too
• complicated for me
• to do!
• Source H and S Myths

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• Myth
• Graduates are
• banned from throwing
• mortar boards
• Source H and S Myths

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• Good schools need to focus on turning out people
  who are risk savvy, not risk averse petty
  bureaucrats equipped with tick-box clipboards.
  Safety needs to be a core value in schools just
  like everywhere else - not the first excuse of
  choice when things get a bit difficult.
• Source Judith Hackett (Chair of HSE)

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Conclusions