Many workplaces commonly and safely use chemicals in their day to day operations. Hazardous substances and dangerous goods can be extremely dangerous to people, environment and property, especially if not managed properly. In particular, if your company deals with such goods and/or substances, it is important to be well aware of the risks it can pose to workers health and safety.
How Can Anitech Help?
In order to achieve legal compliance and meet your moral responsibilities, it is essential to identify and manage the risks that are associated with Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods within your workplace. Providing training, information and supervision to your employees can also be key to protecting the health and safety of your staff. Our qualified occupational hygienists will help you to identify these risks by conducting measurement of hazardous substances as well as aid in interpreting and adhering to to the legislation which can often be difficult and time-consuming to understand.
What is a Hazardous Substance or Dangerous Good?
Worksafe defines Hazardous Substances as those that have the potential to cause harm to human health. They can be solids, liquids or gases; they may be pure substances or mixtures. When used in the workplace, these substances often generate vapours, fumes, dusts and mists. A wide range of industrial, laboratory and agricultural chemicals are classified as hazardous.
Dangerous goods on the other hand, are substances that can cause harm to people and property because of characteristics such as corrosiveness, flammability, combustibility, explosiveness, oxidative or water-reactivity or other hazardous properties. Many hazardous substances also fall under the category of dangerous goods, which means means compliance to both legislation is necessary in relation to these.
Risks can emerge during the production, handling, storage, transport or disposal of hazardous substances or dangerous goods.
Hazardous Substances
- Arsenic
- Carbon Monoxide
- Cytotoxic drugs
- Diesel – declared carcinogen
- Environmental Tobacco Smoke
- Latex
- Lead
- Silica
- Solvents
Dangerous Goods
- Explosives
- Flammable gases, liquids + solids
- Non-flammable, non-toxic gases
- Toxic gases
- Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
- Substances which in contact with water emit flammable gases
- Oxidising substances
- Organic peroxides
- Toxic substances
- Infectious substances
- Radioactive material
- Corrosive substances