Control of Chemical Hazards

Presently the measurement and control of chemical hazards in the workplace environment is attracting increasing attention. 

Under such circumstances it is therefore not surprising that they are mainly the preserve of large organisations that have both the awareness and resources available to utilise them. Furthermore in such an unregulated environment those services that are available to smaller, less well-resourced clients may not themselves actually have the relevant occupational hygiene expertise to be able to advise on issues involving the measurement and control of chemical hazards and the use of OELs competently. ... 

An additional problem that is not unique to the UK may be that regulatory inspectors themselves do not have the necessary expertise to feel sufficiently confident to require monitoring and control measures involving the understanding and use of OELs from en jloyers. This may be a factor in the low level of enforcement involving the use of OELs, which in turn fails to provide the incentives to employers to seek sufficient access to expertise to enable the conq)etent use of OELs in monitoring and control of chemical hazards. 

Based on the identified hazards and standards set, controls are developed to ensure safe operating conditions. The control of chemical hazards is, in general, no different than controlling other hazards, i.e., radiological hazards. An integrated process to identify and apply the hierarchy of controls (engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment), including pollution prevention/waste minimization options, should be in place as part of the site s ISMS. 

To ensure control of chemical hazards, management should ... 

The control of chemical hazards at SNL is documented in the Primary Hazard Screen and Hazard Analysis process for every project or facility. Work-specific technical work documents provide more detailed chemical hazard controls. Hazard control is based on the hierarchy of controls engineering controls first, administrative controls next, and personal protective controls last. ES H subject matter experts provide input on appropriate controls to chemical users and their management. 

After assessing and evaluating the hazard against accepted standards, the basic approach to control of chemical hazards can be siunmed up in what is called the preferred order (or hierarelty of control measures). It is shown here ... 

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