Inventory-related hazards

The ASSE Risk Assessment Institute provides a seven-step process for conducting a risk assessment (American Society of Safety Engineers, n.d.) 1. Gather data An organization should complete an in-depth inventory of all hazards and related risks. 

Dow Fire and Explosion Index. The Dow Eire and Explosion Index (3) is a procedure usehil for determining the relative degree of hazard related to flammable and explosive materials. This Index form works essentially the same way as an income tax form. Penalties are provided for inventory, extended temperatures and pressures, reactivity, etc, and credits are appHed for fire protection systems, process control (qv), and material isolation. The complete procedure is capable of estimating a doUar amount for the maximum probable property damage and the business intermptionloss based on an empirical correlation provided with the Index. 

One of the best ways to determine that potential is to examine the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which by law in most jurisdictions must be provided by the manufacturer for any hazardous material used in the workplace and made available to the employees by plant management. The MSDS provides all the information necessary to determine the hazard potential and the requirements for control of any hazardous substance. Still other information can be found in the various guidelines published by the American Industrial Health Association, or by the U.S. National Safety Council, or by NIOSH (the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) or various other national, state, or provincial government bodies. (See Appendix II for information on sources.) Once you have an inventory, of course, you can start relating potential health problems to possible sources in particular areas. Also, in the process of preparing this report, you will begin to build an invaluable library that will stand you in good stead for further consideration of the problems at hand. 

The GHS is not intended to harmonize risk assessment procedures or risk management decisions (such as establishment of a permissible exposure limit for employee exposure), which generally require some risk assessment in addition to hazard classification. In addition, chemical inventory requirements in various countries are not related to the GHS... 

Improved Company Image and Community Relations The USEPA publishes details of companies waste and pollution prevention efforts through the Toxic Release Inventory. With a society aware of the environmental hazards associated with the all types of waste, it becomes increasingly difficult for big polluters to maintain an ongoing relationship with the community. The USEPA also publicly recognizes companies that make voluntary commitments to P2, so as to enhance their image in the community. 

You will also want to assess employee exposure as it relates to consumer products, such as window cleaner. The level of exposure will determine if the substance miist be listed on your hazardous chemical inventory. For example, does the employee use window cleaner to wash windows for the most part of each day, or does the employee use window cleaner once every few months to keep the windows clean, as he or she would at home ... 

The Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) Form is better known as Form R. Industries are required to report hazardous substances they have on site and to provide safety and health information related to these substances. This data is intended to help communities focus on the substances and facilities of the most immediate concern for emergency planning and response. Facilities are required to submit a Form R to ERA by July 1 each year. 

Perceiving a hazard and assessing its seriousness are very closely related processes. They are separated here in order to discuss them more clearly. However, in practice the two steps are iterative. We only see something as a hazard if we see it as (potentially) out of control. The law may require us first to make an inventory of all possible hazards and then to assess their likelihood (risk). In fact we do it the other way around. We have already applied a cut-off in doing a risk assessment, which has excluded for us non-credible accidents. 

The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are a set of individual data sheets providing related safety information for each hazardous chemical used or produced at the work center. Material Safety Data Sheets are filed in each work center s "Right-to-Know" Station Binder, located in the "Right-to-Know" work stations. Each chemical listed on the Hazardous Chemical Inventory List must have a corresponding MSDS. MSDSs are provided to work centers by the Safety Division any time manufacturers forward new copies or new editions. Work center supervisors are responsible for ensuring that MSDSs are current and available for all chemicals listed on their work center s Hazardous Chemical Inventory List, and that chemicals are not used unless this information is available. 

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