Health and safety advice

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, all employers should have available to them a source of competent health and safety advice. How this is achieved will depend on the size and organization of the particular employment but it can be achieved in a number of ways. 

Providing health and safety advice to all managers and staff as required... 

Provides information and advice about occupational safety and health matters in Canada and internationally. Offers telephone and mail inquiiy sendees and print and electronic products on health and safety issues. 

Guidance notes relevant to sound health and safety practices are published from time to time by the Health and Safety Executive. They have no legal status or significance such as found in Codes of Practice. However, as their content is normally based on a wealth of practical experience, it would be expected by the enforcing authorities that employers would follow the advice contained in them. 

Whereas the Health and Safety Commission is responsible for the development of policies in the health and safety field, the Health and Safety Executive, being a separate statutory body appointed by the Commission, will work in accordance with directions and guidance given by the Commission. The Executive will provide advice on health and safety to both sides of industry and will enforce legal requirements. 

Numerous leaflets can be obtained from the local offices of the Health and Safety Executive or HSE Information Points. Remember, if you have any doubts about the health and safety risks involved with respect to any substance you may consider using, or any work you are planning to undertake, seek advice. This information may be obtained from your company safety officer, consultants, manufac-turer/supplier or equipment/materiaPsubstance, HSE or local Environmental Health Officer. Use their expertise and knowledge. Do not be a statistic. 

Developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive, COSHH Essentials provides advice on controlling the use of chemicals for a range of common tasks, for example, mixing or drying. 

For the analysts, laboratories wishing to dispose of materials containing dilute concentrations of these constituents should contact the Department of Environmental Health and Safety for advice regarding the proper disposition of the materials. In addition, the list of such materials is not included here, as it is subject to periodic updates. Furthermore, the list is not meant to be complete and may not include substances that have the hazardous characteristics as defined above. Omission of a chemical from this list does not mean that it is without toxic properties or any other hazard. 

Health and Safety Guides (HSGs) (see Figure 2.3) provide concise information in nontechnical language, for decision-makers on risks from exposure to chemicals, together with practical advice on medical and administrative issues. 

CCOHS promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing information and advice about occupational health and safety. 

Hazard Study 3 (Hazard and Operability study, HAZOP) is carried out when the design of the process is finalised and detailed. The basic premise of a Hazard and Operability study is that hazards may occur on chemical plant when situations arise which the designer had not thought about. HAZOP sets out to identify these situations. There are many books and publications giving instruction, advice and background to these studies, and some organisations make these freely available (for example, the Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Health and Safety Committee s Notes on Hazard and Operability Studies 13 March 2001). 

Check with your state science supervisor, local college or university environmental health and safety specialists and the Laboratory Safety Workshop for advice in the disposal of chemical waste. The American Chemical Society publishes an excellent guidebook, Laboratory Waste Management, A Guidebook (1994). 

In the House of Commons yesterday, the Home Secretary was asked if he wouldprohibit the sale of this lethal new material. The Home Secretary replied that, as it was clearly a major hazard, Local Authorities would have to take advice from the Health and Safety Executive before giving planning permission. A full investigation was needed and the Major Hazards Group would be asked to report. 

The web is a vast resource for hazard information and advice on safe practices in the chemical laboratory. Many UK and US. university chemistry departments have posted their safety policies and guidance for laboratory workers on the web and added links to other health and safety websites. The websites of the following organisations are also useful sources of hazard information ... 

Sample requirement and specimen collection Preparation of analytical device— machine and/or consumables Performance of test Performance of quality control Documentation of test result and quality control result Reporting of test result to appropriate personnel Interpretation of result and sources of advice Health and safety issues e.g disposal of sample and test device, cleaning of machine and test area)... 

Exposure limits are set by the Health and Safety Commission, on the advice of its Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances (ACTS) and Woridng Group on the Assessment of Toxic Chemicals (WATCH). ACTS has begun publishing the full rationale for establishing exposure limits as Criteria Documents . The format of these documents is modelled on that adopted by the EC [17]. 

James, P., Vickers, I., Smallbone, D. and Baldock, R. (2004). The use of external sources of healtii and safety information and advice the case of small firms, Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, Vol2,1, pp. 91-104. 

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