Supplier data, hazard information

The handbook provides ready information on the fire and chemical reactivity of commonly used chemicals. Its purpose is to provide basic information important to the safe handling of chemicals and to help provide guidance in responding to a hazardous materials incident, in particular, incidents involving reactive chemicals and materials posing fire and explosion hazards. The data and information on each chemical have been compiled from several sources, including the CHRIS data base, material safety data sheets from chemical manufacturers and suppliers, and various references cited at the end of this first chapter. This first chapter provides an explanation of the terms used in chemical specific discussions and also provides basic guidance on how to extract information from the handbook. 

The Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) (CHIP) Regulations 2009 require manufacturers and suppliers to provide users with information about hazards and health risks by labelling their products with relevant hazard information and by issuing Material Safety Data Sheets. 

The Chemicals (Hazardous Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations (CHIP) that were enacted in 1993 under the HSWA, together with subsequent amendments, are concerned with the supply of dangerous substances and preparations and sets out how these should be classified, labelled and packaged. There is also a requirement on the supplier to provide safety data sheets. 

Step 2 . Find the hazard information about the chemical you will be using. Depending on the format used by the supplier, you may have to look in different sections, but it is usually found early in one or more sections. Look for sections that may be called Hazard Identification, Physical and Chemical Characteristics, Fire and Explosion Hazard Data, Reactivity and Stability Data, or Health Hazard Data. You may find additional information in later sections of the MSDS that can also help you evaluate the hazard of this chemical. 

As health hazard information for ethylene oxide is currently an area for active research, users of ethylene oxide are urged to become familiar with the most current data, rules, and regulations. As an absolute minimum, the user should have and be conversant with the latest version of the MSDS available from their product supplier, and the OSHA regulations in 29 CFR 1910.1047, Occupation Exposure to Ethylene Oxide, Final Standard [4]. 

Flammable materials are provided with information sheets (Materials Safety Data Sheets - MSDS) which are produced by the manufacturer for onward transmission to the suppliers and ultimately the end user , as required by both the Chemical Hazards (Information Packaging for Supply) Regulations and HSWA, section 6. 

We have tried to make this chemical hazard information as accurate and nsefni as possible, bnt can take no responsibility for its nse, misuse, or accuracy. In the assessment of hazards and risks from chemical exposure, yon have to verify this information by consnlting the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided by the supplier of the chemical. 

This chapter has already hinted strongly at the need for information. If people are to work safely then, obviously, they need to know not just what hazards are present, but how to avoid them. For this, there has to be a body of knowledge which can be disseminated effectively. One source of information has already been described product safety data sheets. For all their faults, they are usually the basis of any data bank on chemical hazards. A practical problem is that few suppliers use the same format. It may, therefore, be helpful for laboratory or workshop managers to prepare internal data sheets, in a common format, for local use. Just as with the suppliers data sheets, these should concentrate on fact and avoid opinion. If, though, some chemicals are thought to be particularly dangerous, then the opportunity to highlight them should be taken. 

Information is required about the particular type of personal protective equipment or clothing to help in deciding whether it will reduce the hazardous agent to an acceptable level or eliminate it altogether. Such data are usually available from manufacturers or suppliers, and the information supplied will usually detail the results of tests performed under ideal, standardized conditions, such as those conforming to the relevant British or international standard for the particular type of protection required. 

For specific hazard information and guidance, consult the supplier s Material Safety Data Sheet. 

Suppliers must also provide the eustomer with more detailed information on the hazards and safety preeautions of their produets. If the ehemieals are to be used in connection with work this is usually in a Material Safety Data Sheet. Relevant information from Table 1.10 should be included and at least cover that listed in Table 14.10. 

It is hoped that the improvements will help to achieve die objectives for which die text was originally conceived, i.e. to summarize in relatively basic terms die hazards associated with chemicals and how the ensuing risks can be controlled, and to provide sufficient detailed information to supplement that obtainable from suppliers, government publications, trade associations, and computerized data banks where recourse to specialized textbooks may be premature, difficult or unnecessary. 

The first step is to identify the substances present at the workplace. As a starting point, knowledge of the process is needed in order to formulate a list of all chemical agents used in the establishment. The list should include not only primary products but also intermediate and final products, as well as reaction products and by-products. For the chemical agents in the list, it is necessary to know their chemical properties, especially hazardous ones their OEL values, including biological limit values and, where these are not available, other technical criteria that can be used to evaluate the risk. It is also helpful to include any information on the safety and health risks of those substances provided by the supplier or other readily available sources. This information on dangerous substances and preparations, in the form of safety data sheets, is intended primarily for industrial users, to enable them to take the measures necessary to ensure the safety and health of workers. 

Realistically, the information available to perform risk studies varies over the lifetime of a process. During the early stages of process development, analysis teams may only have access to basic chemical reactivity hazard data, such as may be obtained from suppliers and literature resources. By the time a facility reaches the detailed design phase, most of the basic design and operating information should be available and used in any study of the facility hazards and risks. 

---