Working hazardous substances regulations

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application to Environmentally Hazardous Substances) Regulations 1996 as amended... 

Has the employer implemented the use of engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment to reduce and maintain employee exposure to or below published exposure levels for hazardous substances and health hazards not regulated by 29 CFR Part 1910, Subparts G and Z (e.g., heat stress, lifting hazards) [OSHA Reference. 120(g)(2)]... 

In the United Kingdom the use of substances likely to be harmful to employees is covered by regulations issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), under the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974 (HSAWA). The principal set of regulations in force is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations, 2002 known under the acronym the COSHH regulations. The COSHH regulations apply to any hazardous substance in use in any place of work. 

Because acrylonitrile is listed as a hazardous substance, disposal of waste acrylonitrile is controlled by number of federal regulations (see Chapter 7). Rotary kiln, fluidized bed and liquid injection incineration are acceptable methods of acrylonitrile disposal (HSDB 1988). Underground injection is another disposal method. The most recent quantitative information on amount of acrylonitrile disposed in waste sites is for 1987. Emissions were 0.9 metric tons in surface water, 152 metric tons disposed through Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), 92 metric tons disposed of on land 1,912 metric tons by underground injection (TR11988). Because acrylonitrile is relatively volatile and is also readily soluble in water, release to the environment from waste sites is of concern. 

However, exclusively regulation-driven substitution of hazardous substances does not work. Approaches based on general regulations, e.g. the substitution principle contained in the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances, are unable to take action up to the level of small and medium-sized enterprises or crafts users due to structure-related deficits in enforcement. This means that additional driving forces are needed. However, the legally established obhgation of industrial or commer-... 

These regulations were made undo- the authority of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and came into force from October 1989. They set up a basic framework allowing the United Kingdom to comply with EC health and safety directives. COSHH requires employers to assess risks from hazardous substances used in the workplace. A written risk assessment is required which is specific to each workplace this written assessment must be available to employees. These assessments are subject to examination by Health and Safety Executive inspectors. 

Hazards resulting from the use of work equipment, from the process and the handling of hazardous substances as well as those resulting from an accident have to be distinguished. Protection from the former is regulated primarily in the labour protection act [1] and the occupational safety [2] and hazardous substance [3] ordinances protection from the consequences of major accidents is regulated in [4]. 

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