Guide
All guides are intended to give further details to information contained in a particular piece of legislation, policy, code, agreement or procedure and must therefore be read in conjunction with them.
INTRODUCTION
This guide has been developed to provide guidance and information to support staff and students in risk management of chemicals. The guidance material is intended for use for chemicals only, such as hazardous substances, dangerous goods and scheduled poisons. The guide does not provide information or guidance on biological materials or biological substances.
Throughout this guide the generic term “chemical” is generally used. The term “hazardous chemical” as defined by Northern Territory Work Health and Safety (NUL) Regulations 2011, is used when the guidance applies specifically to this classification of chemical.
1. Abbreviations 3
2. Relevant Definitions 3
3. Health and Safety Responsibilities 4
3.1 Legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards, Policy, Procedure and Guides 4
3.2 Duty of Care 4
3.3 General Workplace Management 4
3.4 How to manage work health and safety risks 4
3.5 Chemical Risk Assessment 5
3.6 Emergency Management Plan 5
4. Induction, Information, Training and Supervision 5
5. First Aid 6
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 6
7. Permits and Licencing 6
8. Safety Data Sheet (SDS) 7
9. Records and Information Management 8
9.1 Inventory 8
9.2 CDU Manifest 8
9.3 ChemWatch GOLDFFX 8
10. Purchasing 8
10.1 General 8
10.2 Importation 9
11. Packaging and Labelling 9
11.1 Packaging 9
11.2 Labelling 9
12. Storage and Handling 10
12.1 General 10
12.2 Handling - Decanting 11
12.3 Transport of chemicals 11
13. Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) 12
14. Waste management 13
14.1 Segregation and Storage of Waste 13
14.2 Waste Management Records 14
14.3 Packaging and Labelling of Waste 14
14.4 Waste Treatment 14
15. Monitoring and Health Surveillance 15
16. Essential Supporting Information 16
1. Abbreviations
AS/NZS / Australian/New Zealand StandardCDU / Charles Darwin University
ECO / Emergency Control Organisation
NUL / National Uniform Legislation
PCBU / Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking
PPE / Personal Protective Equipment
SDS / Safety Data Sheet
WHS / Work Health and Safety
2. Relevant Definitions
In the context of this document:
Authorised Person means a person who has permission, is qualified or licensed and competent for the task at hand.
Chemical is defined as any element, chemical compound or mixture of elements and/or compounds where chemical(s) are distributed. Chemicals may be in solid, liquid, gas or plasma form.
Chemicals of Security Concern are chemicals that have been identified by the Australian Government as requiring attention due to their potential for misuse by terrorists.
Dangerous goods are substances or articles that pose an immediate risk to safety of people, property or the environment. (e.g. flammable, toxic, oxidising, corrosive, radioactive). Dangerous goods are classified using criteria set out, or referred to in the Australian Dangerous Goods Code 7th Edition. A dangerous good can also be a hazardous substance and/or a drug, poison or controlled substance.
Drug Precursors are chemicals which can be used for illicit drug manufacture.
Hazard means a situation or thing that has the potential to harm people, property or the environment.
Hazardous chemicals are pure chemicals, or chemical mixtures that present an immediate or long term risk of injury or illness. The risk can be associated with health hazards or physiochemical hazards (e.g. flammable, corrosive, reactive, radioactive etc.). A hazardous substance can also be a dangerous good and/or a drug, poison or controlled substance.
Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) is the legal entity operating a business or undertaking. A PCBU may be an individual person or an organisation conducting a business or undertaking. It is not an individual, unless they are conducting the business in their own name as a sole trader or partner. Persons engaged solely as a worker or officer of the business or undertaking are excluded from the definition of PCBU.
Physicochemical hazard means a hazard relating to both the physical and chemical properties of a chemical
Risk is the possibility that death, injury or illness might occur when exposed to a hazard.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a document prepared by the vendor (manufacturer/importer/supplier) of a chemical which describes uses, chemical and physical properties, health hazard information, precautions for use, safe handling and emergency information. It is a legislative requirement for the vendor to supply a copy of the SDS for each chemical to the end user.
Scheduled Carcinogens are cancer-causing chemicals that require authorisation if used or stored in the workplace and means a carcinogenic substance listed in Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 of National Model Regulations for the Control of Scheduled Carcinogenic Substances.
Scheduled Poisons are chemicals (pure substances and mixtures) listed in the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP) that have special controls applied to how they are packaged, labelled, dispensed and used to ensure the safety of the community. This includes pure chemicals, agricultural and veterinary products, therapeutic goods, medicines and pharmaceuticals. A scheduled poison can also be a hazardous substance and/or a dangerous good.
The Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP) isthe record of decisions regarding the classification of medicines and chemicals into Schedules and includes model provisions about containers and labels, and recommendations about other controls on medicines and chemicals.
Worker means any person carries out work in any capacity for the University, including but not limited to, University’s staff member, contractor, subcontractor and their employee, apprentice or trainee, student gaining work experience, and volunteer;
Workplace means a place where work is carried out for the University and includes any place where a worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work. This may include, but is not limited to, laboratories, workshops, training rooms, on-site recreational facilities, vehicles or vessels, on field trips, in teaching facilities, in offices, in rural environments and any area of industry operations.
3. Health and Safety Responsibilities
3.1 Legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards, Policy, Procedure and Guides
The legislative governance and other information pertaining to chemical management is complex and extensive. A list of Acts and Regulations, Codes of Practice, Standards, Guides and CDU Policy and Procedure that are applicable to Charles Darwin University activities that involve chemicals is included at the end of this document.
3.2 Duty of Care
Primary duty of care – Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far as reasonably practicable the health and safety of all persons engaged or influenced by the persons activities, by eliminating or minimising the exposure to hazards and risks as far as reasonably practicable.
Workers and others – while at work, a worker must take reasonable care for their own health and safety whilst also taking all reasonable measures to ensure that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. The worker must comply and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health or safety at the workplace.
Work Health and Safety Policy http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol-044.pdf
3.3 General Workplace Management
The following principles apply to all individuals working within University workplaces:
· Keep the area clean, organised and tidy at all times.
· Report all hazards, unsafe conditions and unsafe acts.
· The last person leaving the area at any time must ensure that the area is locked to prevent unauthorized entry. No staff member or other unauthorized persons are to enter the areas out of hours, unless access has been approved by the relevant Supervisor, and Security is advised of the out of hours work.
3.4 How to manage work health and safety risks
It is the responsibility of all workers to identify any hazards and ensure they are reported to supervisors or management so that effective controls can be implemented. Employees are encouraged to attend WHS Risk Management Training and to read the CDU Risk Management Policy. http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol-036.pdf
This document will provide information relating to:
· Duty to identify hazards
· Managing risks to health and safety
· Hierarchy of control measures
· Maintenance of control measures
· Review of control measures
3.5 Chemical Risk Assessment
A chemical risk assessment determines whether there is a risk to staff or students’ health from using a chemical in the workplace (including any new chemicals or by-products that may be produced during an activity). Therefore all staff and students who engage in activities associated with chemicals must be aware of the hazards and risks associated with chemicals and the controls that have been put in place to reduce the risks.
A risk assessment should be completed before a chemical is used for the first time in the workplace. For newly purchased chemicals a risk assessment should have been completed prior to purchase.
The chemical risk assessment should be kept where users of the chemical can access the risk assessment easily and quickly and ensures that:
• chemicals will be appropriately and safely managed from purchase through until disposal;
• emergency plans have been developed and can be implemented in the event of an adverse incident.
Risk assessment must be completed using the Charles Darwin University template(s):
Risk Assessment Form
Risk management is about exercising responsibility to ensure workers and the public are properly protected. The Risk Assessment Form allows you to identify the hazard, then identify and control the associated risk.
Hazardous Substances Risk Assessment
This form is to be completed to ensure that all possible safety precautions have been taken into consideration. It is in addition to the Risk Assessment form but only if the work entails the use of hazardous substances.
Instructions on how to complete chemical risk assessments is contained in the Guide to Risk Management (under review)
3.6 Emergency Management Plan
CDU has an Emergency Management Plan in place to ensure the safety of the University community http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/Plans/emergencymanagementplan.pdf. The plan provides the framework for the effective response to emergencies and/or disasters, and management of the return to normality.
As a result, Team Leaders, Building Wardens, Wardens should ensure:
· That an Evacuation Diagram/s for the building is displayed in a prominent position/s throughout the building.
· Ensure a level of preparedness within the building by having a sufficient number of Wardens (ECO members).
· Participate in Emergency Evacuation Exercise training & drills
· Develop an area specific “Action Plan” relevant to the risks, taking into account assistance to mobility impaired, students and visitors.
· Ensure clear access and egress to emergency exits at all times
· Ensure appropriate spill management equipment and kit(s) are available and accessible
4. Induction, Information, Training and Supervision
For the application of safe practices involved in chemical management activities, supervisors, workers and others should be formally trained and have the required knowledge and authorisation to handle, store and dispose of chemicals. This is particularly important for new employees or inexperienced people.
Information, training and instructions provided, must be suitable and relevant to the nature of the work carried out by the worker, and the nature of risks and control measures associated with the work.
Information or instructions should be delivered in a way that is readily understandable by any person to whom it is provided.
Induction, training and instruction should include:
· safety procedures
· emergency procedures and location of emergency equipment
· risk management
· location of, and access to, safety data sheets
· correct and safe use of chemicals
· the nature of the hazards
· the proper use and maintenance of personal protection equipment (PPE)
· good housekeeping
· other statutory requirements
· the use and maintenance of measures for the control of each risk
Supervisors and Managers should ensure that the competency level of employees is appropriate and that any training programs and information provided to workers is regularly reviewed. Areas must keep records of which employees have been trained and the type of training they have completed.
5. First Aid
All areas where chemicals are either in storage or use are to have appropriate first aid equipment available and accessible during the hours of operation. As per Code of Practice – First Aid in the Workplace, the number of first aid kits and their content is to be based on a risk assessment of the work activities, and will be maintained by the designated First Aid Officer.
Further information can be obtained from:
First Aid Procedures
First Person on Scene (Accident /Incident) Procedure
As part of a person’s induction to the workplace they should be advised of:
· The location of the First Aid equipment.
· The designated First Aid Officers
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The use of personal protective equipment should only be considered when there are no other practical control measures available (i.e. as a last resort).
· Normally PPE is used in combination with other control measures to provide the best solution.
· PPE may be used as an interim measure until a more effective way of controlling the risk can be established.
· When PPE is used, ensure the PPE is appropriate for the task and that it is clean and in good repair before and after use.
Additional information can be sourced from the CDU Guide for Selection, Purchase and Use of PPE (under review)
7. Permits and Licencing
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The procurement and possession of some chemical classifications have permit and licensing requirements. Refer to the relevant links for specific information, legislation and permit/licensing requirements.
Industrial Chemicals, including chemicals used domestically
• Industrial chemicals and health / • Food additives• Medicines and therapeutic goods / • Contaminants
• Poisons / • Natural toxicants
Chemicals of Security Concern
• Chemicals of national security concern
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals
• Chemicals used in primary production – agricultural and veterinary products