What Hazards Do Harmful Chemicals Pose?
Hazardous chemicals present a wide range of physical and health risks to people, property, and the environment. Physical hazards include flammability, explosiveness, corrosiveness, and reactivity with other substances. Health hazards may result from inhalation, skin contact, or ingestion of toxic substances, potentially leading to short-term effects such as irritation, nausea, or burns, and long-term conditions including respiratory diseases, neurological damage, cancer, or organ failure.
Improper chemical handling can result in fires, explosions, toxic exposure, and environmental contamination. For example, exposure to solvents may cause dizziness or liver damage, while corrosive acids can burn skin and metal. Chemicals released into the environment can harm wildlife, contaminate soil and water, and pose long-term ecological risks.
Chemical Compliance Obligations
In Australia, employers must comply with a range of legislative instruments and codes of practice related to chemical safety. These include:
- The Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations
- The Code of Practice for Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
- The Code of Practice for Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals
Employers must:
- Maintain a hazardous chemical register
- Ensure availability and accessibility of Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
- Properly label all containers
- Conduct chemical risk assessments
- Implement appropriate control measures
- Provide adequate training and supervision
Non-compliance may result in enforcement actions including improvement notices, prohibition notices, fines, and prosecution.
What are Hazardous Chemicals?
Hazardous chemicals are substances that pose a risk to health and safety due to their physical, chemical, or toxicological properties. These may include flammable liquids, corrosives, carcinogens, reactive substances, oxidisers, and gases under pressure. Hazardous chemicals can also include substances generated during work processes, such as fumes, dusts, or vapours.
The classification of hazardous chemicals is based on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which Australia has adopted through WHS legislation. Employers must be able to distinguish between hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods, although many substances fall into both categories.
Obligations to buisnesses with Chemical Safety
Under WHS laws, all persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others from the risks associated with hazardous chemicals.
This includes:
- Identifying prohibited or restricted substances
- Monitoring airborne contaminants
- Ensuring chemical storage and use comply with relevant Australian Standards
- Keeping SDS current and accessible
- Maintaining emergency preparedness plans
All workers who handle hazardous chemicals must receive adequate training and supervision. Employers must also involve workers in health and safety matters, including decisions about chemical risk controls.
Identifying Hazards
The first step in managing chemical risks is identifying all hazardous chemicals in the workplace. This involves:
- Reviewing chemical inventories and Safety Data Sheets
- Checking labels for hazard pictograms and statements
- Identifying chemicals generated during work processes (e.g., welding fumes, diesel exhaust)
- Inspecting storage areas, decanting stations, and waste management systems
It is also essential to review previous incident reports, audit findings, and health monitoring results to identify chemical hazards that may not be immediately visible.
The Hazardous Chemical Risk Assessment Process
A risk assessment determines the nature and extent of harm that could result from exposure to hazardous chemicals. The assessment must consider:
- The hazardous properties of the chemicals
- The quantity and concentration in use
- How the chemicals are used or handled
- The potential routes of exposure
- The people at risk (e.g., workers, contractors, visitors)
- The effectiveness of existing control measures
Risk assessments are required when:
- A chemical has an exposure standard
- There is uncertainty about how to control the hazard
- New chemicals or processes are introduced
Critical Questions to Ask During Chemical Risk Assessment
- Is a risk assessment necessary? Not all chemicals require a formal risk assessment, but one is essential where uncertainty exists or exposure standards apply.
- Who will conduct the risk assessment? Assessments should be conducted by competent persons familiar with WHS legislation, the specific chemicals, and the operational context. This may include safety officers, supervisors, or external consultants.
- What type of assessment is needed? Determine whether a basic, generic, or detailed assessment is appropriate based on the chemical’s hazard level and complexity of the work environment.
- How will exposure be evaluated? Evaluate all potential exposure routes and consider undertaking air monitoring or biological monitoring where applicable.
- How will physical hazards be assessed? Consider ignition sources, incompatible substances, environmental conditions, and processes that may increase the risk of fires, explosions, or container failure.
Controlling Risks: Managing Hazardous Chemicals
Controls must be selected using the hierarchy of control:
- Elimination – Remove the chemical entirely
- Substitution – Use a less hazardous substance
- Isolation – Physically separate the hazard from people
- Engineering controls – Ventilation systems, bunding, spill containment
- Administrative controls – Safe work procedures, signage, training
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Gloves, goggles, respirators
Multiple controls may be required to manage complex risks effectively. Controls must be reviewed regularly and maintained to ensure ongoing effectiveness.
Health Monitoring
Health monitoring may be required for workers exposed to hazardous chemicals known to cause identifiable adverse health effects. This includes substances with exposure standards where:
- There is a significant risk to health
- Monitoring can detect early signs of harm
Health monitoring may involve:
- Medical tests (e.g., lung function, blood tests)
- Biological exposure monitoring
- Health surveillance conducted by a registered medical practitioner
Employers must obtain informed consent, keep confidential records, and provide results to workers. If adverse health effects are detected, immediate steps must be taken to review and improve risk controls.
Conclusion
Proper management of hazardous chemicals is critical to safeguarding worker health, environmental integrity, and legal compliance. Identifying chemical hazards, assessing risks, implementing effective controls, and monitoring worker health are essential steps in chemical safety.
Organisations should adopt a proactive, systematic approach to chemical management and ensure staff are adequately trained, supervised, and equipped to handle hazardous substances safely.
To streamline chemical compliance, consider using digital tools such as Chem-One to centralise your SDS, automate risk assessments, and track chemical inventories.
For support in developing your chemical management plan, contact Onesystem today.
