Hazard Guidelines

Chemical Safety

• Overview
• Guidelines
• Resources

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Overview

If you handle chemicals then you should be aware of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (NSW).

Chemicals may be either Hazardous Substances or Dangerous Goods or both. These terms are clearly defined in the OHS Regulation 2001.

• Dangerous Goods can be identified by the Dangerous Goods Class Label found on the container. They can also be identified by a statement of classification on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
• Hazardous Substances are identified by a statement of hazardous nature found on the MSDS or by the Risk and Safety Phrases on the container label.

Whenever using Hazardous Substances or Dangerous Goods, we are required by law to:

• Identify hazards of the substance by reading the label and the manufacturers' MSDS
• Assess the risks associated with the hazard by considering the exposure of the worker to the substance
• Control or reduce the risk by minimising exposure to the substance.

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Guidelines

1) Identify the Hazards

Persons who procure hazardous substances and dangerous goods must make sure that an MSDS is available to others who may use those chemicals.

• Request a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the manufacturer or supplier of a chemical when purchasing the chemical for the first time. The MSDS provides hazard information on the substance (e.g. shows whether the substance is a Dangerous Good and/or a Hazardous Substance).
  Note: MSDSs must be replaced after 5 years from the date of issue.
• More chemical safety information is available from Chemwatch. This is a proprietary intranet database available at UTS that provides physical property and safety information on a large range of substances and that can be used to produce labels and generic MSDSs.
• You can also search the Australian Safety and Compensation Council's Hazardous Substances Information System database to check if a substance is hazardous. You can also find 'risk and safety phrases' and 'cut-off concentration values' for the substance.
• If you intend to use a 'Notifiable Carcinogenic Substance' (as listed in Clause 158 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001), you must first notify WorkCover NSW of your intention to use that substance.
• If you intend to use an 'Ozone Depleting Substance' (listed on schedule 1 of the Ozone Protection Act 1989), you must first have a license and registration from the Environment Protection Authority.

Laboratory or store managers must maintain an inventory of hazardous substances and dangerous goods within their area of control. This can be acheived using a paper-based form (such as the Hazardous substances and dangerous goods register (PDF format, 63 Kb), a customised electronic spreadsheet or by using the online inventory at UTS called OCID.

2) Assess the Risk

Facility Supervisors must ensure that risk assessments are undertaken for the use of all hazardous substances and dangerous goods in their facility.

Academics or researchers who design an activity that uses a hazardous substance or dangerous good must record a risk assessment for the activity.

• The Risk assessment for the use of a hazardous substance / dangerous good (PDF format, 76 Kb) can also be used to assist with assessments. Alternatively, the Online Chemical Inventory Database (OCID) can be used to assist in producing and recording assessments.

3) Control the Risk

Persons using hazardous substances or dangerous goods must follow the recommendations of the risk assessment for the use of these chemicals. For example, wearing gloves or performing work in a fume cupboard.

Persons who decant substances must label the new container appropriately.

• Hazardous substances must be labelled according to Section 163 of the NSW Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 and the corresponding WorkCover code of practice. Dangerous goods must be labelled with the appropriate dangerous goods diamond.

Storage of chemicals:

• Always segregate those chemicals which react together. All staff and students handling chemicals must be made aware of the incompatibilities of these chemicals with other chemicals and must take any special precautions. Refer to the MSDS for storage requirements and incompatibilities.
• Store infrequently used chemical stock in the appropriate chemical store rather than the laboratory or workshop. Post the inventory of the stock added to the store on the inside of the store door, so that it can be added to the UTS chemical database.
• Use sparkproof refrigerators for storing flammable liquids. Otherwise, a violent explosion can occur.
• All gas cylinders must be secured to a bench or wall to prevent them from falling.

• Make sure that gloves used are impermeable to the solvent you are handling e.g. use PVA gloves when handling chlorinated hydrocarbons, not latex gloves.
• For information on the disposal of chemical waste at UTS, see the section on Hazardous Waste Disposal.

Resources