Your employees may come into contact with hazardous substances at work. For example asbestos, explosives or acids. How can you recognize hazardous substances, what are the risks and how can your employees work safely with hazardous substances?
An estimated 3,000 people die every year from hazardous substances. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, one in six employees is at risk of becoming ill because there are hazardous substances at work. This number is large and it is therefore very important to allow employees to work safely.
Not all hazardous substances are recognizable in a jar with a hazard symbol on the label. Hazardous substances do not always concern chemicals but also substances that are created during processes, such as sawing a wooden plank or working in a laboratory classroom at a school. Hazardous substances also occur in nature. Crude oil can also be dangerous to work with. Working with hazardous substances occurs in many different industries and many companies and organizations do not always realize this.
Hazardous Substances
Hazardous substances can be divided into two groups: pure substances and mixtures. In general, mixtures pose a lower risk because they contain a lower concentration of the hazardous substance(s). But when there is a lack of knowledge on the part of the user, this 'benefit' is canceled out. A good starting point for working safely with hazardous substances is therefore that the use of all substances entails risks.
Risks
You can divide the risks into two groups, namely safety risks and health risks.
Safety risks
Safety risks include fire, explosion or displacement of oxygen by gasses.
Health risks
Hazardous substances can cause various health effects. This depends on the harmfulness of the substance, the amount you are exposed to and the duration of exposure. Long-term health effects include respiratory diseases such as asthma or damage to internal organs including the brain and nervous system. Health damage that can occur acutely or in the short term are poisoning, allergies or skin conditions.
Exposure to hazardous substances can occur in different ways. Substances can be inhaled (vapour, gas, small dust particles), absorbed through the skin (contact, splashes) or enter the body through the mouth (eating, smoking). Physically demanding work or heat can accelerate the absorption of toxins, further increasing the risks from hazardous substances.
Self-inspection tool
To check whether your company is doing enough to work safely with hazardous substances, you can use the self-inspection tool of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. Here you will know in four steps whether your company is working healthily and safely.
Protect employees
Employers are therefore obliged to protect their employees against exposure to hazardous substances. To do this properly employers must determine the nature, extent and duration of exposure for each substance or mixture used. This can be done by using calculation models or by carrying out measurements. It is also important to provide your employees with protective clothing and personal protective equipment. Depending on the sector in which your employees work, for example in healthcare, we can offer you the right protection. Consider work gloves with various standards, respiratory protection, eye and face protection or head protection .