Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00412:body:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00412
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 25854–28876

at risk of exposure
    * determine what sources and processes are causing that risk
    * identify if and what kind of control measures should be implemented, and
    * check the effectiveness of existing control measures.

The following questions may help to assess the risk:
    * How often, and for how long, will exposure to the hazard occur?
    * In the event of exposure to the hazard, will the outcome be severe, moderate or mild?
    * How do workers interact with the hazard (for example being exposed to hazardous chemicals by breathing it in or skin contact)?
    * Is there evidence of contamination (for example dust or fumes visible in the air, chemical odours, spills, splashes)?
    * What are the conditions under which spray painting is carried out (for example confined space)?
    * What are the skills, competence and experience of the operator?

Assessing the risks of hazardous chemicals
Once you have listed all the hazardous chemicals used in each stage of the spray painting or powder coating activity, you should review the information on the relevant labels and SDS to determine the nature and severity of the harm. Depending on the chemical, the severity of the harm could range from minor to major, for example from minor skin irritation to chronic lung disease or cancer.
Using information found in the label and SDS, spray painting and powder coating chemicals, mixtures or materials can be put into three hazard categories as provided in Table 3.

Table 3 Hazard categories of spray painting or powder coating substances

Risk                   Examples

High risk chemicals    A hazardous chemical should be considered as high risk if it is:
                           * a chemical that is carcinogenic
                           * a chemical that is mutagenic, genotoxic or has reproductive hazards
                           * a chemical which affects the central nervous system (which can also affect hearing due to ototoxic effects). That is, they may cause hearing loss or exacerbate the effects of noise. Evaluating the use of these chemicals should be carried out in conjunction with
                             the Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work.
                           * a skin or respiratory sensitiser or if it is corrosive or has acute irritant effects
                           * a chemical which causes severe effects after a single, repeated or prolonged exposure, and
                           * a flammable liquid, vapour or aerosols
                       Many chemicals that are used in spray painting including 2-part polyurethane paints containing isocyanates and toluene (an ingredient in many oil-based paints), and in powder coating, such as triglycidyl isocyanurate, hydrofluoric acid and chromic acid are known to present significant health risks and should be assessed as high risk.
Medium risk chemicals  Medium risk hazardous chemicals include any substances that contain organic solvents that are not already