Environmental hazards The SDS should contain information on environmental hazards and An awareness of this information will assist you to meet any environmental laws in your state or territory. If you are using a consumer or domestic chemical for its usual purpose (for example, washing dishes in the lunchroom) you will not need to obtain an SDS. However, chemicals which are generally for domestic use and considered safe in the home may present greater risks in the workplace depending on the manner and quantities in which they are used. This is particularly relevant, for example, where domestic cleaning chemicals are purchased from a supermarket and used at a workplace in a way or quantity which is not consistent with home use. If you are using a domestic chemical in a manner different to normal household use, you should obtain the SDS in order to determine the level of risk to workers and the appropriate controls. The SDS should contain more detailed information on hazards and risks, for example on incompatibilities with other chemicals and risks from use in enclosed areas. Providing access to SDS in the workplace WHS Regulation 344 Person conducting business or undertaking to obtain and give access to safety data sheets You must ensure the current SDS is readily accessible to workers involved in using, handling or storing the hazardous chemical at the workplace and emergency service workers, or anyone else who is likely to be exposed to the hazardous chemical. The SDS should be kept in a location near the work area the substance is used—this may be as hard copy or in another format, including electronically. You must ensure that all workers likely to be exposed to the hazardous chemical know how to find the SDS. In some cases it may be practicable to provide workers with access to SDS via an electronic database, for example in universities where potentially thousands of chemicals may be used, stored or handled at the site. However, the electronic database should be readily available to workers, workers should know how to use it, and a backup means of providing the SDS should also be provided, for example as hard copies in a filing system. This requirement does not apply to hazardous chemicals and consumer products in certain circumstances. For more information refer to the . Labels WHS Regulations Part 7.1 Division 2 Obligations relating to safety data sheets and other matters The manufacturer and importer of a hazardous chemical must ensure it is correctly labelled as soon as practicable after manufacturing or importing the hazardous chemical.
An example of an effective emergency procedure is a simple one-page document in point form, suitable for display on signs or to be carried by workers or visitors as a pocket card, detailing evacuation procedures, assembly areas, identifying first aid officers and emergency wardens at the workplace, contact numbers of emergency services organisations (such as fire brigade, police, ambulance, local hospital and regulatory authorities). Consultation and communication The emergency plan must be developed in consultation with your workers, the primary emergency services organisation and neighbouring premises. The emergency services organisation should also be consulted when developing and designing fire protection systems used in the workplace. Off-site considerations Where any foreseeable incident may have effects beyond the boundary of the workplace, the emergency plan should also address managing the off-site effects. Where off-site effects are possible, the plan should contain information on necessary warnings or communications with neighbouring premises. Where the emergency plan includes activities that involve persons who reside or work adjacent to the workplace, the relevant parts of the plan should be communicated to those persons. Implementation and testing The emergency plan should be tested when first devised and after each modification. Throughout the year, at suitable intervals, practice drills and simulated emergencies should be undertaken and involve all workers and the emergency services authority. drills should be focused on familiarising anyone who would be involved in an incident related to the storage and handling of hazardous chemicals with the workplace procedures. Reviewing the emergency plan The emergency plan should be reviewed: within five years of its development in intervals of no more than five years if is a change of risk at or in the proximity of the workplace when updated information becomes available, or if a possible deficiency is identified, for example through regular testing. Emergency should be readily available in hard copy form at all times. The location of the emergency plan should be easily located by all workers and should be discussed with the emergency services organisation when it is updated or reviewed. Emergency equipment and safety equipment WHS Regulations Part 7.1 Division 5: Subdivision 3 Emergency plans and safety equipment As a PCBU that uses, handles, generates or stores hazardous chemicals you must ensure that equipment is always available at the workplace for use in an emergency.
16 Any combination of chemicals from Items 12 to 15 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 17 Pyrophoric liquids and pyrophoric solids Category 1 50kg or 50L 500kg or 500L 4.2 (PG I) 18 Self-heating substances and mixtures Category 1 250kg or 250L 2500kg or 2500L 4.2 (PG II) 19 Category 2 1000kg or 10 000kg or 10 000L 4.2 (PG III) 20 Any combination of chemicals from Items 17 to 19 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 21 Substances which in contact with water emit flammable gas Category 1 50kg or 50L 500kg or 500L 4.3 (PG I) 22 Category 2 250kg or 250L 2500kg or 2500L 4.3 (PG II)
23 Category 3 1000kg or 10 000kg or 10 000L 4.3 (PG III) 24 Any combination of chemicals from Items 21 to 23 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 1000kg or 1000L 10 or 10 000L 25 Oxidising liquids and oxidising solids Category 1 50kg or 50L 500kg or 500L 5.1 (PG I) 26 Category 2 250kg or 250L 2500kg or 2500L 5.1 (PG II) 27 Category 3 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 5.1 (PG III) 28 Any combination of chemicals from Items 25 to 27 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 29 Organic peroxides Type A 5kg or 5L 50kg or 50L GTDTBT—Note 4
Appendix I—Fire and explosion risks Table 13 Fire and explosion risks Industry Process Hazards Agriculture Handling grain at silos or with auger loaders Combustible particles in the form of husks and fine dusts, dust explosions Chaff and hay processing and storage Combustible particles and dusts and spontaneous combustion of haystacks Milling grains, sugars, cellulose or fibres—cotton, linen, polyesters, possible peroxide powders Flammable and combustible materials, dusts and fibres, possible static build-up, oxidising agents Processing oil and oil linseed, other vegetable oils, canola, olives Combustible oils with possible combustible wastes Viticulture and alcoholic spirit manufacture Flammable and combustible materials and vats or tanks containing flammable vapours Drying and processing grains and vegetables for example, tobacco drying, vegetable preparation Cellulose fibres, dusts, and other combustible material; rotting vegetable matter produces methane gas Using flammable or combustible pesticides Some pesticides contain flammable or combustible carrier liquids Using liquid and gaseous ammonia for nitrogen fixing in soils Flammable gas, toxic gas, corrosive Automotive industry Manufacture Fuels, oils, spray-painting, electrical Motor mechanics Fuels, oils, solvents, Auto electrical Battery charging, oils, sparks
Food industry Grains, flours, sugars, fermentation alcohols Combustible particles in the form of husks and fine dusts, flammable or combustible gases, and liquids Gas industry Manufacturing, storage, transmission, pumping and transport LPG, methane, hydrogen, acetylene, gas accumulation in pipes and tankers Laboratories Mixing, blending, storage, heating, reactions, alkalis, oxides and peroxides, use of Bunsen burners Flammable and combustible liquids, solids, dusts, exothermic heat, flames, oxidising agents Metal production and manufacturing, iron, steel and foundry work, product manufacture Melting, casting, milling, grinding, welding, electroplating Molten metals and heat, mechanical attrition milling, metal dusts, shavings, filings, welding gases and sparks Flammable solvents and electrolysis can produce hydrogen gas bubbles Mining Coal mining Coal dust, methane gas, hydrogen gas, sulphur powder Metaliferous mines Iron, aluminium, magnesium, zinc powders and dusts Paint industry Oil and paints, spray-painting Flammable and combustible aerosolised particles, vapours, fumes Paper and cardboard manufacturing Paper and cardboard processes bleaching fibres and paper—use of peroxides, fibreboard box manufacture Combustible particles in the form of fibres and dusts, flammable or combustible materials and articles, oxidising agents Petroleum industry and other chemical manufacturing Crude oil and other petroleum products such as petroleum gases, petroleum fuels and oils including diesel and biodiesel, bitumen, kerosene etc Generation of flammable and combustible hydrocarbons in the form of flammable gases Pharmaceutical Bulk storage, mixing and blending Flammable and combustible materials and articles
Inhalation No specific controls are used Yes Short-term inhalation exposure to isocyanate aerosol and vapour is high during spraying because no respiratory protection is worn. Exposure standard may be exceeded during this task. Isocyanates are respiratory irritants and sensitisers. This task should be performed wearing an air-fed, full-face respirator to prevent inhalation. Perform task in down-flow spray booth. Immediately service down-flow booth to ensure it is working as designed and installed. Air monitoring for isocyanates is recommended unless process moved to ventilated area. Ingestion No eating, drinking or smoking is permitted in the area No Procedures are followed N/A Spray painting Skin No specific controls are used Yes The risk of skin contact is high because isocyanate-based paint is sprayed without protective clothing being worn. The respirator only covers half the face of operator so skin on face and head at risk of exposure. Protective gloves and overalls should be worn as per SDS to prevent skin contact. Air-fed, full-face respirator should be worn.