hazardous chemicals and explosives being transported if the transport is regulated under another safety law hazardous chemicals in batteries when incorporated in plant hazardous chemicals in portable firefighting or medical equipment for use in a workplace potable liquids that are consumer products at retail premises food and beverages within the meaning of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code that are in a package and form intended for human consumption tobacco or products made of tobacco therapeutic goods within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Commonwealth) at the point of intentional intake by or administration to humans veterinary chemical products within the meaning of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act at the of intentional administration to animals. The WHS Regulations contain prohibitions or restrictions on certain hazardous chemicals (for example certain carcinogens) except in specified circumstances and a restriction on the age of a person who can supply hazardous chemicals. There are also duties relating to the building, operation and management of pipelines used for the transfer of hazardous chemicals. Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of hazardous chemicals WHS Act Part 2 Division 3 Further duties of persons conducting businesses or undertakings Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of substances must also ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the substance they design, manufacture, import or supply is without to health and safety. This duty includes carrying out testing and analysis as well as providing specific information about the substance. Under the WHS Regulations, manufacturers and importers must correctly classify hazardous chemicals. WHS Regulations Part 7.1 Division 2 Obligations relating to safety data sheets and other matters The WHS Regulations also impose duties on importers, manufacturers and suppliers relating to the preparation of SDS, the disclosure of ingredients, packing, labelling and supply of hazardous chemicals. Officers WHS Act section 27 Duty of officers Officers, for example company directors, have a duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the PCBU complies with the WHS Act and WHS Regulations. This includes taking reasonable steps to ensure the business or undertaking has and uses appropriate resources and processes to eliminate or minimise risks that arise from hazardous chemicals at the workplace. Further information on who is an officer and their duties is available in the .
Figure 1 Fire triangle When identifying hazards you should have identified all of the sources of fuel in your workplace that contribute to fire and explosion risks. Fuels that present the highest risk are: those hazardous chemicals that are flammable (for example, flammable solids, liquids or gases, including their vapours and fumes) fire-risk substances in other hazard classes (for example, pyrophoric solids, liquids and gases that ignite spontaneously in contact with air, substances that react with water to emit flammable gases), and other materials that are not hazardous chemicals, like wood, paper and leaves, and other combustible materials that contribute to the fire load. You should also identify sources of oxygen, such as oxygen gas and compressed air in cylinders, chemical oxidisers and peroxides. Oxygen is always present in the air. Common fuel and oxygen sources are listed in . Note: Chemical reactions and other processes which generate gases can also cause explosions through an increase in the pressure in the container in which the chemical is stored if the gas cannot escape, even if that gas does not itself ignite. Identifying ignition sources Ignition sources can be any energy source that has the potential to ignite a fuel. They can be categorised into three broad types: flames, sparks and heat. Some common examples of ignition sources are provided in Table . Table 3 Common examples of ignition sources Type of ignition source Examples Flames Welding flames, gas heaters, pilot lights Sparks Welding arcs, starters for fluorescent lighting, electric motors, electrical equipment like power points, cigarette lighters, switches and telephones Static electricity including from friction sources Lightning Friction from drilling, grinding, scraping of metal on concrete Heat Hot surfaces including light bulbs, ovens, radiators or heaters, flue pipes, vehicle engines and exhaust systems, pumps and generators Exothermic chemical reactions (those which generate heat) Some electrical equipment may also be a source of ignition. However, not all electrical equipment is an ignition source if it is specifically designed so that it does not create sparks. This type of equipment is referred to as ‘intrinsically safe’. You must identify any ignition source in your workplace that has the potential to ignite flammable or combustible material. You should also consider sources of ignition that are adjacent to your workplace or may periodically come into your workplace, for example delivery vehicles (with hot engine and exhaust systems), visitors, or portable like cordless power tools, radios and fans.
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 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 1000L 10 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 000kg or 10 000L 25 Oxidising liquids and oxidising solids Category 1 50kg or 50L 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
37 Skin corrosion Category 1A 50kg or 50L 500kg or 500L 8 (PG I) 38 Category 1B or 250L 2500kg or 2500L 8 (PG II) 39 Category 1C 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 8 (PG III) 40 Corrosive to metals Category 1 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 8 (PG III) 41 Any combination of chemicals from Items 37 to 40 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 1000kg or 1000L 10 000kg or 10 000L 42 Unstable explosives 5kg or 5L 50kg or 50L GTDTBT—Note 4 43 Unstable chemicals Any combination of chemicals from Items 11, 29 and 42 where none of the items exceeds the quantities in columns 4 or 5 on their own 5kg or 5L 50kg or 50L
Food industry Grains, flours, sugars, fermentation gases, 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 gases, 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 Metal powders and dusts industry Oil and solvent-based paints, spray-painting Flammable and combustible aerosolised particles, mists vapours, fumes Paper and cardboard manufacturing and cardboard processes bleaching fibres and paper—use of peroxides, fibreboard box manufacture Combustible particles in the form of fibres and flammable or combustible materials and articles, oxidising agents Petroleum industry and 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 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 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.
Table 18 Case study 4: Job description Task Route of exposure Controls already in place? Risk Risk to health? Yes/No/Not sure Actions to be Mixing Skin Gauntlet rubber gloves, PVC apron, gumboots and face shield worn. Measuring jug is rinsed immediately after use. Tap available for washing. Yes Spills and splashes have occurred. Chlorpyrifos is very toxic. It is handled in concentrated form. The SDS indicates it is easily absorbed through skin. If protective equipment is not worn or properly maintained there would be a serious risk to health. Consider ways of eliminating or reducing the use of the pesticide. Consider using a less hazardous pesticide. Investigate the use of suitable dispensers to minimise spills. A dispenser would mean that less PPE would be required. Inhalation Mixed in well-ventilated area. No The SDS indicates that Chlorpyrifos is not very volatile. The solvent is volatile but mixing only takes a few minutes and is done in a well-ventilated area. Ingestion No eating, drinking or smoking when handling the pesticide. Washing facilities are provided. No Procedures followed. Operator has attended training course. Supervision provided.