Controlling the risk of exposure
Managing the risk
Monitoring
Health surveillance
Consultation
Training
Emergency procedures
Managing the risk
Managing risks from hazardous materials should be applied in the work locations under certain working conditions.
Exposure to hazardous materials can be managed according to the outcome of the risk assessment by following the 10 step process outlined in Section 5 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
Find out more on risk management.
Other ways to reduce exposure to hazardous substances include:
- removing a non-essential hazardous materials
- using a less hazardous materials or the same substance in a less hazardous form or process
- separating a process from people by distance or by barriers like separating the area for mixing and preparing chemicals with limited acces
- using machinery, equipment or processes that minimise workplace contamination by containing or removing hazardous material
- changing the way that people do the job or having procedures about how to do the job safely like limiting the period of exposure for a worke
- providing personal protective equipment or clothing like respirators, gloves or eye protection that is suitable for the material, the task of the operator, fitted to the worker and complies with relevant Australian Standards.
Specific controls used including personal protection must be regularly maintained to ensure exposure to the hazardous material is prevented or minimised.
Where this not possible, the level of the hazardous material in workplace air should be controlled so that a worker's exposure does not exceed any relevant exposure standard listed in the NOHSC Exposure Standards for Atmospheric Contaminants in the Occupational Environment (non-Queensland Government link) .
Exposure can be estimated and compared with the Hazardous Substances Information System.
Monitoring
Monitoring is the periodic and/or continuous sampling of the air a worker breathes at a workplace to check exposure to a hazardous substance.
If monitoring is required, employers and self-employed persons must:
- Make sure monitoring is done as soon as possible and record the results.
- Make sure the exposed person is given a copy of the record and can inspect the record at any time.
Monitoring should cover:
- all environmental and process variables
- the collection of enough data needed to estimate any Time Weighted Average (TWA), Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) Peak Limitation
- the correct selection of workers from groups doing the same or different tasks
- whether monitoring is for simple legislative compliance or for health surveillance.
Monitoring can be conducted in the workplace using direct reading indicating devices or by collecting a sample for later laboratory analysis or a combination of both.
More information about monitoring is provided in Section 7 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
Health surveillance
Health surveillance is the monitoring (including biological monitoring) of the health of workers to identify any changes caused by exposure to a hazardous substance. Any requirement for health surveillance will be determined by the risk assessment. Monitoring can be done through the testing of body fluids such as blood and urine or body function.
If health surveillance is required, employers and self-employed persons must:
- Arrange and pay for the health surveillance to be done by or under supervision of a designated doctor.
- Ask the designated doctor for a health surveillance report and explain the report to the worker.
- Keep the report as a record at the workplace.
- Obtain a worker's medical record only with the worker's written consent.
- Disclose the contents of the worker's medical record only with the worker's written consent.
The designated doctor should be:
- Willing to visit the workplace to gain an understanding of the hazards and work processes.
- Able to communicate well with the workers.
The designated doctor should be provided with:
- access to a list of the hazardous substances, names of the workers requiring health surveillance and a copy of the MSDS and exposure standard for the substances
- any monitoring results and access to any relevant assessment reports.
More information about health surveillance is provided in Section 8 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
A list of hazardous substances that require health surveillance is provided in Schedule 6 of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 .
View the list of designated doctors registered by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Consultation
Consultation is an important part of managing workers' exposure to hazardous substances.
Employers have a responsibility to their workers to:
- Consult with a worker over the choice of a designated doctor.
- Provide a copy of a monitoring record result to a worker who may be exposed.
- Allow a worker to inspect the monitoring and risk assessment records at any reasonable time.
- Allow a worker to inspect the MSDS register at any reasonable time.
More information about consultation is provided in Section 3 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
Training
Training ensures that workers have the knowledge and skills to use a hazardous substance without risking their health and the health of others.
Employers and self-employed persons have a responsibility to their workers to:
- Provide induction and ongoing training about exposure to hazardous substances.
- Keep a record of the induction and training for five years stating date of the session, the topics dealt with, the name of the person who conducted the session and the names of the attendees.
More information about training is provided in Section 4 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
Emergency procedures
In the event of a leak, spill or uncontrolled release of a hazardous material, emergency procedures should be established to enable the source of a release to be safely identified and repairs to be made. Everyone not directly affected by the emergency should be excluded from the area of contamination.
Emergency procedures may include special treatment in the workplace of affected workers where this is indicated in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Where medical treatment is subsequently sought, the MSDS should also be made available to the medical practitioner.
More information about emergency procedures is provided in Section 6 of the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard 2003 (now known as a Code of Practice) and Section 2.5 of the First Aid Advisory Standard 2004 (now known as a Code of Practice) .
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