Insecticides and other harmful chemicals
Disinfectants, cleaning agents, detergents, insecticides, pesticides and veterinary products may be hazardous substances.
Employers should ask the supplier of any substance used in the workplace, if the substance is hazardous. If it is, the employer should ask the supplier for a material safety data sheet (MSDS). All hazardous substances must be fully labelled with the necessary risk and safety phrases on the container as supplied to a workplace.
The label and MSDS will provide risk and safety information such as 'causes severe burns', 'toxic by inhalation', 'avoid contact with skin' and 'do not breathe vapour.
To assess the risk, employers should consider:
- using the MSDS to identify properties giving risk to health
- the possible ways a person could be exposed to the substance, for example, through the skin or by inhalation
- the health consequences mentioned in the MSDS
- the person/s likely to be exposed, to what concentration, for how long and how often
- the arrangements needed for preventing exposure or adequately controlling exposure, and for informing staff through instruction and training.
Employers must decide what they need to do either to prevent workers from being exposed to the substance or to minimise their exposure to the substances. This may include:
- finding a less harmful or less toxic product
- reducing the spread of fumes, vapours or dust
- providing good ventilation
- providing training and instruction on the safe use of the product
- providing personal protective equipment (PPE), for example respirators, gloves and eye protection.
Further information on hazardous substances is provided in section 10 of The Horse Riding Schools, Trail Riding Establishments and Horse Hiring Establishments Industry Code of Practice 2002.
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