Occupational Chemical Hazards - It's All About Control!

Chemical products that have the ability to harm the environment and living organisms are also known as hazardous chemicals. These hazardous chemicals are produced by various industrial processes, several laboratory practices and even certain household activities.



These dangerous chemicals may either be present in the solid, liquid or gaseous form. Hence, the proper disposal of these chemicals is extremely important. Some examples of hazardous chemicals are asbestos, paints, medicines, photographic materials, CFC's etc.



Hazardous chemicals are very often categorized in to 4 primary categories, they are:



1.Lethal: Some chemical solutions and substances are considered highly toxic and may even pose as a potential life risk, if humans come in direct contact with these chemicals. Particular Cyanide compounds are best examples of this category.

2.Inflammable: These are chemicals which are very sensitive to fire. They tend to generate fire if they come in contact with it. Certain solvents like benzene, toluene are examples of this category.

3.Corrosive: This category of chemicals can cause serious damage to the skin. Some examples are alcohols and several other acidic and basic solutions.

4.Explosive: Certain chemical products need to be maintained and stored at a particular temperature, pressure and humidity level, in order to prevent them from exploding. Peroxide compounds are examples of this category.



Now that we can identify the different types of chemical hazards, we need to learn how to control, reduce and eventually eliminate them, from the work environment. Some of these control methods are listed below:



1.Housekeeping: This basically involves the removal of chemicals from work surfaces, such as floors, walls, machinery, tools, etc. However, wet-mopping, wet-wiping and vacuuming are preferred over dry-wiping and sweeping since they create less dust.

2.Local Exhaust Ventilation: A mechanical exhaust can capture contaminated air before it spreads into the breathing zones of nearby employees. Furthermore, this is an energy-efficient control method.

3.Online Safety Training Courses: This may sound obvious, but you will be shocked to know that many employees and workers are completely unaware of the very presence of these courses. Remember that awareness and knowledge can save lives. For instance, these courses, shed light on several topics such as, Decontamination, Toxicology, Air monitoring, site control methods and much more.

4.Substitution: Less harmful alternatives often exist, but unfortunately, substitution can be an expensive and complex proposition that requires years of experimentation and research. However, this is the best approach since it can completely eliminate the hazard in question.



In toto, control methods prove to extremely vital in any organization that deals with toxic substances on a daily basis.



About the Author



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