Posted By Karel Simpson Quick query, Can a safety data sheet be used as a COSHH Assessment? All the relevant information is there or do you need to create this in different format as such to show that you have looked at the risks etc? All help gratefully recieved. Regards Karel

Posted By Mitch Try this link, http://www.coshh-essentials.org.uk/ Regards Mitch

Posted By Bill Parkinson Karel The purpose of the MSDS is to help to gather information regarding the substance you are looking at. You need to consider what you are actually doing with the substance as to whether there is a significant risk or not. For instance if the MSDS indicates a concentration which is below a concentration limit as specified within the Approved Supply List then any risk is reduced. In my years as a safety practitioner and chemical engineer I have found that you will not complete a suitable and sufficient COSHH assessment by just using the MSDS alone. Regards Bill

Posted By John Murgatroyd And you need to bear in mind that the MSDS are frequently plain wrong. It has always puzzled me that many of the constituents of paint, for instance, are only irritants when mixed but are toxic on their own. On one instance I enquired of a univ about the lack of fumes on their test results, only to be told that the manufacturer had specified the test results on a paint thickness of 5 microns. The paint, when used in industry, is applied to a thickness of 100 - 150 microns.

Posted By Chris Packham The supplier has a duty under section 6-1 of the Health and Safety at Work Act to provide the user with sufficient information that he can use it safely for the purposes for which it has been supplied. Re the previous question about relying upon safety data sheets. This implies that the supplier knows what you intend to do with his chemical. Do you inform him of this and make him aware of the need to provide this information? REACH will emphasize this requirement in that in addition to the safety data sheet the supplier will be required to provide an "exposure scenario" for this very purpose. Furthermore, the user will have the right to inform the supplier of the use to which he intends to put the chemical and the supplier will have to provide an exposure scenario to cover this. However, neither REACH nor any other regulation that I am aware of addresses the problem when you purchase two different chemicals from two different manufacturers and then mix them. Who is then responsible for the exposure scenario is not clear! I have a standard letter that I get my clients to send to their suppliers. If anyone would like a copy, drop me an e-mail. Chris

Posted By Chris Packham Andy In how many SMEs do you imagine there would be sufficient chemistry knowledge to understand the hazard that mixing two chemicals together might produce? Remember also definition (e) in COSHH. All chemicals have the potential to cause harm under the right (wrong?) circumstances. One of the most common causes of occupational contact dermatitis is wet work, i.e. excessive contact with water. When did you last see water on a safety data sheet? There are literally thousands of chemicals that can cause dermatitis that will not have a risk phrase and therefore are unlikely to be shown on the safety data sheet. Do you take account of these when doing a risk assessment for skin exposure? How, if you haven't been told that they are there? Please, I am not trying to be confrontational. I frequently see situations where those responsible for health and safety have taken action with the best of intentions - in my case in respect of protecting the skin - which has actually increased the risk or has even been responsible for the contact dermatitis. If you don't believe me about this take a look at the document on the IOSH Merseyside website on managing skin disease. Chris.

Posted By Chris Packham Andy Try http://www.ioshmerseysid...dex.php?iosh=200716thjan (Its under Events - Branch Events ...) On the other aspect I could quote you a whole raft of incidents. I have just reviewed the glove selection document for a major chemical company. This contains a number of recommendations for glove use that are simply not correct and which would be putting workers at risk. Incorrect selection and use of gloves is a common problem, simply because those doing the selection do not understand how complex glove performance really is and that manufacturers' published performance data does not indicate useful glove life under actual conditions of use. Last year I had a safety office (MISOH) accept the claims of a supplier and recommend a barrier cream as protection against hydrofluoric acid! If you want more examples, I suggest you contact me direct. Chris