Posted By Sheila EJ Keogh
Hi Richard1,
as risk assessment of what activity? Using what substances or handling what materials?

Posted By Sheila EJ Keogh
Okay, so in brief, to begin with you ask the supplier or manufacturer of the chemicals to provide you with individual Safety Data Sheets for each substance or mixture used. These will give you a guide to any health risks associated with the chemicals (e.g. whether harmful, irritant, etc). Then you need to ascertain how much of the substance you/staff/others are exposed to and how the risks are being controlled (whether through use of small amounts, risk information to users, protective equipment)
In short, you need to conduct a full COSHH risk assessment (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health). You might find cossh essentials useful, it's on the HSE website.
Hope the above is helpful.
Sheila

Posted By Chris Packham
Chris is here!

Yes you will need to do a risk assessment, but do not base this on the information from the safety data sheets. As I have stated as nauseam on this forum, these are for CHIP not COSHH.

There are many chemicals that will not have a risk phrase that can cause damage to the skin. Wet work - which is something you will need to consider - is one of the most common causes of occupational contact dermatitis. Yet water does not have a risk phrase. Re COSHH essentials, I can demonstrate that using this for a skin exposure risk assessment can result in an assessment that would not be valid, so caution is needed here.

You need to consider what happens to the chemical when you use it and thus what is really present in the working environment. Almost certainly not what is on the safety data sheet.

There are several different effects that a chemical in contact with the skin might have, e.g. corrosion, irritant, type I and/or type IV immune responses, skin penetration with potential for systemic effects, etc.

I only wish I could give you a simple answer, but having been doing this for nearly 30 years I still find it sometimes complex.

If you need more feel free to contact me direct on 01386 832 311

Chris

Posted By Charles Robinson Tech IOSH
And case studies a:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/se...32903%3Akous-jano68#1200