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Posted By pschu
Hi,
Recently, I have been requested to review existing health assessments but I cannot distinguish among dangerous goods, dangerous substances and hazardous substances.
Are dangerous subtances the subset of hazardous substances or they are mutually exclusive?
I am grateful if you share your valuable experience.
Regards,
PS Chu
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Pschu
I assume, from your e-mail address, that you posted your message from HK; I can only answer your query as a UK safety adviser.
In the UK, hazardous substances would normally be regarded as those covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations; that it, substances classified as very toxic toxic, corrosive, harmful or irritant; substances which have been assigned occupational exposure limits by the Health and Safety Executive; a biological agent; any dust above a specified airborne concentration; any other substance which creates a hazard comparable to those classes already mentioned.
There are many substances which can cause harm which do not fall within the scope of the Regulations; lead and asbestos have their own regulations and so are not subject to COSHH; substances which are only flammable (although many flammable substances also have other properties which bring them within the scope of the Regulations) or only radioactive or only explosive, etc. These substances could, therefore, be described as dangerous substances rather than hazardous substances.
Regards
Paul Leadbetter
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Posted By David Scott
Hazardous Substance as defined by COSHH is as follows; Substances or mixtures of substances classified as dangerous to health under the Chemicals (Hazard, Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 1994 as amended (CHIP).
Dangerous Substances as defined by Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) is as follows; A substance or preparation which meets the criteria in the approved classification and labelling guide for classification as a substance or preparation which is explosive, oxidising, extremely flammable, highly flammable or flammable, whether or not that substance or preparation is classified under CHIP Regulations; A substance or preparation which because of its physico-chemical properties and the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk, not being a substance or preparation falling within subparagraph above or; Any dust, whether in the form of solid particles or fibrous materials or otherwise, which can form an explosive mixture with air or an explosive atmosphere, not being as substance or preparation falling within the two subparagraphs above.
One could agrue that they are indeed mutually exclusive however, most of the chemicals as defined as dangerous would also be hazardous to health so the dichotomy is not so quite straight forward! Hence the COSHH Regs and the proposed DSEARegs to implement both the Chemical Agents Directive and ATEX Directives.
Does this help at all?
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Posted By Alison Dando
---- and in the meantime whilst you are digesting the information already given, don't worry because if your not sure whether a substance comes under COSHH or DSEAR just review and revise your current inventory of these substances. You must ensure that the risk assessments are completed irrespective of whether it is a dangerous good, a dangerous substance or a hazrdous substance. At the end of the day it doesn't matter to your workforce what piece of legslation covers what just as long as all the risk assessments have been completed, your control measures are in place and are actually working and being monitored.
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