Rank: Forum user
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We work on a customer (pharmaceutical) site and we deliver their compressed gases and liquid nitrogen to rooms/labs all around their sites. We receive delivery from the gas company and then deliver to point of use. The company has just stated that it wants us to supply asphyxiation Risk Assessments for the gases we deliver tthat encompasses the room that the gas is delivered to. we do not work in the labs just deliver gas there. surely the company has "Duty of care" to do that for its employees not us
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Rank: Super forum user
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From your post your company is contracted to distribute gasses at a clients site who is asking for your contractor RA regarding the activities under contract i.e. the work activities of your engaged labour Ideally the client should be working with you as their employees can also be affected by the activity. Input to risks and controls needs to consider is your task merely taking a cylinder from A to B for connection by others or does it involve your personnel assessing "empty" disconnecting and re-connecting? The contract should be clear on when the responsibility for a particular activity transfers between parties otherwise you could end up with your employees working out of scope (and therefore training) through ignorance or request. Either way you should clearly define the limits within the RA trained to your staff.
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Rank: Super forum user
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From your post your company is contracted to distribute gasses at a clients site who is asking for your contractor RA regarding the activities under contract i.e. the work activities of your engaged labour Ideally the client should be working with you as their employees can also be affected by the activity. Input to risks and controls needs to consider is your task merely taking a cylinder from A to B for connection by others or does it involve your personnel assessing "empty" disconnecting and re-connecting? The contract should be clear on when the responsibility for a particular activity transfers between parties otherwise you could end up with your employees working out of scope (and therefore training) through ignorance or request. Either way you should clearly define the limits within the RA trained to your staff.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Applegarth So your operatives deliver the liquid nitrogen directly into peoples labs. Do they top up the Dewars or whatever other containers in the labs or do they just deliver a container of gas and take away the empties? If you are topping up in a lab or enclosed work area it makes sense for you to have your own risk assessment etc. otherwise it is down to the customer. As far as asphyxiation goes the main control is fitting low oxygen monitors and they don’t expect you to do that, do they?
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Rank: Super forum user
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You can only assess the risks during delivery, not during use by the customer. That as you say is their business. So you might assess the risks of asphyxiation during delivery, including on entry to the labs, as minimal on the basis that you are not opening any valves and are handling the cylinders correctly so that they are not dropped or damaged. No additional control measures needed, job done. That is unless as others have said above you are doing more than just delivering them.
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