Hazardous Chemicals
Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this procedure is to ensure the safe storage, handling and use of hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods. This procedure applies to all HY projects where hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods are used or stored.
Hazardous chemicals are substances, whether solid, liquid, or gas, that may cause harm to health. Dangerous goods are substances that may be corrosive, flammable, explosive, spontaneously combustible, toxic, oxidising, or water-reactive.
Responsibilities
HY PROJECT TEAM
- Ensure hazardous chemicals onsite have been identified, safety documents are obtained, and are stored correctly
- Ensure atmospheric testing is conducted where there is credible potential for atmospheric hazards to be present where work will be performed
- Ensure applicable Work Permits are implemented prior to commencing work
- Ensure only trained and competent persons perform work on site
- Ensure worker competencies and qualifications are verified prior to commencing work
Hazard Identification Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC)
Risks associated with hazardous chemicals must be included in the project risk register. This includes risks associated with storage, handling and use of hazardous chemicals. Both health hazards and physical hazards must be considered:
- Health hazards – typical acute health effects include headaches, nausea or vomiting and skin corrosion, while chronic health effects include asthma, dermatitis, nerve damage or cancer
- Physical hazards – immediate injury to people or damage to property (e.g. fire, explosion, corrosion)
HANSENYUNCKEN
Hazardous Chemicals
HYER STANDARDS
When conducting the project risk assessment consideration should be given to the following:
- Processes that produce hazardous chemicals as by-products or waste (e.g. welding)
- Potential failures of plant and equipment that contains or transfers hazardous chemicals
- Hazardous chemicals already present at the site or adjacent to site (e.g. existing pipelines)
- Potential ignition sources including static electricity
- Potential hazards due to storage (e.g. close to excavations/trenches, in poorly ventilated areas such as basements)
- Buildings and structures that are to be demolished that contain or may have contained hazardous chemicals
- Emergencies involving hazardous chemicals e.g. cleaning up spills
Where health surveillance or exposure monitoring is required as part of conducting the risk assessment, it must be undertaken as per the Health Surveillance and Workplace Monitoring procedure.
Hazardous Chemicals that have the potential to create a flammable or contaminated atmosphere is considered high risk work and requires a HRCW SWMS.
Hazardous Chemicals Register
Subcontractors must have an up-to-date register of hazardous chemicals used and stored at the site. It must be readily accessible to workers involved in using, handling or storing the hazardous chemicals and to anyone else who is likely to be affected by the hazardous chemicals. Each hazardous chemical must have a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Subcontractors must provide copies of both their register and SDSs to HY.
The Hazardous Chemicals Register (including SDS) must be kept at the First Aid room/facility to ensure availability of information in a first aid situation.
All States other than Victoria: Hazardous chemicals that are considered consumer products (packed primarily for use by a household consumer and used in the workplace in quantities and in a way that is consistent with household use and incidental to the nature of work carried out) are not required to be included in the register.
Hazardous Chemicals Training
Workers working with Hazardous Chemicals on site are to be provided instruction and training on the safe storage, handling, and use of the substance in accordance with the work.
Where use of the chemical is considered HRCW, workers using the chemical are to be inducted into the relevant HRCW SWMS. Where the use of the chemical is not considered high risk work, a safe system of work is to be implemented.
Evidence of the above is to be provided by HY upon request.
Hazardous Chemical Labels
Hazardous chemicals, the containers of hazardous chemicals and pipework containing hazardous chemicals must be correctly labelled. This includes containers that have had hazardous chemicals decanted into them.
If a container that does not have a label or is incorrectly labelled, action must be taken to correctly label the container. If the contents of the container are not known, this must be clearly marked on the container e.g. ‘Caution—do not use: unknown substance’. If the contents cannot be identified, they must be disposed of in accordance with relevant local waste management requirements.
There are nine hazard pictograms in the GHS which represent the physical, health and environmental hazards. The GHS uses ‘Danger’ and ‘Warning’ as signal words to indicate the relative level of severity of a hazard. ‘Danger’ is used for the more severe or a significant hazard, while ‘Warning’ is used for the less severe hazards. The Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG) Code applies to dangerous goods being transported by road or rail.
The below table compares pictograms used by the GHS to symbols used by the ADG:
Handling and Storage
Hazardous chemicals must be handled and stored in accordance the relevant Codes of Practice and SDS. This includes wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) as per the SDS when handling hazardous chemicals. Hazardous chemicals must be stored with segregation distances from other hazardous chemicals in accordance with segregation requirements from the GHS.
Where a Hazardous Chemicals Store is established on site, the location must be shown on the Site Layout Plan. Hazardous chemicals required to be documented in a Hazardous Substances Register must not be stored in Site Offices, Lunchrooms, First Aid facility or Change rooms.
Flammable or combustible chemicals should be kept at the lowest practicable quantity for the workplace.
The following table outlines the compatibility of storing hazardous goods in proximity:
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
Flammable and combustible liquids must be stored and handled in accordance with the relevant SDS and AS 1940 – The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids.
Typically, the quantities of flammable and combustible liquids on HY sites meet the criteria for Minor Storage in AS 1940. Should quantities be in excess of the thresholds for Minor Storage, then the State/Regional HSE Manager must be contacted for advice on the storage and handling requirements for the site.
A Hot Works Permit is required for any processes that could be a source of ignition or generates continuous streams of sparks (e.g. grinding, welding) where flammable or combustible chemicals are present. Refer to the Work Permits procedure.
Compressed Gases
Compressed gases must be stored and handled in accordance with the relevant SDS and AS 4332 – The storage and handling of gases in cylinders.
Gas cylinders must be transported in trolleys and secured at all times. Oxy and acetylene or any other type of gas bottle must not be stored inside a container/shed unless cross flow ventilation is provided in accordance with AS 4332.
Contaminated and Flammable Atmospheres
Where atmospheres are identified as possibly or potentially contaminated or flammable, the air monitoring requirements in the Health Surveillance and Workplace Monitoring procedure are to be followed. Controls to manage contaminated or flammable atmospheres are to be determined by risk assessment and in consultation with the occupational hygienist performing the atmospheric testing or monitoring.
Ignition sources are to be eliminated in any potentially flammable areas. Any work involving hot works is to be undertaken in accordance with the Hot Works Permit requirements in the Works Permits Procedure.
Impact Protection
Measures may be required to prevent impact with structures or plant used for the storage or handling of hazardous chemicals at site. Impact protection measures may be necessary for:
- Structures containing large quantities of hazardous chemicals
- Plant and equipment including storage and process vessels, associated pipe work, pumps and controls
- Storage areas (including transit storage) for packages, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and associated shelves and racks
- Exposed parts of the fire protection systems
The most effective ways to protect containers, pipe work, pumps and attachments from impact is to locate the containers away from trafficable areas or prevent vehicle access. Installation of crash protection measures, such as bollards and guardrails, is an alternative means of impact protection.
The location of any pressurised gas or refrigerant lines inside or near the site boundary shall be identified and managed in consultation with the asset owner/s. An Emergency Response process may need to be developed if gas/refrigerant lines are within, or in close proximity to, the site boundary. This shall be developed in accordance with the Emergency Response Procedure.
Emergency Procedures
Where hazardous chemicals pose a significant risk to work activities as determined by the project risk assessment, the procedures for the response to an emergency must be included in the Emergency Response Plan. When establishing emergency procedures, the following must be considered:
- The location of hazardous chemicals
- How workers will be able to communicate in the event of an emergency (including raising the alarm)
- What rescue and resuscitation equipment will be needed
- Locations and availability of fire response equipment
- Locations and availability of spill containment kits
- Capabilities of rescuers (including training, fitness for work)
Workers performing a rescue must be adequately trained and may need to be provided with air-supplied respiratory protective equipment if they enter an area in an emergency in which the atmosphere is not, or may not, be safe.
Definitions and Abbreviations
ADG – The Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail
GHS – Globally Harmonised System of Classification & Labelling of Chemicals
SDS – Safety Data Sheet
Hazardous Chemical – Any substance, mixture or article that satisfies the criteria for any one or more hazard classes in the GHS
Hazard Class – The nature of a physical, health or environmental hazard under the GHS. Note: This includes dangerous goods.
References
- Work Health & Safety Regulation 2011 (QLD), 2012 (SA/TAS) and 2017 (NSW) – Chapter 7 Hazardous chemicals
- Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (Victoria) – Part 4.1 Hazardous substances
- Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace (Model Code of Practice)
- AS 1940 – The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids
- AS 4332 – The storage and handling of gases in cylinders
- Federal Safety Commission (FSC) Audit Criteria – WH14 Health Surveillance and Exposure Monitoring
- Federal Safety Commission (FSC) Audit Criteria – H10 Pressurised Gas
- Federal Safety Commission (FSC) Audit Criteria – H11 Chemical, Fuel or Refrigerant Lines
- Federal Safety Commission (FSC) Audit Criteria – H13 Contaminated / Flammable Atmosphere