Working with Substances

Harmony Timber Solutions are proud to announce we are official partners of Construction Safety Week 2019 (21st – 25th October) organised by the Construction Industry Federation.

Read our CSW post here for an overview

Friday 25th October is the final day of Construction Safety Week and for this day the focus is on Working Safely with Hazardous Substances

Many workers are exposed to hazardous substances in whilst at work. According to EU-OSHA, the industry sectors with high prevalence of dangerous substances include agriculture (62%), manufacturing (52%) and construction (51%). If uncontrolled, these substances may potentially impact on a worker’s health and contribute to either acute or long-term health problems (e.g. skin irritation, respiratory diseases and cancer) or safety risks in the form of a chemical reaction, fire, explosion or suffocation.

Construction Industry Federation

Although not constantly handling or using hazardous substances, it is still of the upmost importance for our staff to be trained and fully aware of the related health issues and injury possibilities for the times in which they are in direct contact with such substances and/or hazardous dust particles.

We ensure that all substances are correctly marked with clear warnings and classification symbols to remind our staff and customers of their hazardous nature; to remind them to handle correctly and with the correct PPE.

The CIF identified that the Chemical Agent Regulations 2001 and 2015 outline a specific requirement to complete a Chemical Agents risk assessment of the chemical agents used in the workplace, which include the following steps:

• Identify the chemical hazards;
• Consider who might be affected and how they might be harmed;
• Evaluate the risks – current controls and further precautions;
• Document and implement your findings;
• Update and review as required.

Be sure to check back during the week and also check our social media accounts for #CIFSafety19 updates!