Hazardous substances are often used in multiple industries, which means that it’s essential to learn how to handle and dispose of them correctly. This can help keep the environment and your employees safe. If humans are exposed to hazardous substances, this can lead to a number of issues, so it’s crucial to establish a culture of safety. Employees should be equipped with the right tools and knowledge when it comes to the safe handling of hazardous substances. Today we will take a closer look at some important practices, that you may want to incorporate in the workplace to help you maintain a safe environment.

 

Implement Effective Procedures

First of all, it can be beneficial to look into the types of procedures that you have in place. For example, this may refer to the use of personal protective equipment and how often it should be replaced. Also, you may want to start inspecting equipment before each use. Make sure that employees always use hazardous substances the way they are instructed to do so. Check that they don’t eat or drink while handling dangerous materials. Remind them to read the labels to familiarize themselves with what they are working with and always wash their hands after handling hazardous chemicals.

 

Conduct Risk Assessments

Risk assessments should be conducted regularly so that you can properly evaluate the risks in the workplace and take measures to address them. This will also help you recognise which materials might be considered a hazard. HS Direct provides a wide range of COSHH assessment templates for almost every industry. It can be a good idea to learn more about COSHH risk assessments and how they can be used to ensure safety. Using hazardous substances as part of your daily operations means that you will need to take steps to prevent harm from occurring. Thanks to HS Direct, you can learn what you need to do to effectively manage hazardous chemicals and solvents.

 

Provide Adequate Training To Employees

Your employees should receive proper training and information about the hazardous substances, that they need to deal with every day. Although there might be a few standard training sessions that you have organised already, don’t hesitate to include more as part of your employees’ training plan. For example, you may want to look into additional safety courses and classes that they can take. Also, it can be helpful to increase the number of training sessions that you hold every month or year, as this way employees will have more opportunities to ask questions and address concerns.

 

Store Hazardous Materials Correctly

Last but not least, it’s crucial to learn how to store hazardous materials correctly and teach your employees to follow the same steps. Hazardous substances should always be stored in sturdy containers designed for that purpose. This means that you shouldn’t store them in other containers or bottles, that might be used for other things like food and drink. It’s also important to keep some substances separated at all times, such as acids and bases. Also, make sure that containers are clearly labelled to avoid confusion.