Safely Managing
Compliance strategies and solutions for supervisory personnel
Chemicals and occupational disease risks
The causes of occupational illness aren’t just biological. While a worker might easily encounter nasty bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites on the job, there are many chemicals that are harmful to human health.
Workplace chemical exposures have been linked to cancers and other lung, kidney, skin, heart, stomach, brain, nerve and reproductive diseases.
Employers have a responsibility to recognize the hazards by identifying all chemicals that are used, stored, handled and generated in their workplace. They must also assess the risk of exposure to chemicals for their specific workplace, considering both the likelihood and severity of the exposure.
All substances, including chemicals, can be considered potentially poisonous. However, all chemicals can be used safely if exposure is kept to below tolerable limits.
Factors that influence the toxicity and the health effects of a chemical agent include its physical state, dose or concentration, aerodynamic diameter or size, route of absorption, duration of exposure, and presence of other chemicals.
Personal factors also determine susceptibility to the adverse effects of a chemical. These include genetic factors, age, gender, health status, hypersensitivity, personal habits and hygiene, and pregnancy and lactation. Once risks are assessed, employers must implement appropriate control measures. In some situations, additional information such as occupational hygiene monitoring, is needed to assess the hazard.
Understanding routes of exposure is a key part of the risk assessment.
Inhalation is the most common, followed by contact with skin or less frequently, eyes. Accidental ingestion can happen if food, hands, or cigarettes are contaminated. Injection is a less common method of exposure, occurring when a sharp object punctures the skin and injects a chemical directly into the bloodstream.
Regardless of how the chemical gets into the body, once inside it is distributed by the blood stream. In this way, the chemical can harm organs
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that are far away from the original point of entry, as well as where it had entered the body.
Toxic chemicals can cause either local or more generalized systemic health effects. Local effects occur at the site of body contact, such as skin or eye irritation. Systemic effects occur at a site distant from the route of entry of the chemicals, such as liver or kidney damage.
The onset of health effects can be either acute or chronic. Acute effects are usually immediate, resulting from short-term and often highlevel exposure. Chronic effects are delayed onset health effects following cumulative exposure to chemicals. Health effects from exposure to chemicals can be reversible or irreversible.
Reversible health effects are often temporary and will disappear when exposure to that chemical ceases. One example is dermatitis due to exposure to mild irritants.
Irreversible effects are permanent health changes that cannot be repaired. Examples of irreversible diseases caused by chemicals are cancer, silicosis and asbestosis. It can be many years between the time of exposure to the hazardous chemical and the development of a disease. This is known as the latency period.
“Many occupational diseases have longer latency periods,” notes the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
“They tend to be detected after prolonged exposure over time, making it challenging for researchers to track and study.”
For example, mesothelioma (from asbestos exposure) rarely appears less than 10 years from the time of the first exposure and it may only appear after 40 years.
“It is critical that employers provide education and training about the potential hazards of the products and how to work with them safely,” says the CCOHS.
There are several sources of information on the hazards and how to work safely with chemicals. These include the supplier and workplace labels, and safety data sheets (SDSs). Section 2 of the SDS includes an overview of the physical and health hazards and any special warnings about the physical and health hazards of the chemical.
Always consult the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe use, handling, and storage of the substance.
Three levels of prevention can be implemented with specific chemical agents — primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary prevention aims to prevent the occurrence of a disease or preventing it from causing bodily damage. It utilizes the five Hierarchy of Controls, ranked in order of effectiveness: elimination of the chemical agent, substitution with a less hazardous product, engineering controls to minimize exposure,
It can be many years between the time of exposure to the hazardous chemical and the development of a disease.
administrative controls (altering the way the work is done), and personal protective equipment.
Secondary prevention can involve screening for early detection of exposures and effects, and periodic medical examinations.
Tertiary prevention focuses on minimizing the long-term consequences of work-related illnesses or injuries that have already occurred. This involves managing symptoms, supporting rehabilitation, and facilitating a return to work where possible.
The CCOHS advises that hazard control should be overseen and implemented by qualified individuals, and in consultation with health and safety committees or representatives, supervisors, and workers.
“It is also important to always follow the requirements of the applicable occupational health and safety legislation, fire codes, building codes, environmental regulations, transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) regulations, and industry standards.
“When developing procedures for proper storage and disposing of a chemical, follow the recommendations from sections 7 and 13 of the SDS, along with any regulatory requirements, standards, and codes for your jurisdiction. Ensure all containers are clearly labeled to avoid misuse or incidents.”
Compressed air can be deadly
In many Canadian jurisdictions, cleaning with compressed air is prohibited by law.
The use of compressed air in work settings is so commonplace that people often fail to respect its capacity to do serious harm.
Concentrated air delivered at high speed has been known to enter the blood stream through a break in the skin or through a body opening. An air bubble in the blood stream is known medically as an embolism, a dangerous medical condition in which a blood vessel is blocked.An embolism of an artery can cause coma, paralysis or death, depending upon its size, duration and location.
Compressed air accidentally blown into the mouth can rupture the lungs, stomach or intestines. It can enter the navel, even through a layer of clothing, and inflate and rupture the intestines.
Foreign particles blown into eyes or eye injuries can cause loss of sight. Also, excessive noise from compressed air equipment could cause hearing loss and rupture eardrums.
Dangling hoses can present a trip hazard.
Compressed air containers pose a risk even when they are stationary and not in use. A leak can lead to equipment failure and a puncture can even result in an explosion. While these are worst-case scenarios, knowing the risks is the first step towards ensuring compressed air safety.
In many Canadian jurisdictions, cleaning with compressed air is prohibited by law. Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan specifically mention that compressed air shall not be used to clean clothing worn by a worker, to clean a person, or be directed towards a worker.
In Prince Edward Island, it is prohibited to disconnect air lines from airoperated tools for this purpose. Cleaning of surfaces, structures,
materials, machinery, work benches, floors, etc. may also be specifically prohibited.
In jurisdictions where limited use of compressed air for cleaning is allowed (British Columbia, New Brunswick, North West Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Yukon, and federal regulations), additional safety control measures are required. The device must be designed specifically to clean a person or surface safely, and personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn.
Instead of compressed air for cleaning purposes, use wet sweeping techniques, sweeping compounds, or vacuum cleaners equipped with special filters or other devices to prevent dust from being recirculated into the air.
Where compressed air is allowed for cleaning, a “quiet” nozzle (one with low noise emission) should be selected. The nozzle pressure must remain below 10 psi (69 or 70 kPa).
Here are some basic safe work practices:
• Ensure all hoses and components are appropriately rated to handle the supplied pressure from the
compressor.
• Use the lowest pressure that will do the job.
• When there is a risk for particulate exposure, wear goggles or a face shield over safety glasses to protect the eyes. Wear appropriate gloves to protect your hands.
• Do not tamper with air guns to modify them in any way.
• Never point an air gun or direct air towards another individual or your skin.
• Keep the air hose off the floor where it is a trip hazard and subject to damage by trucks, doors, and dropped tools.
• Prevent sharp objects from rubbing against the hose. Be especially careful if the hose gets wedged in a corner or hung around a machine.
• Prior to use, ensure the quickconnect is properly seated and there is no apparent damage to the hose or fittings.
• If your area doesn’t have a selfretracting reel, always coil the hose — without kinks — and hang it over a broad support, not over a hook, nail or angle iron, when not in use.
ManagementTips
Fall protection is ignored too often
Worker falls from heights result in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries every year.
Most jurisdictions in Canada require the use of measures to prevent such incidents. Failure to make sure those measures are taken continues to be among the top reasons why charges are laid for violating occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations. Violations occur frequently in the construction industry and often involve roofing work, but that’s not always the case.
The regulations generally require action when a worker has the potential to fall about 3 metres (10 feet). This might include falling from a step ladder or through an unguarded hole in the ground or floor. Fall protection might also be required when working above an open top tank, bin, hopper or vat.
Other situations that could require fall protection include the use of:
• Forklift platforms.
• Elevated work platforms.
• Fixed suspended work platforms.
• Swing staging.
• Boatswain’s chairs.
• Aerial devices.
• Suspended equipment, or personnel carrying equipment.
Some of the following fall prevention measures typically are required
before, or in addition to, the use of personal protective equipment:
• Fixed barriers, such as handrails and guardrails.
• Surface opening protection.
• Warning barriers/control zones.
• A system to prevent a worker from falling from a work position, or from travelling to an unguarded edge from which the worker could fall.
• A system that will stop a worker’s fall before the worker hits the surface below.
• A containment system, such as safety nets.
There might also be specific legal requirements around use of equipment such as ladders and scaffolding.
Preventing falls from heights is a responsibility shared by employers and workers.
An employer must:
• Develop written fall protection policy and procedures relevant for the workplace.
• Identify all areas where there is a potential of injury due to fall.
• Prioritize using passive fall arrest systems, such as guardrails, travel restraint, or fall-restricting systems over only relying on personal fall
arrest systems.
• Develop fall arrest rescue procedures which detail how to return workers safely to the ground after a fall has been arrested.
• Educate and train workers and supervisors to understand and properly fulfill their role in fall protection and prevention. Workers should have easy access to policies and procedures so the directions can be reviewed when needed.
• Make sure workers are instructed in all of the fall-protection methods or systems used and, in the postfall rescue procedure before being allowed into an area where there is a risk of falling.
• Make sure all protective equipment, clothing or devices are provided, used and maintained in good condition according to policies and procedures, legal requirements, and the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Review and amend the fall protection plan when necessary, on a regular schedule, after each fall or near-miss incident.
Workers must:
• Alert their supervisor about previous unidentified fall hazards before beginning or continuing work.
• Participate in fall protection planning, education and training.
• Follow fall protection legal requirements and workplace policy and procedures.
• Wear and use all required protective equipment, clothing, or devices appropriately.
• Inspect personal fall protection system before each use and protect it from damage where possible.
• Notify their supervisor or employer of any broken, defective, or missing protective equipment.
SuperCompliance Take action against workplace violence
Workplace violence takes numerous forms, it occurs more often than we might think, and it ranks as a serious health and safety hazard.
Any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment can be defined as workplace violence.
Some jurisdictions include harassment as a form of violence, while others define it separately.
All Canadian jurisdictions have legislation dealing specifically with harassment and violence.
Although many incidents go unreported, there can be significant penalties when prosecutions do occur.
An Ontario social services provider was fined $80,000 for failing to assess the risks of workplace violence. The case stemmed from an incident at a group home, where a resident became verbally aggressive during a conversation with the manager. The situation escalated, and the resident assaulted the manager. A second worker entered the office and pulled the client off the manager, but he too was assaulted.
Investigation determined that the organization had a written workplace violence policy and program, but it did not apply to clients and there had been no risk assessment of the group home itself, contrary to employer obligations under the province’s occupational health and safety legislation.
A $355,244 fine was assessed in British Columbia after an investigation found repeated violations involving violence against a long-term care worker.
According to WorkSafeBC, the employer’s reports lacked key information, such as underlying causes and corrective actions.
In a Prince Edward Island workplace assault case, a man was fined $1,000 plus a $300 surcharge, put on probation for 12 months, and ordered to write a letter of apology to his victim.
The accused had punched a coworker several times, sending him to the floor. Court was told that a few months before the assault, he insulted the victim about his residence. The victim, who is from Pakistan, had made remarks about India, which is where his assailant is from. On the day of the assault, the accused gave an assignment to the victim, who returned it because he didn’t think it was his responsibility. The accused then hit the co-worker and pushed him, causing him to hit his shoulder and neck on a desk as he fell.
The court was told the accused was heard calling the victim a terrorist.
The most important component of any prevention program is management commitment.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety advises that is best communicated in a written policy. It suggests the policy should:
• Be developed by management and employee representatives, including the health and safety committee or representative and union, if present.
• Apply to management, employees, clients, independent contractors and anyone with a relationship with your company.
• Define what you mean by workplace violence, harassment, and bullying in precise, concrete language.
• Provide clear examples of
unacceptable behaviour and working conditions.
• State clearly your organization’s view toward workplace violence and harassment and its commitment to prevention.
• Precisely state the consequences of making threats or committing violent acts.
• Outline the progressive discipline procedure that will be used to hold individuals accountable for unacceptable behaviour to ensure fair and consistent treatment.
• Outline the process by which preventive measures will be developed and implemented.
• Encourage reporting of all incidents, including reports from witnesses.
• Outline the confidential process by which employees can report incidents and to whom.
• Assure no reprisals will be made against reporting employees who make reports in good faith (sincere and honest).
• Outline the procedures for resolving or investigating incidents or complaints.
• Describe how information about potential risks will be communicated to employees.
• Make a commitment to provide support services to targets of violence.
• Offer a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to allow employees to seek help.
• Make a commitment to fulfill the prevention training needs of different levels of personnel within the organization.
• Make a commitment to monitor and regularly review the policy.
• State applicable regulatory requirements.
Stand against ergonomic injury
Equipment such as adjustable chairs and ergonomic mouse pads can help prevent strain among workers sitting at a desk — but those who are required to stand for long periods of time are subject to strain injuries that cannot be prevented with such equipment.
Standing on a regular basis can cause sore feet, leg swelling, varicose veins, lower back pain, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders, among other health problems, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Standing workers have fewer body positions to choose from, which can contribute to health problems such as insufficient blood flow and pooling of blood in the legs and feet. This risk can be reduced by proper workstation layout and job design.
CCOHS recommends the following:
• Working tables and benches should be adjustable to varying heights.
• The workstation should allow enough room for the worker to change body positions.
• Seat should enable a worker to rest periodically or perform job tasks from a seated position. • Organize the workstation so items required for common tasks are within easy reach.
• Workers should always face the object of work and keep it close to the body.
• Wear comfortable shoes with arch supports that do not change the shape of the foot. A shock-absorbing insole should be used when working on metal or cement floors.
Heed hydraulic hose hazards
Leaks from high-pressure hydraulic lines are not just messy, they are dangerous. Leaks create slip and fall hazards, fire danger, and they contaminate the environment. Leaks can cause skin burns and, under high pressure, can penetrate the skin.
The most common causes of leaking hoses are abrasions and improper assembly.
Those who work with hydraulic hoses should become skilled at anticipating problems, preventing them and fixing them.
Recognized hazards from highpressure lines include:
• Injection Injuries.
• Dangerous properties of fluid (toxic).
• Contact with hot fluid.
• Other material movement (explosion, whipping hose, etc.). Here are some ways to avoid problems:
Prevent abrasion by using hoses of the correct length and diameter.
• Run the hose as specified by the manufacturer, making sure it is supported and restrained by all provided hangars and/or brackets.
• If chaffing guards were originally installed but are now missing, they must be replaced.
• Do not ignore a damaged outer jacket. This allows moisture to attack the exposed hose reinforcement, leading to rust. Corrosion could lead to hose failure.
Under normal operating conditions, forks should be inspected daily and every six months.
Daily: Operators should make visual inspection of forks during the prestart-up check, giving special attention to permanent distortions, cracks, and excessive oil or water on the blades.
Six months: A thorough inspection of forks should be done every six months, preferably by a trained individual, to check for any deformations, failures or damage that might lead to unsafe conditions. Forks may need inspections more often, depending on the use of the equipment.Check with your jurisdiction for any requirements regarding frequency of checks and maintenance.
When to inspect forklift forks Make sure relocation is safe
If your organization is moving to a new location, all staff should be made aware of safety hazards that may be present and participate in the decision-making process to mitigate them.
Prioritize essential start-up items such as computers, network requirements, phones, mail, etc. Communicate this schedule in advance to all staff. Individual staff responsibilities could include:
• Organize office files for packing and transportation.
• Clean-up of storage and common areas.
• Clean-up of computer disk/network space.
• Removal of personal belongings. It might be best to take such items of value or “breakables” home before the move.
SafetyMeeting
The basics of chemical substitution
Substitution is one of the most effective ways to eliminate or reduce exposure to products that are toxic or pose other hazards.
It is one of several measures in what is known as the hierarchy of hazard controls and is ranked second in order of effectiveness behind elimination and followed by engineering controls (such as guarding and enclosures), administrative controls (procedures to ensure the work is conducted in a way that minimizes the hazard) and personal protective equipment.
A common substitution is to replace a toxic chemical with a less toxic one. Some examples include: replacing the solvent benzene, a carcinogen, with toluene; switching from organic solvents to water-based detergents; and replacing paints containing lead with those containing non-leaded pigments.
In making a substitution, extreme care must be taken to make sure one hazard is not being exchanged for another, especially one that could even be more serious. Before deciding to replace a product, one must know what risks the new product poses to the employees, the environment, the equipment and facilities.
If the risks are serious, then other alternatives should be considered.
Besides replacing a substance with another, substitution can also involve using a safer physical form of a chemical, such as larger particle sizes or pellets, and changing a process or technology by using safer alternatives. There are many reasons for substitution. These can include societal pressure for healthy workplaces and the environment, as well as legislation, industry standards and material availability.
Workplaces are advised to regularly review the products used. Those with greater safety concerns, or when there have been illnesses reported after use with a product, could be examined for alternatives.
Also, manufacturers might change their product formulations, resulting in different ingredients in products of the same name.
A hazard assessment should be done to help decide if alternative products
are an appropriate choice. Use safety data sheets (SDSs) and other sources of chemical information to compare the hazards of various products.
To assess the risk, you must know how the chemical is intended to be used. Identify all the work tasks or processes in which the chemical is involved at the workplace. This includes how the chemical is made, used, handled, stored, disposed or transported.
Issues to consider:
• Chemical and physical properties.
• Short-term health effects.
• Long-term health effects.
• Skin toxicity.
• Sensitization of the respiratory system.
• Cancer-causing potential and reproductive effects.
• Potential routes of exposure.
Choosing a suitable alternative can be a complicated matter. It might be necessary to consult experienced safety professionals or occupational hygienists, ideally those who are familiar with the products and processes used in your workplace. If the decision is made to change chemicals, it is necessary that:
• End-users be trained on how to use the substitute.
• Controls are in place for any new hazards of the substitute.
The basics of chemical substitution
The Quiz
These questions are meant to help you remember what was discussed today — not to test your patience or challenge your intelligence. The answers are at the bottom of the page. Cover them up, and complete the quiz as quickly as you can.
Substitution is the only way to eliminate or reduce exposure to hazardous products.
True False
Can substitution result in one hazard being replaced by another? 2
Yes No
Hold These Thoughts !
The term “regrettable substitution” is used to describe a situation in which a material or process is replaced with another chemical just as harmful, or potentially worse.
One well-known example occurred when dichloromethane was phased out as a brake cleaner due to its environmental effects, but its replacement, n-hexane, was subsequently found to be neurotoxic.
Which of these are among reasons for chemical substitution?
A. Societal pressure for healthy workplaces and the environment.
B. Legislation.
C. Industry standards.
D. Material availability.
E. All of the above.
A hazard assessment should be done to help decide if alternative products are an appropriate choice. 4
True False
Which of these are issues to consider when determining the risks posed by a chemical used in the workplace? 5
E. All of the above. 3
A. Chemical and physical properties.
B. Short-term and long-term health effects.
C. Cancer-causing potential and reproductive effects.
D. Potential routes of exposure.
Are up-to-date safety data sheets easily available for all chemicals used in your workplace?
Yes No
Don’t Know
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Often the substances being replaced have well-studied hazards, but the alternatives might have little or no toxicity data, making alternatives assessments difficult. Often, chemicals with no toxicity data are considered preferable because they do not prompt such reaction as California Proposition 65, which was aimed at protecting sources of drinking water from toxic substances.
Another type of regrettable substitution involves shifting the burden of a hazard to another party. One example is that the potent neurotoxin acrylamide can be replaced with the safer N-vinyl formamide, but the synthesis of the latter requires use of the highly-toxic hydrogen cyanide, increasing the hazards to workers in the manufacturing firm.
Caution is advised when choosing a risk assessment process for the evaluation of chemical alternatives. It is a highly technical process and involves professional judgement of what is a ‘safe’ level of risk.
The following resource can be used to help screen substitutes: Transitioning to Safer Chemicals. Basics of Informed Substitution & Alternatives Assessment https://www. osha.gov/safer-chemicals/basics