CCOHS releases chemical safety manual

Provides step-by-step guidance

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has released a new health and safety manual to assist small and medium-sized businesses in outlining the elements of a chemical health and safety program.

The Implementing a Chemical Safety Program manual provides workplaces with step-by-step guidance on understanding, controlling and working safely with chemicals.

“If chemicals are not used, stored and handled properly, they can cause injury, illness, disease, fire, explosions or property damage,” said Jan Chappel, senior technical specialist at CCOHS. “This guide was written to assist workplaces in developing a chemical safety program to reduce health and safety risks, lower environmental impact, and reduce operation costs.”

The manual includes five main parts:

•the importance of a chemical safety program, and the fundamentals of doing inventory, and purchasing

•hazard identification, including chemical classifications systems so workplaces know more about the types of hazards that are present

•the importance of proper storage, handling and control

•an explanation of how occupational exposure limits work and how testing is done

•related situations such as emergency preparedness, first aid, waste and training.

CCOHS publications are developed by experts in the field and reviewed by representatives from labour, employers and government to ensure the content and approach are unbiased and credible.

The manual can be found at CCOHS.

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