How Are Hazardous Substances Dangerous, How To Deal With Them And The Dangers They Can Cause.

How are hazardous substances dangerous, how to deal with them and the dangers they can cause.

The Hazardous Substances Regulation is complimented by the Hazardous Substances Advisory Standard. The aim of the regulation is to minimize the risk to health from work with hazardous substances. This package was developed nationally with the aim of ensuring uniform legal standards.

Hazardous substances are chemicals and other substances that can affect workers' health, causing Illness or disease. If hazardous substances are not properly controlled in the workplace, the effect on workers health and the associated costs to workers families, employers and the community, can be significant. Hazardous substances are of particular concern to the hospitality industry because of the wide range of substances used and the potential adverse health effects that these can have. Products such as cleaning agents, beer line cleaners and pesticides often contain hazardous substances and are commonly used in the industry. The regulations are important because they describe how to manage hazardous substances properly in the workplace; so as to protect workers health and prevent costly work related illness or disease.

A range of different health effects can be caused by exposure to hazardous substances. The most common health effect is skin irritation (dermatitis). Other health effects include occupational asthma, chemical poisoning, chemical burns from corrosives, and long-term diseases such as cancer. The type of health effects will depend on the particular hazardous substances.

Whether illness or disease actually occurs depends on the amount of exposure. Other factors also play a part, such as whether a person is exposed to other hazardous substances and the persons own sensitivity to the substances effects. The route of exposure is the way that a hazardous substance gets into a persons body. The most common ways are by breathing in the substance or skin contact. Some hazardous substances can be absorbed through the skin and substances can be accidentally swallowed. Accidental injection through the skin is also possible but is less common in the workplace. Anon (1999) states "The hazardous substances regulation describes the essential elements of the management of hazardous substances in the workplace"

To properly manage hazardous substances, employers and employees need information about the health effects of hazardous substances, their safe use and handling. Manufacturers, importers and suppliers of hazardous substances have a key role to play in ensuring that information is provided with hazardous substances supplied to workplaces.

Decisions must be taken in the workplace about whether there is a risk to workers health from particular hazardous substances. Where there is a risk to workers health, action must be taken to prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances so that the risk is minimized. In some workplaces monitoring of the work environment is required. This then determines whether there are unsafe levels of exposure, or whether workers health is being affected by the exposure to hazardous substances.

The regulation supported by the supported by the rest of the hazardous substances package, provides a comprehensive approach to the management of hazardous substances in the workplace.

In the hospitality industry the main hazardous regulation that must be adhered to is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulation 1988 (COSHH). Hundson and Symonds (1996,p.84) states, "in the case of substances identified as hazardous to health, the COSHH regulations require that exposure to them must be either prevented or controlled." The regulation applies as the chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection has to be controlled. The regulations require employers to make available to employees information concerning the safe use of chemicals and all necessary safety equipment.

By law the employer has to assess all operations within a business, which are likely to expose an employee to substances classed as being harmful to health. The assessment evaluates the risk to health and then identifies the measures necessary to minimise those risks. The final part of the COSHH assessment demands that employees should be trained in the use of equipment as appropriate and instructed in the need for care and the appropriate measures should an accident occur. The amount of training, and what is covered in it, should be appropriate to the level of risk to health. The assessment of the health risk involved in work with hazardous substances will provide important guidance on the training needs of particular workers. The employer must keep records of training. These should include the names of workers receiving training, an outline of the course, and details of training providers. Records of the training given to a worker must be kept for five years from the date of the last entry.

The COSHH Regulations cover the cleaning chemicals and disinfectants used in catering. The manufactures of these chemicals are required to provide information about the hazards associated with the chemical they sell, but the evaluation of the chemicals safety as it is used in a business must be undertaken by the employer. It is important for employers to remember that if a cleaning agent or disinfectant is changed, the COSHH assessment for the replacement product, appropriate safety information and necessary safety equipment must