Advice for employers: communication
To keep workers safe, communication is essential. Workers must know about the risks they face, the prevention measures being taken, and any emergency action plans. This information should be provided in clear, non-technical language that will be easily understood.
Good communication between employer and workers includes:
- having a list of hazardous substances used or produced in every workplace
- having Safety Data Sheets readily available for each classified hazardous chemical substance that is used
- turning information from the Safety Data Sheet into workplace instructions that give practical information on how to handle substances as part of their daily routine
- making sure that containers for hazardous substances are clearly labelled, with appropriate hazard warnings relating both to the physical hazards (e.g. explosion risk) and to health hazards
- communicating the results of risk assessments
- asking workers regularly about potential health and safety problems
- providing workers with all relevant information, instruction and training on the hazardous substances present in the workplace, and the precautions they should take to protect themselves and other workers
- ensuring that all workers know how to make proper use of all the control measures provided, who they should report problems to, and what they should do in the event of an accident involving hazardous substances.
