Advice for employers: prevention measures
- Design work processes and controls, and use adequate equipment and materials to reduce the release of dangerous substances.
- Apply collective protection measures at the source of the risk, such as ventilation and appropriate organisational measures.
- Apply individual protection measures including using personal protective equipment (PPE). By law this is the last resort, and should only occur where exposure cannot be adequately controlled by other means. Where PPE is given to workers, they must be trained in its use.
The number of workers being exposed should be reduced to a minimum, along with duration and intensity of exposure and the amount of dangerous substances used. Appropriate hygiene measures should also be adopted.
Employers are also obliged to provide workers with information on the risks posed by hazardous substances, and training in how to use them safely. Regulations apply both to marketed products and to the waste and by-products resulting from production processes.
For many, but not all chemical products, legislation also establishes standards on classification and labelling, so that users can understand the substances they are dealing with. EU law covers the provision of clear, standardised safety labels, risk symbols, and Safety Data Sheets (which chemical manufacturers and suppliers must provide, giving information on the properties of substances, the hazards associated with them, and guidance on storage, handling, protection etc).
For some products, such as pharmaceuticals (e.g. cytostatic drugs) or cosmetics (e.g. hairdressing products), safety data sheets do not have to be provided by suppliers.
Even where SDS are available, more information might be needed in some cases. It is then necessary to:
- use other sources (technical documentation, instructions for use, technical and scientific reference papers and journals);
- ask manufacturers and suppliers;
- consult preventive services;
- seek advice from professional organisations (trade associations, chambers of commerce, trade unions, social security and others);
- contact the relevant authorities.
