Hazardous Substances
Health and safety

As we have seen in the introduction to general principles, there are many categories of hazardous substance, and there are laws governing the labelling, packaging, storage and transport of all such materials.

Legitimate goods should comply with all these rules and you should receive a copy of the material safety data sheet if you have to inspect and sample such goods.

However, you may find yourself dealing with mis-declared or illegal goods. It is important that you understand the dangers and take appropriate precautions.

To help you understand what ‘hazardous substance’ means, we will define each word separately.

‘Hazardous’ substances will normally be classified and labelled as falling into one of the following groups:

• toxic;
• very toxic;
• corrosive;
• harmful;
• irritant;
• oxidising agent;
• spontaneously combustible;
• flammable;
• explosive;
• carcinogenic;
• damaging to the environment;
• dangerous when wet;
• radioactive.

‘Substance’ can include any of the following:

• gases;
• vapours;
• dusts;
• micro-organisms;
• liquids;
• solids;
• fumes;
• mists.

So a hazardous substance can be anything which has the potential to cause injury or damage to people and/or property.

Usually, in order to comply with national and European legislation, all hazardous chemicals should be labelled somewhere on the packaging. The label will include a sign similar to one of those shown here and full details of the risks associated with the product and the precautions required when handling it. The H and P phrases are shown here.

YOU MUST ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE.

Only correctly packaged and labelled goods will be immediately identifiable. If you come across any type of substance which you cannot identify, never assume it is safe.

Remember: some types of hazardous substance are not visible to the human eye (e.g. gases, fumes and micro-organisms).

Whilst legitimate cargo should always be marked with the appropriate labelling, you may encounter undeclared or un-manifested goods that are also hazardous.

You may also find hazardous substances in the environment where you are working. This may include any of the forms listed above.

If you suspect that you have encountered a hazardous substance in the area where you are working you should leave the area immediately until you are satisfied it is safe to proceed, either because you have the appropriate protective equipment or you are satisfied the area is free of hazardous substances.

If you think you have been exposed to a hazardous substance in the course of your work, you should seek medical help/advice immediately and tell your manager.

You should report the incident to others to prevent further exposure.