Most chemical accidents happen during ordinary jobs: moving a container, topping up a bottle, cleaning up. Regulation 13 of COSHH requires the employer to have arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies. These include first-aid facilities, safety drills, warning signals and information on what to do.
Safe storage
- Keep products in their original, labelled containers with the lids on tight.
- Never put chemicals into food or drink bottles, cups or tubs. People have been poisoned this way.
- Store them in the designated place, such as a locked cupboard or cabinet, away from food and drink, and out of reach of the public.
- Keep incompatible products apart. For example, acids away from bleach and other chlorine products, and oxidisers away from flammable materials. The SDS tells you what to avoid.
- Keep heavy containers low. Never store them above eye level.
- Keep flammable products away from heat and sparks, and keep to the amounts allowed.
- Do not stack, overfill or leave containers where they can be knocked over.
Using products safely
- Never mix products. Bleach with acid cleaners, or with ammonia, gives off toxic gas.
- Use the right dilution. More is not better.
- Use trigger sprays carefully. Mist is easy to breathe in.
- Keep the work area well ventilated, as the assessment says.
- Never use compressed air, or a dry brush, to clear dust off clothes or surfaces. Use a damp cloth, or a suitable vacuum cleaner that has the correct filter.
Spills
- Small spill you know how to handle: put on the PPE the SDS and procedure call for, stop the leak, contain it, and clean it up using the spill kit and the method you were taught. Dispose of the waste as instructed.
- Large spill, an unknown substance, or one that gives off fumes: do not try to deal with it. Warn others, move away, and tell your supervisor or the emergency contact. Leave the cleaning to people trained for it. Ventilate only if it is safe.
- Do not wash chemicals down a drain unless the procedure says so. They can harm the environment.
- Report every spill, even a small one, so the cause can be fixed.
First aid
The SDS gives first-aid advice (section 4). The general principle is to act fast, get help, and give the SDS to the medical staff.
- Skin: take off contaminated clothing, jewellery and gloves. Rinse the skin with plenty of cool running water for a long time. Seek medical advice for burns or if the skin stays red or sore.
- Eyes: go to the eyewash station or use clean running water at once. Hold the eyelids open and keep rinsing. Seek medical help.
- Breathing in: move into fresh air. Call for help if the person is unwell, has trouble breathing or is unconscious. Do not put yourself at risk by entering a contaminated area.
- Swallowing: do not make the person sick unless the SDS says so. Get medical help straight away.
For serious incidents, call 999.
Fire and emergencies
Know where the exits, alarms, extinguishers, eyewash and spill kits are. Know who the first aiders are. Take part in drills.
After an incident
Tell your supervisor, and make sure it is recorded. Some incidents and diseases must be reported to HSE under RIDDOR. That is the employer's job, but it depends on you telling them.