Definition of hazardous substance management
Hazardous substance management refers to the handling of hazardous substances (chemicals, air pollutants, etc.) in everyday working life. Safe handling of such substances is the basis of occupational health and safety. Various regulations are necessary to ensure this. These regulations include the GHS, REACH, CLP, the Hazardous Substances Ordinance and the TRGS. These are just a few and are not intended to be exhaustive. Which regulations apply in detail must be decided within the company.
Hazardous substances – Hazardous substance management
The first premise for occupational safety is the potential hazard. For this purpose, the substances used and their properties must be known. If these are substances that can damage health, they are referred to as hazardous substances. These are stored in the hazardous substances database and must be accessible within the company. Employees must be informed about the potential hazards and instructed on how to handle them. To this end, operating instructions are drawn up by the employer in which the occupational health and safety measures are regulated. Regular compliance checks are also part of occupational health and safety.
Classification regulations in the area of hazardous substance management
GHS
The GHS is the “Globally Harmonized System” for the classification and labelling of chemicals. This so-called “Purple Book” (because of the cover color) has been available at UN level since 2003 with the aim of achieving uniform labeling. The GHS regulation includes pictograms that indicate the hazards of the substances. The illustration shows some examples of these symbols. The basis is the red-edged diamond with a black symbol on a white background.
REACH
REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006] is the European Chemicals Regulation for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals and came into force in 2007. This regulation is based on the principle that “manufacturers, importers and downstream users take responsibility for their chemicals”. They must therefore ensure that the chemicals they place on the market can be used safely. To ensure this, manufacturers must include data sheets with their products that contain all the information on the substance concerned, including the hazard statements.
CLP
This is the legal basis for the classification, labeling and packaging of chemicals in the EU. CLP stands for Classification, Labeling and Packaging (Classification, Labeling and Packaging) and is based on the GHS and has been in force in the EU since 01.06.2015. This regulation is legally binding for all member states and has the main objective of labeling the hazards of chemical substances. There are two basic labeling options; based on the GHS and self-classification. Self-classification allows alternative chemical designations to be applied for, which is of great relevance in the context of property protection.
Application at the GSA
Of course, the GSA Messgerätebau is also subject to the above-mentioned regulations. Even though we do not manufacture any chemicals, some are required by our measurement technicians. All necessary regulations are observed by our employees during use and dispatch and are regularly checked as part of hazardous substance management.
Note:
There are other regulations and laws that apply which are not covered in detail in this article. You can find some of them in our article”The most important pillars of occupational health and safety”
Sources:
[1]: https://www.arbeitsschutz-portal.de/sw/gefahrstoffmanagement.html
[2]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/chemikalien/chemikalien-reacheinfuehrung.htm#strap1
[3]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/chemikalien/reach-chemikalien-reach
[4]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/chemikalien/chemikalien-reach/rechtliche-regelungen/eu-ghs-verordnung
[5]: https://www.vci.de/vci/downloads-vci/125813-ghs-broschuere-internet.pdf
[6]: https://www.dguv.de/ifa/fachinfos/ghs-verordnung/index.jsp
[7]: https://www.baua.de/DE/Themen/Anwendungssichere-Chemikalien-und-Produkte/Chemikalienrecht/CLP/CLP.html
[8]: https://echa.europa.eu/de/regulations/clp/understanding-clp
[9]: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/themen/chemikalien/einstufung-kennzeichnung-von-chemikalien/clp-