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 M09.04.03 |
Safety measures in working with chemical substances
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READ THE INSTRUCTION ON THE LABEL AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS OF USE |
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FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET INFORMATION ON SAFE USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES AND WEAR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING |
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ASSURE THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO PROVIDE FIRST AID IF ACCIDENTALLY CHEMICAL PRODUCTS GET INTO THE AIRWAYS, MUCOUS MEMBRANE OR SKIN |
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NEVER POUR CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES INTO CONTAINERS DESIGNATED FOR OTHER PURPOSES, E.G. BOTTLES FOR DRINKS |
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NEVER STORE CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES IN UNLABELLED CONTAINERS |
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DO NOT MIX CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS |
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INFORM THE AUTHORITIES ABOUT ANY BREAKDOWN OF THE EQUIPMENT, SPILLAGE OF CHEMICAL PRODUCTS OR DAMAGED CONTAINER |
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ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES. LEARN TO WORK SAFELY IN THE WORKPLACE |
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HAVING NOTICED ANY FAULT, ALWAYS INFORM THE MANAGER |
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USE ONLY THE PRODUCTS ASSESSED AND CERTIFIED BY THE CONTROL OF HARMFUL SUBSTANCES |
If any chemical substance allergy is diagnosed or a persona is allergic, the employee should avoid contact with allergen. If that is impossible the following should be implemented:
- Use of personal protective equipment
- Control the duration of work with allergens to minimize the effect of chemical substance
To avoid and prevent the negative effect of chemical substances the following should be implemented:
- Proper ventilation
- Mechanical ventilation in all premises where smoke and oily vapours are generated (above grills, stoves, pans); draughts shall be prevented
- Regular maintenance of ventilations screens and filters to ensure efficient operation of mechanical ventilation equipment
- Oil should be heated only when necessary, not constantly
- Oils should be replaced and checked frequently
- Emergency alarm system should be installed and regularly maintained in cellars or warehouses where containers with carbonic acid are stored
Marking of harmful substances
Employees working with any chemical substances or preparations shall be aware not only of warning signs but also of toxicity symbols used on the labels of chemical substance packaging:
- Xi ( IRRITANT) - Irritant chemical substances irritating skin, eyes and airways, such as detergents, fertilizers.
- Xn (HARMFUL) – Substances harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed, such as cleansers, paint. Such substances should be handled with gloves and respiration protective equipment.
- C (CORROSIVE) – Corrosive substances, such as sewage cleaning detergents, powder for dishwashers, heavy cleaning detergents should be handled with gloves and direct contact must be avoided.
- F (HIGHLY FLAMMABLE) – Products in a aerosol containers are highly flammable and must not be kept close to open fire or heating equipment.
- F+ (EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE) –Extremely flammable substances must be protected from direct sunshine, higher that 50C temperature. It is forbidden to spray them into open fire or hot surfaces. They must be kept away from sources of fire.
- T (TOXIC) – Substances carrying this marking are very harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
- T+ (VERY TOXIC) – Substances and preparations carrying this marking expose to danger of very serious irreversible effects. They are classified as carcinogenic, dangerous for reproductions or causing heritable genetic damage.
- O (OXIDISING) – Explosive with or without contact with air.
Environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace, effect on human health and safety measures
This section deals with environmental tobacco smoke or second-hand smoke.
Administrators, barmen, waiters and busboys working in bars, restaurants, cafes and other service places spend a lot of time in places polluted with tobacco smoke. The risk of harm depends on the concentration of smoke and time spent in smoky environment. Test results proved that passive smoking has the same effect as 0.1-2 cigarettes smoked.
Long-term passive smoking can be the cause of more severe diseases. Children are especially sensitive to the effect of various poisons.
Breathing of smoke-filled air:
- Accelerates fatigue
- Worsens health state
- Reduces work efficiency
- Irritates the mucous membrane of eyes and airways of sensitive or ill persons, may cause migraine, bronchitis, asthma, angina pectoris attacks
- Flares up allergic diseases
The aforementioned factors increase the potential of accidents in the workplace.
It was scientifically proved that no ventilation can eliminate harmful compounds formed from a burning cigarette. Therefore, mechanical ventilation systems in bars, cafes, restaurants and other premises where customers are served is only an auxiliary measure protecting employees from the harmful effect of tobacco smoke exposure.
The only way to protect employees and clients from hazardous effect of tobacco smoke is banning of smoking in bars and restaurants.
Several countries have already solved the problem implementing a very progressive measure recommended by World Health Organisation and banned smoking in bars, restaurants and other premises designated for serving customers. The ban came into effect in Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden and several states of the USA. Public opinion polls were carried out in the countries planning to introduce the ban for smoking. 47% of Norwegians supported the ban (a year later the percentage of supporters reached 58%), 59% in Ireland, in Sweden 85% supported banning of smoking in restaurants and 77% supported banning of smoking in bars and clubs.
The research showed that the positive effect of the smoking ban was felt rather soon. After three months of the ban in New York the amount of cotinine, the main metabolite of nicotine in plasma, in the blood of employees working in bars, restaurants and cafes, which is the main metabolite of nicotine in plasma, reduced by 85%. Out of 74% of employees complaining of respiratory disorders, the symptoms disappeared in 59% of the employees after smoking was banned in their workplace. It not just protected the non-smokers from passive smoking, but reduced the spread of smoking and the quantity of cigarettes smoked per day among the smokers. In Italy every tenth smoker quit smoking within the five initial months, 6.6% smoked less.
The negative economic effect caused by the ban of smoking in restaurants, cafes and bars is often feared but the research show that the ban had no effect or a positive effect on the volume of sales in cafes, restaurants and bars after implementation of the smoking ban. In New York the money spent in bards increased by 8.7% during the first year compared to the previous year, the number of employees in this sector increased. In Ireland the volume of sales reduced by 4.4 % during the first year of the ban (2004), but that drop resulted not from the smoking ban: sales dropped as a result of rising prices since 2001, changing lifestyle, demographic factors. In Norway the number of customers of cafes, restaurants and bars remained the same.
Self-assessment test
Based on the above information list chemical risk factors that employees working in hotel and restaurant sector are exposed to.
Try to name safety measures to prevent these hazards.
Fill in the form below using the template. You can check your knowledge: D04.
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| TRIA Project ::: Development of a comprehensive training course for assessing the risk at workplace |