Chemical inventory, exposure register and safety labeling

TEAMS training was carried out for the chemical inventory with recordings.

See link to training videos here. 

See link to training videos for employees with editing access here.

• Safety data sheets are always up-to-date and quality-checked.
• Users can easily maintain an overview of the presence of chemicals and biological factors, which is important both for safety and for financial reasons.
• It is a natural starting point for the risk assessment of chemicals or biological material.
• It offers good reporting options.
• It provides an opportunity for a register of employees who work using specified chemicals such as carcinogens and mutagens, lead, biological factors, asbestos and ionising radiation.
• It provides a tool for drawing up emergency preparedness plans.

For a register that provides an overview of substances that are stored and used to work well, all products, quantities and locations must be recorded. In order to keep the register up-to-date, update procedures must be integrated into local purchasing procedures.

Health, safety and environment data sheets contain information that includes the hazards associated with the use, storage, disposal and transport of the chemical or biological factor in question. Safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals or biological factors used at the unit must be collated in a Chemical Inventory. When discharging chemicals remember to keep the safety data sheets for 10 years (REACH).

If you cannot find the safety data sheet (SDS) in the chemical inventory, ask your local chemical inventory coordinator for guidance.

All chemicals must be labelled for safety purposes in the laboratory. Bottles, flasks, glasses, etc., used for storing chemicals must be labelled with the content, date, name and, where applicable, warning label. Labels can easily be retrieved from the Chemical Inventory. The labels can be printed out, for example, on self-adhesive labels.

Hazardous chemicals imported, manufactured and/or sold in Norway must be labelled in accordance with the “Regulations relating to the classification, labelling, etc., of hazardous chemicals”. Anyone who manufactures, imports and/or sells hazardous chemicals must ensure that the requirements of the regulations are met. There are, however, exceptions for certain chemicals, such as medicines, radioactive substances, cosmetics, etc.

All purchased chemicals must be labeled according to CLP (Classificcation, Labbelling and Packaging). “Arbeidstilsynet” recommends that all older chemicals being replaced. As a minimum, these chemicals must be labeled with new hazard pictograms. That is, new labels must be glued to the older packaging. 

For the purchase of new pictograms on stickers, one of these suppliers may be contacted:

• VWR

More information:

• ECHA

Hazard statements (H-statements) describe the nature (e.g. flammable) of the risks of a substance or a mixture, where the degree of risk (e.g. highly flammable) is relevant.

Precautionary statements (P-statements) offer advice on how hazards of substances and mixtures can be prevented or reduced.

Today's black symbols on an orange background are replaced in CLP by black symbols on a white background with a red frame.It introduced three new hazard pictograms including two for health hazards and one for gas containers. Skulls are only used for acute health problems in CLP and a new hazard pictogram for chronic health hazards is introduced.

Photo:

www.uib.no

• Summary of hazard pictograms
• CLP-poster

In order to be able to document any occupational illnesses or injuries it is vital that case history information and working environment information are collected and that they are available to employees. For example, if you are working with carcinogenic substances in the laboratory, the exposure can be automatically registered on a fixed day when the work is occurring. You choose the record keeping criteria yourself, such as duration and frequency.

Statutory register for employees and students who:

• Are or may be exposed to carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductively harmful chemicals (Carc. 1A, Carc. 1B, Muta. 1A or Muta. 1B ). Equivalent to CLP H-phrases H340, H350, H350i and all H360-statements.
• Work with ionizing radiation
• Are or have been exposed to biological factors (infection risk group 3 and 4)
• Work with lead/lead compounds
• Have been or can be exposed to dust containing asbestos fibres
• Exposed to hazardous substances with mining work

Guest researchers

It is the main employer's responsibility to register the exposure. UiB shall register exposure for guest workers who have a D-number allocated by the Norwegian Tax Administration.

If you work with ionizing radiation or lead, you must be registered in the exposure register.

A risk assessment should always be conducted regarding exposure prior to registration. Due to the wording of the regulation it is difficult to rule out exposure as long as a person is working with carcinogenic, mutagenic or reproductively harmful chemicals. Equivalent to CLP H-phrases H340, H350, H350i and all H360-statements.

A person is exposed:

• when working with personal protective equipment (PVU)
• when working in/with special ventilation
• when carrying out other handling of pre-defined substances, e.g. filling the car with fuel

The use of personal protective equipment shall not be accorded weight in an assessment of whether the employee/student shall be registered.

The person working with the compund shall carry out the registration. If you have questions, contact the chemical inventory coordinator at your unit, and they may do the registration in collaboration with you. 

• The employee (exposed, only for personal expose)
• Occupational health service
• Safety and medical personnel
• Coordinators
• Working environment committee
• Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority

The employee/student who is registered in the register shall be informed about this and have access to the information on them.

Data shall be stored for 60 years (40 years for biological factors) after exposure has ceased.

Through safety data sheets SDS users will find the information required to work properly without being exposed to health hazards. SDS also ensures correct storage and waste management of chemicals.

• Chemicals and hazard warning labelling

The supplier is required through the REACH regulation, to deliver SDS to users, exceptions apply to among others medical products and radioactive chemicals. The supplier is responsible for updating the SDS if new information is available regarding the material. The employer must ensure that SDS is available and that the users understand the contents. Everyone using the material has a duty to read the SDS before starting work.

SDS contains 16 points: The properties of the material and measures.

1. Product information
2. Identification of hazards/pictograms/sentences for exposure register
3. Composition/information regarding ingredients
4. First aid measures
5. Fire fighting measures
6. Accidental release measures
7. Handling and storage
8. Exposure control/precautions and safety measures
9. Physical and chemical properties
10. Stability/reactivity/incompatibility
11. Toxicological information
12. Ecological information
13. Disposal instructions
14. Transport information
15. Information about regulations and provisions
16. Other information

An exposure scenario (ES) must provide information about how a user can handle the material properly. ES and the registration number is enclosed with the SDS for a material when it is hazardous and registered in REACH for 10 tonnes or more.

There are several measures we can initiate if we receive an SDS with a registration number and an ES that does not cover our area of use/our method of use. 

• Adapt the use to the existing ES.
• Request a new ES from the supplier.
• Change the supplier/ change the material.

Develop own chemical safety report to be sent to ECHA. This can be avoided if the usage is less than 1 tonne per year or it is used in product and process orientated research.  With any exemption, a report still has to be sent to ECHA within 6 months after receipt of SDS.