Workplace hazardous chemicals are substances, mixtures or articles in the workplace which have either health or physicochemical hazards.
Health hazards include skin irritants, carcinogens or respiratory sensitisers that have an adverse effect on a worker’s health as a result of direct contact with or exposure to the chemical, usually through inhalation, skin contact or ingestion.
Physicochemical hazards generally result from a substance’s physical and chemical properties, as is the case with flammable, corrosive, oxidising or explosive substances.
For the purposes of University procedures, hazardous chemicals include dangerous substances, controlled substances (scheduled drugs and poisons), carcinogens and security sensitive substances. Asbestos and Radiation are covered by separate University policies.
The University has a primary duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of workers and other people are not put at risk from the use, handling or storage of hazardous chemicals.
The Code of Practice Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace is a practical guide for achieving the standards of health and safety required under WHS legislation. In most cases, following the Code of Practice will achieve compliance with the health and safety duties of WHS legislation. However compliance may also be achieved by following other methods, such as technical or industry standards, provided these provide an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the Code.
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