Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
There are regulations surrounding Hazardous substances that must be followed. These regulations are particularly aimed at safety representatives and health and safety professionals. Any workplace using hazardous substances can put people’s health at risk. To minimise ill health, employers have to control the level of exposure to these hazardous substances.
The affects due to exposure to hazardous substances can be severe, an example being chronic lung disease and in extreme cases can result in death.
Hazardous substances can range from things found in most work places, adhesives, paints, cleaning products and fumes from such things such as soldering and welding, through to biological agents, bacteria and micro-organisms.
The most common but less serious effect of coming into contact with hazardous substances is skin irritation/dermatitis. However too much expose to hazardous substances can result in the development of asthma and the loss of consciousness due to being overcome by toxic fumes. In the more extreme cases a person with a highly dangerous level of expose to hazardous substances could develop cancer.
Substances/mixtures of substances classified as dangerous to health under the chemical hazard information and packaging for supply regulations and biological agents that are directly connected with work such as healthcare, farming and sewage treatment as well as accidental biological agents from such means as air conditioning systems that haven’t been properly maintained, all come under substances that are hazardous to health and should all be properly controlled to prevent effect of health.
Substances that are only hazardous because they are; radioactive, under high pressure and flammable as well as asbestos, which has its own regulations are not hazardous to health under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations.
If a company complies with the Control of Substances Hazardous to health regulations they will see positives results including improved productivity as a result of using less raw material, as well as improved morale in employees and a better compliance with safety requirements.
However if, as an employer, your company fails to follow the regulations surrounding the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, you may face loss of productivity and even face prosecution for failing to comply with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations.
If, as an employee, you suffer effects of expose to hazardous substances due to neglect of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health, you may be able to claim compensation.
Under a no win no fee claim you could be entitled to a personal injury claim. At Accident Consult we are experienced in dealing with personal injury claims due to hazardous substances.
If you are successful in your claim you keep all of the money awarded to you. To find out more please get in touch with one of our professional team today by calling 08081 68 69 70.
Tags: extreme cases, hazardous substances, ill health, loss of consciousness |
