Chemicals, and products made from chemicals, play an integral role in our everyday life, from fertiliser, fuel and industrial gases to pesticides, plastics, and paint and so on.  This means that activities like the import, production, transport, storage, reprocessing and disposal of chemicals are also essential to how we live.

Many of these chemicals are hazardous.  Incidents involving them can have significant impacts for the workers, the emergency services personnel who respond to incidents and to the community who live or work in the vicinity of these industries.  These issues were highlighted with two recent fires, a major chemical fire in West Footscray in 2018 and a waste management facility fire in Campbellfield in 2019.  These incidents raise questions about how hazardous chemicals are being managed in our workplaces.  To reduce the likelihood of similar incidents, it is important that companies identify all the chemicals that they store and use, and subsequently identify the hazards and assess the associated risks.  Controls can then be put in place to eliminate or minimize any risks to people and property associated with the storage and use of the chemicals.

Are you someone who has the responsibility to manage the risk of storage and handling of chemicals that are considered ‘dangerous goods’?  Activities involving these chemicals come with an obligation to comply with the relevant regulations, so you must identify the regulatory regime(s) to apply to the various chemicals.  Many people in this position are well intentioned and may have tried to comply.  However, they may not have always met their obligations, e.g. through a lack of expertise and/or resources.  There can be misunderstandings of what is required, as not only can the regulatory regimes be complex, but the storage of chemicals may not be part of the core business.

R4Risk has expert knowledge in the storage and handling of dangerous goods and managing the risks of these activities.  We are well-equipped to assist you with a review of your current workplace practices.  This will provide you with the assurance that you are managing the chemicals that you use and store safely and that your business will be able to continue to operate efficiently and effectively.  This in turn safeguards your employees, your business and the community from unintended consequences that may result from a chemical-related incident.

For more information, please contact us.

Go to R4Risk Service Listing: www.r4risk.com.au

Email us: [email protected]