Health & Safety at the Workplace

Together for Sustainability (TfS) Supplier Academy Together for Sustainability (TfS)

Together for Sustainability (TfS) is a global initiative dedicated to improving supply chain sustainability in the chemical industry. Since it was founded back in 2011, TfS has been developing and continues to implement a program to assess, audit, and improve sustainability practices within the supply chains of the chemical industry. All TfS members companies share the vision of a sustainable chemical industry including all suppliers. Each company, and each employee in a company, can contribute to this!

With this brochure about “Health & Safety at the Workplace”, we would like to provide practical tips for preventing accidents as well as emergency preparedness and emergency response. Please take the content of the brochure for general guidance only and discuss the implications for your company to the specifics of your workplaces. Where applicable, include local laws, regulations, and guidelines and give them priority or refer to the experts and supervisors in your company for any questions.

We hope to provide you with a good overview and meaningful advice! Content

PREVENTION Help to prevent accidents and injuries! 1. Personal Protective Equipment 6 2. Chemical Labelling 8 3. Good Housekeeping 10 PREVENTION 4. Understanding Warning Signs 12

READINESS Be prepared for emergencies! 5. Fire Safety 14 16

6. Evacuation Safety READINESS 7. First Aid Readiness 18

RESPONSE Know how to respond! 8. First Aid Response 20 9. Chemical Spillages 22 RESPONSE

RECENTLY AT THE FACTORY

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Handling chemicals can be dangerous! Personal protective equipment (PPE) will protect you from harm. There are different types of danger: immediate danger (e.g. skin corrosion or eye damage from acids) and long term danger (e.g. lung problems from inhaling toxic fumes).

Essential personal protective equipment: Safety goggles to protect against eye injury !

Respirators to avoid inhalation of dust and PREVENTION

! fumes Gloves to protect against skin exposure to ! chemicals Protective clothes to avoid contact of skin and / or clothes with hazardous chemicals Safety shoes to protect feet and legs ! against exposure to chemicals READINESS

DO’s • Always wear adequate PPE to protect yourself. Make no exception! • Check out the material safety data sheet for details on adequate PPE or ask your supervisor. RESPONSE 7 PERSONALCHEMICAL PROTECTIVELABELLING EQUIPMENT For safe handling, chemical containers must be clearly labelled!

This is what a label of a chemical container looks like: Name of How to handle the substance substance and what to do in case of an accident

Hazards PREVENTION

Warning signs

ABC ENTERPRISES ABC Street 23 * ABC City, 12345 * 400.300.2345 * www.abc-enterprises.com READINESS Supplier information

DO’s • All chemical containers must be labelled; if there is no label, inform your supervisor. • Carefully read the label: Do you understand all information? If in doubt, consult your supervisor. RESPONSE 9 GOOD HOUSE KEEPING ? Good housekeeping helps to control or to eliminate workplace hazards!

Poor housekeeping can cause incidents, such as: • Slipping on wet or dirty surfaces • Tripping over loose objects on the floor and stairs • Cutting or tearing the skin on nails, wires, or other materials lying around • Being hit by falling objects PREVENTION

DO’s • Always keep your work area neat and tidy. • Keep all floors, aisles, exits, and stairs clean. • Make sure that all emergency routes and exits

are clear at all times. READINESS • Only eat, drink, or smoke in designated areas. • Clean up after your shift. RESPONSE 11 UNDERSTANDING WARNING SIGNS

You will find different types of warning signs in your factory. It is important that you understand their meaning. Here are some examples:

STOP / PROHIBITION

! ! ! ! ! No fire No drinking No smoking No mobile No access water phones

CAUTION / DANGER

! ! ! ! Risk of fire Gas cylinder Risk of Toxic hazard electric shock

! ! ! Explosive Flammable Oxidising Compressed Corrosive gas

! ! Toxic Irritant Systematic Eco-Toxic health hazard 12 MANDATORY ACTION

! ! ! ! ! Wear eye Wear Wear Wear head Wear foot protection respirator gloves protection protection

SAFETY FACILITIES PREVENTION ! ! ! ! ! Doctor First aid Emergency Emergency Eye wash phone shower stations EVACUATION

! !

! READINESS Exit direction Exit direction Assembly area FIRE PROTECTION

! ! ! Fire Fire hose Fire ladder extinguisher RESPONSE 13 FIRE SAFETY • • • • procedure of the factory: All must workers be familiar with the fire emergency fromeveryone the is harm priority! Toprotect dangerous! is factory a at fire A it or if it is dangerous for you! for dangerous it is if it or Do not try to extinguish a fire if you are not trained for • • • • DO’s Regular fire drills must take place. be provided. Instructions toon contacthow must the brigade fire provided, as well as training on how to use it. There must be adequate fire fighting equipment discovering a fire or when hearing the fire alarm. when do to what of aware be must Everybody factory. the in worker every to There must be an evacuation plan made available evacuation instructions closely. the following building, the evacuate Safely supervisor. alarm and informing your colleagues and emergency procedure, e.g. by pushing the fire If you detect closelya fire, follow the fire procedure of your factory. Make yourself familiar with the fire emergency 15

RESPONSE READINESS PREVENTION EVACUATION SAFETY Some emergencies, such as a fire or large spillages of hazardous chemicals, require the safe evacuation of the factory.

Your factory must have an evacuation plan and it must be available to you – make yourself familiar with it!

Know your quickest evacuation route! !

Know your nearest emergency exit! ! PREVENTION

Know your assembly point! !

Participate in the evacuation trainings!

DO’s READINESS • Make yourself familiar with the evacuation plan of your factory. • In case of an emergency, exit the building through the quickest route. • Keep calm and leave your belongings behind. • Find your assembly point and wait for further

instructions. RESPONSE 17 FIRST AID READINESS

! Injuries and accidents can occur at any time. It is important that you know where to find help! Your factory must have a system to address the first aid needs of workers in case of accidents.

Basic requirements for first aid in factories are: • Sufficiently stocked and easily accessible first aid boxes. • Trained persons to provide immediate medical help in an emergency – there must be one first

aider on duty at all times. PREVENTION • Information available to workers on how to deal with accidents.

Safety is everybody’s responsibility. If you notice a hazard that could cause harm to you or a co-worker, contact your supervisor immediately.

DO’s READINESS • Make sure you fully understand your factory’s first aid procedures for accidents. Know where to find the nearest first aid box. • In case of an accident, ask a trained first aider for help. • Report potential hazards to your supervisor. RESPONSE 19 FIRST AID RESPONSE Chemicals can be dangerous. Eye wash stations and emergency showers can protect you from serious injuries!

Eye or skin contact with chemicals must be treated immediately to prevent long term damage. If a chemical substance gets into your eyes: 1. Go immediately to the eye wash station. 2. Begin to flush water into your eyes. 3. Hold your eyes open with your fingers; use both of your hands.

4. Roll your eyes in all directions. PREVENTION 5. Flush for at least 15 minutes.

If you have substantial skin contact with a chemical substance: 1. Go immediately to the emergency shower. 2. Flush the affected area with water for at least 15 minutes. READINESS 3. Remove contaminated clothes, shoes and other equipment.

DO’s • Make sure you know where to find an eye wash station and a safety shower in your factory. • Understand how to use them! • After an accident, always seek medical help. RESPONSE 21 CHEMICAL SPILLAGES Chemical spillages must always be treated immediately! Exposure to hazardous chemicals can harm people, your factory, and the environment.

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) will provide instructions on how to clean up spillages. As a general guideline, remember that liquid and solid spillages require different ways of cleaning up: Liquid spillages: • Always collect liquid spillages with a solid

absorbent (e.g. clay, sand, sawdust). PREVENTION • Never use water, as this will spread the spillage. Solid spillages: • Remove with a shovel, a vacuum cleaner or similar.

Once the spillage is removed, dispose of the waste according to legal requirements. The MSDS will contain instructions for disposal. READINESS DO’s • Never leave chemical spillages unattended, clean them up or inform your supervisor. • Make sure you use the right method to clean the spillage. • Dispose of waste according to legal requirements as instructed in the MSDS. RESPONSE 23 NOTES

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

My own Personal Protective Equipment

List here the Personal Protective Equipment that you need at your workstation and when you have received it!

1)

Received on:

2)

Received on:

3)

Received on:

4)

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5)

Received on:

24 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

My own Personal Protective Equipment

List here the Personal Protective Equipment that you need at your workstation and when you have received it!

6)

Received on:

7)

Received on:

8)

Received on:

9)

Received on:

10)

Received on:

25 NOTES

FIRE & EVACUATION SAFETY

Fire / evacuation training in your factory Use this space to note down when a fire / evacuation training was conducted in your factory! Use the additional space to note down any further comments, e.g. time needed for evacuation!

Date:

Comments:

Date:

Comments:

Date:

Comments:

Date:

Comments:

Date:

Comments:

26 FIRST AID

Use this space to note down persons in your factory that can help you in case of accident and important emergency numbers! Emergency numbers:

Ambulance:

Local fire department:

Other:

Name and telephone of company doctor:

Names and telephone of trained first aiders: 1)

2)

3)

27 NOTES

OTHER NOTES

28 OTHER NOTES

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