WMD26 Invisible Hazards

Step one

Identify the potential risks. Do a a walk through of your work environment , look at the tasks and the environment. Identify potential sources of exposure to invisible hazards such as chemicals, fumes, dust. Talk to other workers about their health concerns, e.g. headaches, coughing, shortness of breath or rashes. In the case of chemicals look at the material safety data sheets to see if exposure to chemicals are being managed well.

Regarding dust and fume, look at the tasks and the machinery. What are they emiting? Some of the affects of invisible hazards can be long term such as diesel fume.

Step two

Report your concerns to your manager and raise them with your Health & Safety Rep and or Union Delegate.

Step three

Your Health and Safety Reps and Manager can request exposure monitoring. This is done by Occupational Hygienists who come on site and fit workers with a monitoring device to wear to detect chemical fume or dust , or install static monitoring in the workplace.

Step four- Exposure monitoring

Exposure Monitoring results must be provided to the workers who have been tested. The results include information about the level of exposure, any potential health risk and how the risk should be managed. It is known as the hierarchy of control and includes elimination, substitution, isolation,engineering controls and administrative controls such as respiratory protection.