Do you handle hazardous materials in your day to day life or job? If so, you should know the basics of safety when working with dangerous materials. The following tips are great for you to find out today and will start off your education in hazardous materials.
Image courtesy of Toa55 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
1. Pay attention during training! Even if you’ve worked with chemicals before, you can always use a brush up. Or, you may need to know new information about chemicals you’re not used to working with.
2. Pay close attention while you’re working with the chemicals. If hazardous materials are a common part of your job, it’s easy to get lax and simply go through the motions. However, it’s just as important to be extra safe the first time you handle chemicals as it is the hundredth time you handle them.
3. Before handling the materials, make sure that what’s inside the container is the same as what it’s labeled. If you find that something is labeled incorrectly, report it before doing anything else.
4. Read the MSDS (material safety data sheet) before using any materials.
5. Only use chemicals and materials for the purpose they’re intended for.
6. While handling chemicals, don’t eat or drink, use makeup, or handle anything that you’re going to be on your face or body. Even if you think your hands are clean, there could be traces of materials that could make you sick or hurt you. Always make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after working with hazardous materials.
7. Always store chemicals in dry, cool areas that have good ventilation.
8. At least one time every shift, clean all work surfaces to keep the risk of contamination as low as possible.
9. Even if you handle hazardous materials with as much care as possible, accidents still happen. Make sure that you know the proper emergency procedures so that you can respond to a problem right away.
Since safety precautions vary depending on what types of chemicals you’re working with, always make sure to follow the specific guidelines for exactly what you’re handling.
