This course will help you understand the “why” of a chemical risk assessment. A sample downloadable chemical risk assessment sheet is part of the course along with a proposed method to archive the chemical risk assessments to share with other company facilities to help eliminate a duplication of work. This course will explain chemical exposure limits, the manufacturers Safety Data Sheets (SDS) along with the personal protective equipment. First-aid procedures in a form of medical assistance along with a safety shower or eyewash, along with special considerations such as calcium gluconate for hydrofluoric acid exposure. Hazardous waste generation and the associated liability and costs are discussed.

The four chemical exposure routes into the body of inhalation, ingestion, absorption, and injecting are discussed along with methods to reduce the risk of chemical exposure. Carcinogens, teratogens, and mutagens are discussed along with the different forms of a chemical; solid, liquid, gas, fume, and nanometer.

The nine hazard classifications of:

· Acute Toxicity

· Serious Health Hazard

· Health hazard / Harmful / Irritant

· Oxidizers (chemicals that liberate oxygen but don’t burn). These make a chemical burn hotter and faster.

· Environmental

· Corrosive – will the chemical burn skin and corrode steel

· Flammable – will the chemical gives off vapors that will burn

· Explosive

· Compressed Gases – nitrogen, oxygen, argon, propane

Finally a proposed risk assessment matrix is used to give the assessor a method to gauge if the chemical exposure is controlled or uncontrolled. Students who complete this course will be granted 0.1 CEU. Please contact me at [email protected]