INTRODUCTION

In the learning process, the use of chemicals is common among students and lab staff who are
specifically involved in chemical research and management. The safety and health of individuals
involved must always be safeguarded especially the students, researchers, technicians and lab
assistants who are continuously exposed to hazardous chemicals. It is the general responsibility of an
employer under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (514 Act), whereby the employer is
required to provide a safe working environment for his employees and other related individuals. In
the learning process, the use of chemicals is common among students and lab staff who are
specifically involved in chemical research and management. The safety and health of individuals
involved must always be safeguarded especially the students, researchers, technicians and lab
assistants who are continuously exposed to hazardous chemicals. It is the general responsibility of an
employer under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (514 Act), whereby the employer is
required to provide a safe working environment for his employees and other related individuals. The
Department of Chemical and Process Engineering constantly ensures a safe and healthy working
environment, other than improving the safety risk management system at the labs. The
department’s labs have also been audited by the National University’s Internal Audit Unit, SIRIM and
also, the Engineering Accreditation Council Malaysia (EAC). This is in tandem with the National
University’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy (2010), which is committed and strives to create a
safe and healthy working environment for all, including its customers, through organized work
culture that is supported by each and every employee and student. In order to continue the
betterment of current safety management system, a chemical health risk assessment has been
conducted on the use of chemicals at the teaching and research labs, especially those that pose a
high risk to health. The risk assessment began its first phase on 19 May 2011, which is then followed
by the second and third phase by a main consultant, Datuk Ir. Ahmad Nordeen bin Dato’ Mohd
Salleh from the Lloyd’s Register Technical Services Sdn. Bhd., who is registered with the Department
of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia. Datuk Ir. Ahmad Nordeen is also a member of the
Faculty Advisory Board at the department for the Chemical Engineering programme, from November
2009 until October 2011. The purpose of this assessment is to allow the identification and evaluation
of the risks involved and the level of exposure to chemicals handled at the labs. Furthermore, it is
also to evaluate the sufficiency of the current control measures practiced by the staff and students
to make sure that the chemical exposure limit is not exceeded.

A Register of Hazardous Chemicals is a list of the names of the all hazardous chemicals
kept at the workplace. The register must also contain the current Safety Data Sheet
(SDS) for each of the chemicals and be easily accessible to any workers, or contractors
likely to be exposed to the chemical hazards. It should also be accessible to emergency
responders

A hazardous Chemicals Register is a list of hazardous chemicals in a particular workplace,

accompanied by the current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each of those chemicals. Registers
should be readily accessible to workers involved in using, handling or storing hazardous
chemicals and to anyone else who is likely to be affected by a hazardous chemical at the
workplace. They must be updated as new hazardous chemicals are introduced to the
workplace or when the use of a particular hazardous chemical is discontinued.
 The new Globally Harmonised System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS) sets guidelines for the safe production, transport, handling, use and disposal of
hazardous materials. Developed by the United Nations, it’s seen as a way to bring into
agreement the chemical regulations and standards of different countries. The myosh
Chemical Register meets the requirements in terms of the GHS. It’s important to ensure that
the accompanying SDS which is uploaded, also meets these requirements

Obtaining Safety Data Sheets (SDS)s

Safety Data Sheets are an essential part of your hazardous chemical register because
they contain vital information about:

 The chemical properties of hazardous substance

 The hazard class assigned by the GHS
 Health hazards, acute adverse health conditions, and chronic illnesses caused by
the chemicals
 Safe handling and storage instructions
 Recommended personal protective equipment (PPE)
 First aid and emergency responses
 The impact on physical property and the environment.

The first job in obtaining these Safety Data Sheets and creating your hazardous
chemical register is to conduct a walk-around of the worksite and physically locate all the
chemicals. You might have already done this during your risk identification and
assessment processes, but if you haven’t consider printing out a site map and walking
around with the staff or contractors assigned to each work area.

Next you will create a Master List of the chemical names (using Word tables or Excel
spreadsheets is ideal) and begin collating the SDSs you have for each of the chemicals.
You can also include additional information in your register eg, the location onsite where
the chemical is used/stored; name of the manufacturer/supplier, and the issue date of
the SDS.

Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to update the SDS for their
chemicals at least once every five years, or if changes to manufacturing processes (or
scientific research) alters the risks and hazards of the chemical. You are required by law
to have the current SDS for every chemical, so if any of them are more than 5 years old
you immediately know there is a problem.

SDSs should only be obtained from the actual supplier, importer or manufacturer of the
chemicals because the chemical properties of a substance can vary (even between
batches) enough to increase or reduce the health and physical hazards of a chemical.

IMPORTANT: Never use a generic SDS or something  you have downloaded from the
internet from another supplier’s website. It could cost someone their eyesight or their
life.
Implementing your chemical register
Once you have created your register you need to create an accessible (and safe) space
in relevant work areas where staff and other personnel can easily use it. We recommend
having your master register stored electronically on the company intranet and hard
copies available in locations where the chemicals are actually being used.