This is an initiative to increase the general public awareness about

Prepared By: Taner Cetinkaya | HSE Professional Environment, Health and Safety.
Safety Talks – Volume 1 – Issue 5 – November, 2018 Working With Hazardous Materials Page 1 of 2

What is `Hazardous Material`?

A hazardous material is any item
or agent (biological, chemical,
radiological, and/or physical), which
has the potential to cause harm to
humans, animals, or the
environment, either by itself or
through interaction with other
factors.

Types of Hazardous Materials/Waste

1. Explosives 6. Toxic & Infectious Substances
2. Gases 7. Radioactive Material
3. Flammable Liquids 8. Corrosives
4. Flammable Solids 9. Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods
5. Oxidizing Substances

Control Measures for Workplaces;

Substances hazardous to health are defined under COSHH as those that are: 'Very Toxic,
Toxic, Corrosive, Harmful or irritant. Under COSHH regulations, eight principles apply
regardless of whether a substance has a Workplace Exposure Limit. These are;

 Design and operate processes and activities to minimize emission, release and
spread of substances hazardous to health.
 Take into account all relevant routes of exposure – inhalation, skin absorption and
ingestion – when developing control measures.
 Control exposure by measures that are proportionate to the health risk.

Taner Cetinkaya is an experienced EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Engineer, with over 18 years of international experience in
large-scale building and infrastructure projects. He has spent the last 7 years in the Gulf working on top class airport projects in the
UAE and Oman, valued at over a billion dollars in value.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanercetinkaya
 This is an initiative to increase the general public awareness about
Prepared By: Taner Cetinkaya | HSE Professional Environment, Health and Safety.
Safety Talks – Volume 1 – Issue 5 – November, 2018 Working With Hazardous Materials Page 2 of 2

 Choose the most effective and reliable control options, which minimize the escape
and spread of substances hazardous to health.
 Where adequate control of exposure cannot be achieved by other means, provide, in
combination with other control measures, suitable personal protective equipment.
 Check and review regularly all elements of control measures for their continuing
effectiveness.
 Inform and train all employees on the hazards and risks from the substances with
which they work and the use of control measures developed to minimize the risks.
 Ensure that the introduction of control measures does not increase the overall risk to
health and safety.

Good practice around Hazardous Substances

 Altering work methods so that the task that causes exposure is no longer carried out
 Modifying the process to remove Hazardous Substances including by-products or waste
 Substituting the hazardous substance with a less hazardous type or form of the
substance, e.g. using granules instead of powder to reduce dust levels or a less volatile
solvent in a process.

If exposure cannot be prevented, it must be adequately controlled.

The hierarchy of control measures can be summarised as follows;

Eliminate: Don’t use the hazardous substance or avoid

the procedure which causes exposure.

Substitute: Change the material or working practice to

one less hazardous.

Enclose: Enclose the hazardous substances or process in

a closed system.

Control: Control exposure to the hazardous substance by

using one of the following methods:

 Engineering Controls
o Control the exposure at source with local exhaust ventilation or increased
dilution ventilation to lower concentrations in the atmosphere.
 Procedural Controls
o Reduce the numbers exposed or the time spent on the procedure, carry it out
in specified areas and carry out routine monitoring and health and medical
surveillance if needed.
 Personal Protective Equipment
o Provide gloves, impervious aprons or overalls and/or respiratory protection to
minimise the effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

Taner Cetinkaya is an experienced EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Engineer, with over 18 years of international experience in
large-scale building and infrastructure projects. He has spent the last 7 years in the Gulf working on top class airport projects in the
UAE and Oman, valued at over a billion dollars in value.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanercetinkaya