IHS421

CHAPTER 1:
Introduction to Chemical
Health Risk Assessment
(CHRA)

By :
Assoc Prof Ts ChM Dr Nor Suhaila Mohamad Hanapi
 At the end of the session,
students will be able to:

• Explain the objectives, purpose of

CHRA
• Explain on the contents of
assessment of risk to health
• Explain the type of assessment of
CHRA
WHAT is CHRA-Chemical Health Risk
Assessment
• The Chemical Health Risk Assessment
(CHRA) is an ASSESSMENT that has to
be conducted by the employer arising
from the use, handling, storage or
transportation of chemicals hazardous
to health in their workplace as required
by the Occupational Safety and Health
(Use and Standard of Exposure of
Chemicals Hazardous to Health)
Regulation 2000.
 USECHH • “An employer shall not carry out
any work which may expose or is
REGULATIO likely to expose any employee or
NS any other person to any chemical
hazardous to health unless he has
2000 made a written assessment of the
OR risks created by thechemical to
AS their health.”

AMENDED
CHEMICALS
HAZARDOUS TO
HEALTH: DEFINITION
Chemical hazardous to health means any
substances or mixtures which
• Listed in Schedule I and II of the USECHH
Regulations 2000;
• Classified in any hazard class specified
under health hazard of the First Schedule
of CLASS Regulations 2013;
• Pesticides as defined under Pesticides Act
1974; and
• A scheduled waste listed in the First
Schedule to the Environmental Quality
(Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005.
REGULATIONS 11,
USECHH 2000

• “The employer shall

ensure that any
assessment carried out by
an assessor”
Purpose of conducting CHRA is to
enable decisions to be made on:

• evaluate the adequacy of existing control measures

• induction and training of workers;
• the necessity of exposure monitoring programme; and
• the necessity of medical surveillance programme;
 Objectives of
CHRA:
a) To identify the hazards posed by each Chemicals
Hazardous to Health (CHTH) use within the
workplace;
b) To evaluate the degree of exposure of workers to
the CHTH, either through inhalation, dermal or
ingestion;
c) To evaluate the adequacy of existing control
measures; and

d) To recommend further appropriate control

measures and prioritise actions to be taken to
prevent or reduce risks
There are several types of control
1. Elimination
2. Engineering
3. Administrative
4. Personal Protective Equipment
How do CHRA benefits
company
• Management, as well as employees will be made aware on
current condition, therefore can make decision whether or
not to make improvement
• CHRA can be method to judge specifically the necessity of
complying. Therefore, can save cost on general
implementation.
CHRA
METHODOLO
GY
 The USECHH Regulations stipulates that the
assessment conducted must contain the following:-

a) The potential risks to a

worker as a result of
exposure to CHTH
b) The method and
procedures adopted in
the use of the CHTH
c) The nature of the
hazard to health
CONTENT
OF
ASSESSME
e) The risk to health f) Measures and
d) The degree of exposure created by the use and procedures required to
to such CHTH the release of chemicals control the exposure of a
from work processes worker to CHTH

g) The measures, procedures, and

NT OF
RISK TO
equipment necessary to control any h) The necessity for i) The necessity for
accidental emission of a CHTH as a result worker exposure medical surveillance
of leakage, spillage, or process or monitoring programme; programme and
equipment failure

HEALTH
j) The requirement for the
training and retraining of
workers
CHRA in ACTION
 Manual-
DOSH 3rd
Edition
Application

This manual had been prepared to provide guidance for assessors to conduct a CHRA by
going through a step-by-step procedure and using prescribed techniques and format.

This manual is to be used by an assessor for the purpose of conducting assessment of

health risks arising from the use, handling, storage or transportation of chemicals
hazardous to health in the place of work as required by the USECHH Regulations 2000
 ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Type of Assessment

Full Assessment Simple Assessment

– First approach A simplified methodology to be used by

–To be done for each and every trained person to assess risk for certain
workplace where chemicals situations not requiring specialized
hazardous to health are used knowledge
Type of Assessment
• There are basically two approaches to conduct the assessment of risk
to health, any one of which may be applied depending on the hazard
classification of the chemical, chemical use situation and the
complexity of the work process.
• These approaches are:
a) Full assessment—
- Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA)- Site specific CHRA-Site
specific CHRA should be conducted for each and every workplace where
CHTH are used.
–Generic Assessment (GCHRA)- is done at representative locations which
may be applied to all other locations in which the work activities are
similar, with comparable levels of risk, and similar control measures.
b) Simple assessment
-Simple Risk Assessment and Control (SiRAC)- Simple assessment is an
alternative approach of chemical health risk assessment and may be
conducted if the CHTH
 A system to carry out a simple assessment
Simple Risk based on a process of grouping workplace risks
into control bands based on combination of
Assessment hazard and exposure information.
and Control
for Chemicals Emphasis is on risk control.
(SiRAC)
method.
Based on UK's COSHH Essentials.
TYPES OF CHEMICALS NOT COVERED
BY SIRAC:

(a) Chemical classified as

carcinogenicity category 1, (b) Process generated dusts
(c) Organic dust, e.g. grain
mutagenicity category 1 or and fumes (e.g. wood dusts,
dust, cotton dust and paddy
respiratory sensitization fume released from molten
husk dust;
category 1 under CLASS metal);
Regulations 2013

(e) Scheduled waste as listed

in the First Schedule under
(d) Gases, e.g. hydrogen the Environmental Quality
sulphide, ammonia, etc.; and (Scheduled Wastes)
Regulations 2005 or as
amended.
SELECTION
OF
ASSESSMENT
: CHRA OR
SIRAC
CHRA COURSE-NIOSH
 QUESTION:-
• 1. What is the purpose of conducting CHRA?
• 2. Why CHRA is important
• 3. What does USECHH mean?
• 4. List three examples of chemical hazards commonly found in
workplace
• 5. Is it CHRA is compulsory or not?