Ep. 8: Common Dangerous Goods and How to Overcome the Risks

In this episode of "Chemical Safety at Work," we're joined by Paul Hands, a dangerous goods storage consultant from Storemasta, to discuss the often-overlooked dangers lurking in everyday workplace chemicals. From paints and solvents to corrosives and gases, Paul shares real-life examples and practical advice on how to ensure your workplace stays compliant and safe. Learn how to identify hidden risks and implement effective chemical safety measures today.

Got a chemical safety concern or story to share? Reach out to us on Storemasta’s social media channels—we’d love to hear from you and help tackle your challenges. Tune in and make safety a priority!

For more information about safe dangerous goods storage and handling, and the solutions available, visit the Storemasta website: www.storemasta.com.au

Transcript

Pat: 

Welcome back to Chemical Safety at Work the Podcast. In today's episode, we will be looking at some common dangerous goods that are found in workplaces, but you might not be aware of the risk yet. These chemical safety issues are often overlooked by staff members, and that's why awareness of these issues is just so important. 

Mel: 

Today we have Paul Hands here. He's a dangerous goods consultant at Storemasta and works with a variety of organisations in different industries. Paul, welcome to the podcast. Do you want to tell us a little bit about yourself and the role? 

Paul: 

Hi, I'm Paul. I'm from Leeds in the UK, based in Melbourne, and I suppose the main role is advising customers on the correct products and essentially how to reduce risk in the workplace. We advise on the Australian standards, and helping to interpret what that means for organisations to create a safer workplace environment. 

Pat: 

When you first started as a dangerous goods storage consultant, and you were trying to understand the requirements of organisations and the standards, did you get a good understanding about why they struggle with the topic?

Paul:

I suppose it's just information overload. You’re looking at all this information and wondering how you are going to find the exact pieces that you require. I suppose that's why we've got blogs in place that just highlight the key information that you need.

Mel:

Speaking with organisations every day, what are some commonly overlooked dangerous goods and risks that people don't even realise they have on site? 

Paul:

I think it's like the, the everyday chemicals like paints, solvents, things that you can buy in Bunnings that people don't think are necessarily dangerous goods. I think that's often the biggest common risk.

Pat:

And maybe if they have a smaller quantity of those chemicals it's not such a big deal and only once they surpass certain thresholds and get larger quantities, that it becomes a real hazard and they don't realise they've moved into that territory. 

Paul:

Correct

Mel:

You’ve mentioned paint as one of the commonly overlooked dangerous goods. What are some key considerations when storing paint? 

Paul: 

It depends on the situation really: what packing group it is; the location it is being stored; whether it’s minor storage or package storage. For example, in factories, the limit is 1L of paint, or flammable liquids, per 2m² of floor space.

Pat:

So, it really depends on the quantity and the location. If you have more than 1L per 2m², then you need to consider something like a storage cabinet. 

Paul:

Yeah, it needs to be stored compliantly.

Mel:

Can you give us a specific example of an organisation you were talking to that had something on site that they didn't realise needed to be stored in a specific, compliant way? 

Paul:

Yeah, we had a youth community center, and they had recently bought multiple drums of paint from Bunnings. They probably had ten 5L paint tins and it was just being stored at the back of the building on wooden pallets or wooden shelving. They didn't realise that wasn't compliant.

Pat:

The risk there being a fire potentially if there's an ignition, for example if there’s a leak and someone starts up some machinery in that area or someone drops a cigarette butt. 

Paul: 

The whole building could go up. 

What other common chemicals are there? 

Paul:

I suppose the other common class that we deal with is class 8 corrosives. We had somebody ring in a couple of weeks ago and it was a lady who owned a hairdresser. She probably had 10L of peroxide to dye hair with and she just wanted to make sure that she was compliant.

She didn't know any rules, or about the Australian standards. She didn't have any SDS sheets at hand. So, she was just making sure that what she was doing was compliant.

Mel:

Once you have your SDS sheets, what are you looking for? 

Paul: 

I suppose any incompatibilities. Materials that the chemical might react with. For example, with corrosive chemicals you really need to store them on PVC or some sort of plastic. It’s important to check the pH level of the chemicals, which is going to determine whether it's an acid or an alkali. Check the storage requirements, the temperature that it should be stored at, PPE requirements, essentially all the safety information that's needed. 

Mel:

Great. And you can find all that information in the SDS?

Paul:

Yeah. Correct. 

Pat:

You mentioned a moment ago a specific instance where an organisation reached out because they didn't have much understanding. What is it that leads people to realising that they have a need or reaching out to you in the first place? 

Paul:

It could be several reasons. They might have had an internal risk assessment done and realised that they need to change their processes. There might have been an incident or an accident that's caused a change. Or maybe it's an external audit where they’re forced to make changes because they're not compliant at the moment. 

Pat:

Like a regulator's come to site? 

Paul:

Correct. WorkSafe or someone like that.

Mel: 

What other common dangerous goods are organisations dealing with?

Probably gases. Classes 2.1 and 2.2 flammable and non-flammable gases that are used in the workplace are quite often overlooked. Quite often those two classes are stored together. They need to be segregated. A good example would probably be oxygen acetylene, commonly used for welding. Obviously when they're being used, they can be together.

But when not in use they need to be stored separately and they need to be segregated.

Mel:

And that's because they're different classes?

Paul:

Correct. They're incompatible. 

Mel:

Do you have any recommendations as to how these gases could be better handled to reduce risk? 

Paul:

They need to be stored in a well-ventilated area, ideally outside in a gas cage.

Pat:

What about LPG? That's a widely used gas in many different workplaces and industries.

Paul:

Quite often you find LPG bottles in sheds or small garages. It should be outside in a well-ventilated area. And train staff around the correct use and handling including how to inspect a gas bottle. Empty gas bottles need to be treated the same as if they were full.

Mel: 

What are some steps that organisations can take today to combat these chemical safety issues?

Paul:

It's important to develop a strong risk management system that accurately identifies the hazards and assesses the risks, and then implement a range of controls that address those risks.

You shouldn't overlook risk management as a one-off event. It requires a broad approach to chemical safety, which includes regular inspections and assessments of the site to make sure that the hazards are properly controlled. Then you should invest in training for your staff including chemical safety training and how to use the equipment and maximize the effectiveness of all controls.

Pat:

What are some of the specifics that can be implemented into their systems or processes? 

Paul:

It could be several things: install appropriate signage; make sure SDS sheets are close to the chemicals so workers can access the; ensure chemical segregation and that chemicals are away from ignition sources; establish designated areas and anything else that's been flagged on an internal risk assessment has been managed. It's all those small, one percenters that are going to make a huge impact.

Mel:

Thank you, Paul, and thanks to everyone listening. We want to hear about chemical safety in your workplace and what issues you may be dealing with. So, send us a message on any of Storemasta’s social media accounts and share your story. We'd love to unpack the issues you're having and discuss the potential solutions. Thanks very much.