Practical tools and guidance on dangerous substances

A number of tools and guidance documents have been developed by Member States, European institutions, business associations, social partners and other actors to help enterprises to carry out comprehensive and effective risk assessments. These tools represent a broad variety of approaches to managing dangerous substance effectively. Often they cover specific work operations, such as filling and pumping liquids or welding processes. Other sources give a comprehensive overview of a certain group of substances, such as sensitisers, or they highlight typical risks in certain sectors.

Moreover, in addition to supporting high-quality risk assessment, most of these tools include good practical solutions, explaining how to reduce risks in common work situations involving exposure to dangerous substances. There are also tools to support specific actors, such as labour inspectors, small and medium-sized enterprises, and workers’ representatives, among many others. So it’s well worth exploring the site to find out about the help that is on offer.

Practical tools and guidance on dangerous substances

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Description

This film introduces the changes that have been made to harmonise the signs (pictograms) used in the transport of dangerous goods and the signs used for the product classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) of chemicals. The existing seven pictograms are to be replaced with nine. Napo is...

Provider: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Country: EU
Description

The film shows a worker not listening to the fire safety instructions and not knowing how to behave as a fire starts at his workplace. The fim shows that it is important that workers are aware of all possible escape routes and emergency procedures.

The Napo series of films are produced using computer...

Provider: https://osha.europa.eu
Country: EU
Description

This film aims to raise awareness of the dangers of exposing the skin to harmful (and sometimes not so harmful) substances, the situations in which such exposures occur and what can be done to prevent risks, protect the skin and prevent damage. Napo discovers many different situations in which...

Provider: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Country: EU
Description

This Napo film is about issues related to tobacco smoke in workplaces. Exposure to tobacco smoke is bad for both smokers’ and non-smokers’ health. It can cause serious problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It can cause death due to cancer, coronary heart disease or stroke. Yet...

Provider: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Country: EU
Description

The film aims to raise awareness of risks from working with chemicals in confined spaces. Napo is shown lacquering a tank from the inside with a coating that is classified as toxic and exposive, without any inhalation protection. As he starts feeling dizzy and cannot read the coating label, he...

Provider: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Country: EU
Description

The poster provides warning messages on the dangers posed by asbestos still present in European buildings. It calls the EU to act.
Every year asbestos kills around 100,000 people — and will continue to do so over the coming decades. Europe has banned asbestos — but millions of tonnes are still...

Provider: European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW)
Country: EU
Description

The first hospital-acquired case of legionnaires' disease in Poland was detected in the ophthalmology ward of a large hospital. Analysis of medical files revealed previous suspected cases of legionnaires' disease in the ophthalmology ward. Biological samples confirmed legionnaires’ disease. The...

Provider:
Country: EU, Poland
Description

The case study describes how a German Housing Association developed a system to ensure that drinking-water in their real estates is not contaminated with legionella.

Prevention of legionella in drinking water supply systems has become an increasingly important issue for building and real-estate...

Provider: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
Country: Germany
Description

This video shows how dusts can be cleaned off at workplaces and which inhalation exposures occur depending on the used technique. It illustrates the following good practice: use a vacuum or a wet cleaning method when cleaning surfaces in a workplace that uses substances potentially containing...

Provider: NEPSI (the European Network on Silica)
Country: EU
Description

This video relates to good hygiene practice for workers who use products containing crystalline silica. The video illustrates the following good practices: do not use compressed air to clean overalls; and prevent dust generation by exchanging dirty overalls with clean ones or cleaning overalls with...

Provider: NEPSI (European Network on Silica)
Country: EU