{"id":2491,"date":"2025-07-11T16:33:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T14:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/chemical-risk-in-the-workplace-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-workers-health\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T16:12:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:12:53","slug":"chemical-risk-in-the-workplace-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-workers-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/chemical-risk-in-the-workplace-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-workers-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Chemical Risk in the Workplace: What You Need to Know to Protect Workers&#8217; Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When it comes to <strong>health and safety at work<\/strong>, one of the most insidious and widespread risks is <strong>chemical <\/strong>risk. This risk does not only affect the chemical industry or large factories: it can also affect workshops, laboratories, construction sites, dental practices, hairdressers, cleaning companies, and many other sectors. <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>What is chemical risk?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Chemical risk<\/strong> occurs when a worker is exposed to <strong>hazardous chemicals<\/strong> that can cause harmful effects on health, both <strong>acute <\/strong>(poisoning, burns, irritation) and <strong>chronic <\/strong>(respiratory diseases, dermatitis, tumors, damage to the nervous or reproductive system).<\/p>\n\n<p>Chemicals may be present:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>as <strong>raw materials<\/strong> (paints, solvents, acids, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>as <strong>intermediate or reaction products<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>as <strong>by-products or processing residues<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Exposure can occur through:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>inhalation <\/strong>(the most common route)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>skin contact<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>accidental ingestion<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>accidental injection<\/strong> (e.g., punctures with contaminated needles)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>What does Legislative Decree 81\/2008 provide for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Chemical risk is regulated in Italy by the <strong>D.Lgs. 81\/2008<\/strong>, in particular <strong>Title IX, Chapter I<\/strong>. The law imposes a series of obligations on employers: <\/p>\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Identify hazardous substances<\/strong> present in the workplace<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assess health<\/strong> and safety risks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Take preventive and protective measures<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Informing and training workers<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitor exposure<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p>The term \u201chazardous substance\u201d refers to any chemical agent classified as such under the <strong>CLP Regulation (EC No. 1272\/2008)<\/strong>: flammable, corrosive, toxic, harmful, sensitizing, mutagenic, carcinogenic, etc.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Risk assessment: where to start?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>The first step is <strong>to analyze the safety data sheets (SDS) <\/strong>for the substances used. These provide all the essential information: composition, hazards, first aid measures, PPE to be used, etc. <\/p>\n\n<p>Next, the context is assessed:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Quantity and method of use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frequency and duration of exposure<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ventilation and confinement<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Presence of particularly sensitive workers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The assessment can be <strong>qualitative<\/strong> or <strong>quantitative<\/strong>, depending on the complexity. In particularly sensitive cases, it is advisable to carry out <strong>environmental measurements<\/strong> or biological exposure tests. <\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Obligations for the employer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>If the risk is <strong>negligible to health<\/strong>, a documented assessment is sufficient. However, if there is a <strong>significant risk<\/strong>, the employer must: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Eliminate or reduce<\/strong> the use of hazardous substances by replacing them with safer alternatives, where possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adopt <strong>technical <\/strong>measures (localized extraction, containment), <strong>organizational <\/strong>measures (limitation of exposure time), and <strong>procedural <\/strong>measures.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide appropriate <strong>Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)<\/strong>: gloves, masks with appropriate filters, protective eyewear, coveralls, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Train and inform<\/strong> workers about hazards and proper handling procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>What happens if you don&#8217;t follow the rules?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Ignoring chemical risks can lead to <strong>serious <\/strong>consequences:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Damage to workers&#8217; health<\/strong>, sometimes irreversible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Criminal and civil liability <\/strong>for employers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Significant <strong>administrative penalties<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possible<strong> interruptions to work activities<\/strong> by inspection bodies (ASL, INL)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><strong>A practical example: the risk posed by solvents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Many companies use <strong>organic solvents<\/strong> for degreasing, painting, and cleaning. These compounds (such as acetone, toluene, and methanol) are often <strong>flammable<\/strong> and <strong>toxic<\/strong>. Prolonged exposure can cause:  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>headache, nausea, dizziness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>liver or kidney damage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>chronic neurological effects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>The use of ventilated cabinets, resistant gloves, and masks with A1 filters is essential to protect workers.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>How can we help you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Our company supports businesses in chemical risk management with:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technical inspections<\/strong> to identify hazardous substances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customized <strong>chemical risk<\/strong> assessments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drafting of technical documentation <\/strong>in accordance with Legislative Decree. 81\/08<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Training courses <\/strong>for workers and managers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support in selecting and supplying <strong>suitable PPE<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emergency plans and incident management<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Our goal is to support you in implementing <strong>real and effective prevention measures<\/strong>, protecting the health of your employees and ensuring regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Chemical risk is not always visible, but it is present in many more activities than one might think. Addressing it with awareness and method means protecting people, productivity, and the company itself. <\/p>\n\n<p>Are you concerned about your exposure to hazardous substances?<br\/>Contact us for advice: we will help you understand, assess, and secure your work environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to health and safety at work, one of the most insidious and widespread risks is chemical risk. This risk does not only affect the chemical industry or large factories: it can also affect workshops, laboratories, construction sites, dental practices, hairdressers, cleaning companies, and many other sectors. What is chemical risk? Chemical risk [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2461,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safety"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2491"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2492,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491\/revisions\/2492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gsaingegneria.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}