Dangerous chemical substances – Tools supporting occupational risk assessment

摘要

The assessment of risk associated with exposure to chemicals in the work environment is a task that still poses a lot of difficultiesfor the employers. At the same time the probability of adverse health effects faced by an employee as a result of such risks, and therelated employer’s material losses should motivate employers to seek effective solutions aimed at assessing the risks and controlingthem to an acceptable level by the application of appropriate preventive measures. The paper presents examples of tools to assistthe employer in the risk assessment associated with the presence of chemical agents in the workplace. Examples of guides, manuals,checklists and various interactive tools, developed in Poland and other European Union (EU) countries, as well as in countriesoutside the EU and international organizations are described. These tools have been developed to meet the current requirementsof the law and allow a rough estimation of chemical risk and based on these estimates take further steps to improve working conditionsand safety. Med Pr 2014;65(5):683–692