Chemical buyers and suppliers have to pay as much importance to business strategies as to chemical risk mitigation and planning. Robust risk prevention and management strategy pay well in more than just a few fronts. In fact, risk mitigation and planning is one of the key aspects of global chemical export-import procedures. It ensures the safety of workers in the production site as well as those overseeing logistics and transportation. This article shares some of the key rules that chemical players can follow for safe handling of chemical not only at the production center but also on the road, rail and water.
Inventory Management
The first rule of safety planning is proper inventory management. Keeping a track of chemical type, quantity, and storage helps in identifying risk points clearly. Once a proper inventory is in place, it is easy to plan risk management strategies that are safe as well as cost-effective.
Workforce Training
Training is an important prerequisite for promoting safety standards in chemical production sites. Sometimes an uninvited accident is the result of workers handling chemicals carelessly. While it is easy to fault the worker, equally important that workers are well apprised with the safety rules and standard techniques for handling hazardous chemical in production sites. As per a report, nearly 30% of incidents at chemical production site are due to untrained staff or workers.
Smart Storage
Storage is another important aspect of safety in chemical production sites. The storage site (particularly for hazardous chemicals) must be safe. It must not be in the vicinity of inflammable materials or gas cylinders. The storage area floor must be leak-proof and any drains running close to the storage area must be properly covered and sealed.
Containers
Container types vary with chemicals. As such it is important to choose them very carefully. Containers must be properly labeled with safety instruction. Also the lids must be properly sealed.
Safety Precautions
As they say, precaution is the best safety measure, the plant workers must have standard protection equipment like gloves, glasses, masks, etc. In addition to these, storage areas must be properly classified so that workers and staff are well informed.
In addition to the above, special purpose refrigeration must be used over general-purpose ones for chemicals that have been stored in cool temperature. Last but not least, fire extinguishers must be fitted across the production center for emergency situation.
Safe handling practices are essential for worker safety and production efficiency in chemical plants across the globe. There is no denying the fact that safety saves lives. But time and again the global chemical industry in India has been criticized for an unsafe production environment. It is time now that industry players take a united step forward and implements safety rules that bring the industry at par with global safety standards.
Comments