Tool for preliminary risk assessment and exposure scenarios for chemical safety and REACH

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has developed a computer-based tool for the screening of health risk caused by chemicals. The tool is partly based on the British Standard BS 8800. Risks are classified according to the level of exposure and the severity of the harm potential harm (as given in the R-phrases).

The tool presented herein classifies the risk of an exposure to a certain chemical and recommends risk management measures to reduce the risk. The software tool is based on method and data definition that are available here. Because assessment of chemical risks at work-places is difficult we wanted to create a simple and reliable assessment and management tool, by which the chemical safety could be improved especially in small and medium-sized enterprises. This tool can also be used, when FIOH is taking up consultancy tasks in helping industry to comply with the requirements of REACH regulation.

The basic features of the tool

Our intention was to develop a tool for preliminary risk assessment at the workplace level. The tool

• Includes most important observable exposure parameters.
• Advices the user on risk reduction measures that are derived from the exposure data given by the user.
• Is simple enough to enable members of the workplace safety organisation or OHS personnel to accomplish a preliminary risk assessment by observing the work on the basis of their knowledge on occupational hygiene and the Safety Data Sheet of the chemical.
• Enables the preliminary exposure scenarios as described in the REACH Implementation Project (RIP 3.2-1a. WP1).
• Supports the documentation of the risk management and provide an updated risk assessment, when risk management actions have been taken.

The files which describe the method and the data definition are the following:

• First page of the questionnaire form (pdf): A similar text is also in the first screen of the programme. In there information which identify the user, the chemical and the description of the work task are given. The free text part can be used e.g. to indicate the duration and frequency of the work and the amount of the chemical used, when relevant.
• Questionnaire with instructions (pdf): The questionnaire of our model is based on the experiences from the EU Existing Chemicals Programme, more notably user experience of EASE, EUSES and some other modelling tools as well as some occupational hygiene studies made by FIOH. Furthermore, the model was developed in collaboration with experts of occupational hygiene. The answers to these 12 questions determine the level of exposure.
• Bridging rules (pdf): Bridging rules are applied, when series of answers are converted to a level of risk. Depending on the combination, the level of the exposure is low, moderate of high. This conversion happens automatically after the questionnaire of the programme has been filled in.
• Hazard categories (pdf): Each R-phrase is assigned to one of the categories, which are applied when the level of risk is determined.
• Risk matrix (pdf): Is used for determination of risk level based on the principles set in the BS 8800. Here the level of the exposure and the hazard category are combined to derive an estimate of the level of the risk.
• Risk reduction measures (pdf): The selection of the measures proposed is based on the answers given and the risk level determined. When the Answer given by the user is the one in the second column of this table, the programme suggests the risk management measure given in the third column.
• Other risk management measures (pdf): The user is reminded of these possible risk management measures independent of the risk level indicated by the programme. Two first measures, i.e. minimising the time of the exposure and decreasing the amount of amount chemical used will often apply. They were not taken for the standard set of 12 questions, because for several hazard categories i.e. sensitisation, corrosion, and carcinogenicity these measures are not the most effective ones, and more importantly because these determinant/parameters of exposure do not help to make a distinctions between the levels of the risk.
• Results of the testing and reproducibility study (pdf). Results of the testing; i.e. the answers and the risk levels, when 42 chemicals in 9 companies (downstream users, DUs) were assessed with this tool. The current version of the model was finalised after a testing round in nine work-places representing various branches of industry.

For more information, please contact: Milja Mäkinen.