The Ingenieur Vol 59 July-Sept 2014 The Ingenieur Vo. 59, July-Sept 2014 | Page 45

What creates the dilemma
are the risks associated with
exposure to these chemicals.
The
pesticides
that
help
grow food by producing more
and better crops may result
in adverse health effects in
workers involved in producing
the pesticides, in applying them
in the fields or exposed to their
residues. Residues of pesticide
production and use may also
cause adverse ecological effects
persistent in the environment for
many years after use.
Over the years, chemical
safety has become one of the
areas in which more work has
been carried out in the field
of occupational safety and
health (OSH). However, serious
incidents continue to occur and
there are still negative impacts
on both human health and the
environment.
Extent of use of chemicals in
the workplace
Chemicals are readily associated
with industrial facilities such
as petrochemical refineries,
construction sites or automobile
manufacturing. A number of
chemicals, such as paints,
lacquers, thinners, adhesives,
crystalline silica, and welding
fumes are just some of the
chemicals to which workers
may be exposed in workplaces
in the construction sector.
However, virtually every type of
workplace in every sector uses
chemicals, and thus a broad
range of workers are potentially
exposed. Therefore, chemicals
are a concern in every type of
work performed.
There are some sectors
that have a special impact on
the environment, and this must

SAFETY AND HEALTH
IN THE USE OF

CHEMICALS AT WORK

World Day for safety
and health at work
28 April 2014
SafeDay

be considered when designing
preventive programmes. For
example, in the agricultural
sector, pesticides are applied in
the environment to crops, and
thus are immediately released
into the air, or can travel to
water sources or persist in the
ground for many years. The
worker applying them may be
immediately exposed, but the
potential exposure of others
in the surrounding community

must also be accounted for in
determining how to perform this
operation safely. ILO Convention
on Safety and Health in
Agriculture, 2001 (No. 184) and
its Recommendation (No.192),
provide for risk assessment
measures and the sound
management of chemicals in
agriculture.
The unintentional mixing
of chemicals in the workplace
can cause hazardous emissions

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