Comparison of methods for the assessment of chemical risk in the workplace

Abstract

The presence of chemical products in the workplace must be managed very carefully in order to avoid negative effects on both the safety and health of workers. Exposure to chemicals can usually be detected through experimental measures, however this management can be complex for small companies due to both the time and the high costs that would greatly affect the company's internal costs. As an alternative to direct measurements, many of the models used for chemical risk assessment use algorithms that assign a score to the factors considered (quantity, duration and mode of exposure, hazard, etc.) which are combined together in an equation that takes into account of all individual contributions. These models use as a starting point the hazard classification of the substances deducible from the labeling or safety data sheets, and assign a reference value to each risk phrase relating to the dangerous substance. The numerical index supplied by the algorithm, placed within a scale of values, defines the level of risk present in the situation under examination. In this work, inspections were carried out in five companies in the footwear sector with the aim of assessing the chemical risk with different methods:

• MoVaRisCH - Chemical Risk Assessment Model proposed by the Health Departments of the Emilia Romagna, Tuscany and Lombardy regions.

• ALPIRISCH - Application model for the assessment of risk from chemical agents proposed by the Piedmont Region.

• Ecetoc Tra - developed by an association made up of leading European industries and cited by ECHA among those that can be used for carrying out the Chemical Safety Assessment (CSA) in the Reach area.

• Direct sampling - conducted with diffusive instruments with radial symmetry.