Implementing measures for hazardous substances

In order to effectively address exposure to hazardous substances, a good inventory and choosing the right measures according to the STOP strategy are essential. After that, assurance in the organization and regular updates and maintenance is necessary to be able to work permanently healthy and safe. Below we list several tools that help in this process. But before we go there, a trip to another important factor that influences the implementation of measures against dangerous substances: people’s behavior.

Behaviour and hazardous substances

Behavior is key in reducing health and safety risks at work. You can have the best measures on paper, but that has no function if employees do not work according to the instructions. It is therefore important that measures are in line with the company culture and that employees are well informed about the how and why of measures.
For the most part, we don’t think about what we do: we work on routine. Behavior is therefore difficult to adjust and it is not always unwillingness when forgetting to take certain measures. How long did it take for everyone to automatically put on their seatbelt (and how often do you hear the alarm go off, because you or the co-driver do not have the seat belt on anyway, for example because something happened that deviated from the routine)?
By making better use of behavioural insights when choosing, implementing and securing measures, safety and health risks are reduced in practice. In this white paper (only available in Dutch), the challenges in the field of healthy and safe working from a behavioural perspective are explained and solutions are offered.

Guide hazardous substances

Guide hazardous substance is a tool (only available in Dutch) to take measures in a structured manner to work healthily and safely with hazardous substances. If you know or suspect that employees are dealing with hazardous substances at work, you can use the steps to identify the hazards and draw up a plan to address the bottlenecks. After assessing the exposure and devising and selecting solutions, you can get started with implementing the safe method. This tool provides a lot of information about how the implementation can best be designed. The guide concludes with a description of how the solutions can be evaluated and assured.

Sensors for Better Exposure Characterization

To choose effective measures, a good characterization of exposure is essential. Sensors can visualize how exposure changes over time, making it much easier to determine the causes of exposure. TNO has been researching low-cost particle sensors for years and how they can be used to make workplaces healthier. We have compiled our knowledge in the Guideline for Particle Sensors in the Workplace. This document explains how low-cost particle sensors can be effectively used to control workplace exposure. The guideline offers practical tips, selection criteria, and assistance in interpreting measurement data for occupational hygienists and other occupational health professionals.