You'd be hard pressed to find a business that doesn't handle some sort of dangerous goods. But too many businesses underestimate the dangers associated with storing and transporting these goods and other hazardous materials. In fact, up to 40 percent of shippers are unaware of regulations governing the transportation of dangerous goods, a recent survey has found. This can have ramifications for your business' supply chain and liabilities.
In response to businesses holding volumes of hand sanitiser in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Safe Work Australia has published a new guide on the storage of flammable liquids. According to Safe Work Australia, the key risks of storing dangerous goods include escape or spillage of goods, fires or explosions resulting from dangerous goods, and self-reacting goods.
The guide is for small to medium sized businesses and describes the risks of flammable liquids and explains, step by step, how to manage those risks. This includes working out how flammable the chemicals you store are, which other chemicals they’re safe to be around, how to make sure there is proper ventilation, and ensuring you have the correct fire-fighting equipment.
The guide also includes an example of a business that uses and stores flammable liquids, and provides advice about workplace placarding for businesses storing large quantities of flammable liquids like hand sanitiser. The guide was developed in consultation with representatives from work health and safety regulators, unions and industry groups.
Safe Work Australia has also published a new case study for businesses using and storing flammable hand sanitisers in response to COVID-19. The case study discusses some simple steps that need to be taken when storing or rebottling hand sanitiser, such as making sure you have the chemicals safety data sheet and making sure you store it in a safe place.
To assist Australian businesses in managing safety protocols in the workplace AusTech Saw and Tooling supplies hand sanitiser, hand soaps and other hygiene goods such as gloves and glasses.
To support our local business network and community we continue to maintain strict hygiene protocols in our offices, workshop, retail and all vehicles. We also have a touch-less delivery system for our daily courier service and ensure we respect our customer's hygiene protocols on site when we visit.
To find out more about the kinds of safety products and supplies that we offer, you can call or email us. We can also provide additional PDF copies of any Safety Data Sheets or technical product information you may require.
To find out more about complying with work health and safety requirements, contact your WHS regulator.