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Chemical Safety

Last updated: March 1, 2018

What Does Chemical Safety Mean?

Chemical safety is the practice of using occupational chemical substances in a manner that ensures the safety and health of humans and prevents damage to the environment. It covers all aspects of chemical use, including the manufacture, transport, use, and disposal of chemicals.

The safe use of chemicals has a variety of components, including scientific knowledge of potential hazardous effects, technical knowledge of safe-handling and use procedures, and effective communication of the chemical identity and safety profile of all substances.

Safeopedia Explains Chemical Safety

The large number of chemical safety standards maintained by occupational health and safety organizations demonstrates the emphasis that regulators and safety experts place on chemical safety. OSHA has multiple general and industry-specific standards which pertain to specific aspects of chemical safety, such as chemical hazard communication, permissible exposure limits and associated guidance, chemical sampling obligations, and requirements for specific hazard controls. The United States also maintains the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an agency devoted to improving chemical safety standards and practices.

Chemical safety is an issue of major concern to safety experts worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) operates the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) as a coordinating body for chemical safety issues. Other UN bodies such as the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) also deal with the occupational health and safety-related impacts of chemical safety.

Chemical safety is an evolving discipline; the full human health effects of many substances or combinations of substances are not fully understood.

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Synonyms

chemical hazard prevention

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