Policy: Chemical management
Purpose
To set out the University's policy for managing chemicals, poisons, and hazardous substances.
Overview
The University’s policy for managing chemicals, poisons, and hazardous substances.
Scope
This Policy applies across the University.
Policy Statement
Principles
Chemical Management
- The nature of research, teaching and operations at the Australian National University, may require many staff, students, contractors and visitors to deal with hazardous materials, including hazardous substances, dangerous goods, scheduled carcinogens, and scheduled medicines and poisons (hereafter referred to as chemicals). Through its policies and procedures the University endeavours to reduce the risk of working with these chemicals to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP). This policy provides the University's rules for managing all chemicals for which the University is responsible to ensure there is no unacceptable risk to people's health and safety or to the environment.
Adherence to legislation
- This policy should be read in conjunction with:
- All relevant legislation, regulations, codes of practice,
- National and Australian standards relating to chemicals, and
- The University's chemical management procedure and guidelines.
Assessing risk
- All potentially hazardous research, teaching, or operational work involving chemicals shall only be undertaken after a risk assessment of the work has been completed and the Dean and/or Director of the College, Research School, or Service Division is satisfied that the risks associated with any chemicals are controlled to ALARP.
- Deans and Directors shall ensure there is timely consultation, discussion and advice between knowledgeable parties to ensure they maintain a safe and healthy workplace.
Controlling the use of chemicals
- All hazardous chemicals shall be registered and maintained in the ANU Chemical Inventory System. The University also encourages employing the CIS as the user's register for all other chemical items.
Using and handling chemicals
- Deans and Directors, or their representatives, shall communicate clear expectations to staff, students, contractors and visitors on the appropriate and safe handling of chemicals. This includes, but is not limited to, providing:
- Adequate information to all staff, students, contractors and visitors who handle or otherwise may come into contact with chemicals, including: information for the use of hazardous substances, dangerous goods, scheduled carcinogens, and scheduled medicines and poisons, appropriate labelling of all chemical containers, and access to (Material) Safety Data Sheets.
- Location-specific and task-specific inductions, instruction and training to all staff, students, contractors and visitors who handle chemicals or processes involving such materials; and
- Adequate supervision for staff, students, contractors and visitors, to develop a positive and consistent safety culture.
Storage
- Colleges, Research Schools and Service Divisions shall provide safe and secure storage arrangements for chemicals, in accordance with legislative requirements.
- Work Environment Group or local OHS Committees shall conduct spot inspections of the chemical storage locations, conditions and chemical containers.
Disposal
- All chemicals and their wastes shall be disposed of in an approved manner.
Information |
Printable version (PDF) |
| Title | Chemical management |
| Document Type | Policy |
| Document Number | ANUP_000384 |
| Version | 3 |
| Purpose | To set out the University's policy for managing chemicals, poisons, and hazardous substances |
| Audience | Staff |
| Category | Administrative |
| Topic/ SubTopic | Risk Management |
| Effective Date | 18 Mar 2011 |
| Review Date | 18 Mar 2014 |
| Responsible Officer | Director, Human Resources |
| Approved By: | Vice-Chancellor |
| Contact Area | Human Resources Division |
| Authority | |
