Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Product safety data sheets
are another very useful 
source of information for hazard identifi cation and asso-
ciated advice. Manufacturers of hazardous substances 
are obliged to supply such sheets to users giving details 
of the name, chemical composition and properties of the 
substance. Information on the nature of the health haz-
ards and any relevant exposure standard (WEL) should 
also be given together with recommended exposure con-
trol measures and personal protective equipment. The 
sheets contain useful additional information on fi rst aid 
and fi re-fi ghting measures and handling, storage, trans-
port and disposal information. The data sheets should be 
stored in a readily accessible and known place for use in 
the event of an emergency, such as an accidental release.
Other sources of information include trade associ-
ation publications, industrial codes of practice and 
specialist reference manuals.
Figure 14.7
Typical product labels and data sheets.

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Chemical and biological health hazards and control
235
14.8.4 Survey techniques for health risks
An essential part of the COSHH assessment is the meas-
urement of the quantity of the hazardous substance in the 
atmosphere surrounding the workplace. This is known as 
air sampling. There are four common types of air sam-
pling techniques used for the measurement of air quality:
1. 
Stain tube detectors
use direct reading glass 
indicator tubes fi lled with chemical crystals which 
change colour when a particular hazardous sub-
stance passes through them. The method of 
operation is very similar to the breathalyser used by 
the police to check alcohol levels in motorists. The 
glass tube is opened at each end and fi tted into a 
pumping device (either hand or electrically oper-
ated). A specifi c quantity of contaminated air, con-
taining the hazardous substance, is drawn through 
the tube and the crystals in the tube change colour 
in the direction of the air fl ow. The tube is calibrated 
such that the extent of the colour change along the 
tube indicates the concentration of the hazardous 
substance within the air sample.
This method can only be effective if there are no leak-
ages within the instrument and the correct volume of 
sampled air is used. The instrument should be held 
within 30 cm of the nose of the person whose atmos-
phere is being tested. A large range of different tubes is 
available. This technique of sampling is known as