Hazards seminar ‘a first step’

Press, 26 February 1980, Page 6

Hazards seminar ‘a first step’

A seminar on handling and storing hazardous substances was only a first step in promoting public awareness, according to the safety adviser for the. Accident Compensation Commission (Mr L, D. Nieman). The- seminar .was held yesterday after a request by the Storemen and Packers’ Union' for greatej safety provisions, especially in handling dangerous materials. The group was addressed by representatives of the Labour Department, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Health Department and the Fire Service.

Topics discussed included problems associated with shipping and the back ; up services required when an emergency occurred. Mr Nieman said that one important'thing to come out of the discussions was the realisation that full protective clothing was not necessarily good unless it was backed up with training and constant retraining schemes.

If the wearers were not skilled in identifying the nature of the hazard, the clothing could even be dangerous. Certain vapours could penetrate rubber. A panel discussion at the end of the programme., made it clear that the priorities were to know how to identify the hazard, to know who to call and to understand the backup safety measures that were relevant.

For the . seminar to have an effect, 'the / participants would- have to return to their work places and through their safety committees, “raise hell” with the manufacturers which did not package or label correctly, he said. They should also look hard at their own staff training and evaluate their own needs. “The success of the seminar depends on the firms and unions,, lt’s just a start, and will only, go ahead as far as people want it to,” Mr Nieman said.