This guide walks through how to make a chemical risk assessment for chemicals in Impact.
You can find chemical risk assessments in the Chemical register general page Risk assessment tab and chemical-specific risk assessments you can find on chemical own page in Assessment tab.
On the risk assessment tab of the chemical register, you will see a line which shows the overall status of the company's chemical risk assessments. The line has been same color-coded as risk assessment status which displayed in the chemicals list.
- grey = no risk assessment
- green = at least n risk assessment valid
- red = risk assessment expired
Chemical risk assessments are valid in Impact for two (2) years. After that, they have been carried out and automatically change risk assessment status to expired.
The list can be sorted by use, risk assessment sub-areas, editor or date of issue. Sorting is done by clicking on the desired filter.
How to make a risk assessment
Risk assessment for a chemical can be made from the chemical-specific view under the risk assessment tab. Below is a walkthrough of how to make a risk assessment.
Starting a risk assessment and filling in basic information
Click on the + Add Risk Assessment button to start the risk assessment for the chemical of your choice. At this point, please be sure to start the risk assessment for the correct chemical. The chemical selected for the risk assessment cannot be changed afterwards.
The first thing to do is to add a name for the risk assessment in the view that appears. The name will help you later in the list to identify which risk assessment you are looking at. For example, the use of the chemical for which the risk assessment is done may well serve as the name of the risk assessment. Select the level for which the risk assessment is being performed from the organisation tree that opens in the field below the Name field.
Finally, in general information is the selection of the chemical's form. For the risk assessment, select the chemical form in which the chemical is used in the situation being risk assessed.
Enter chemical exposure and use data
Exposure data is collected for risk assessment based on the route of exposure, the number of people affected, and the specific groups that are exposed. Exposure routes are listed in the risk assessment, where you can select all the routes of exposure to the chemical in the risk assessment situation. Below you can enter the number of people exposed. In addition, an essential part of the exposure data is the conditions of the workplace. An open text field is provided for these, where you can describe the essential information required.
Under the exposure data for the chemical, add the duration of use and the annual amount of use for the chemical. These sections consist of two fields; one where you can enter a numerical value and the other where you can select the unit in which the information will be entered into the risk assessment.
- Time of use: Indicates the frequency with which workers are exposed to the chemical.
- The exposure time can be entered into one of the following time units: hours per day, hours per week or weeks per year.
- Usage rate: Indicates how much of the chemical is used each year for that use.
- Usage volume can be entered in one of the following time units: litres, kilograms, tons or cubic meters.
Making risk assessments
Once the basic information has been filled in for the risk assessment, the risk assessment itself can be completed. The risk assessment is divided into three sections: health, environment and fire risk. For each sub-area, the basic risk is automatically derived from the safety data sheet based on its various H, P and hazard statements. These hazard statements are divided into different risk levels according to the following table, which are then combined with the values entered to produce the result of the risk assessment.
Health
For health-related risks, in addition to the values from the safety data sheet, the method and frequency of use are entered, which influence the resulting risk value. The use pattern takes a position on how the chemical will be used in the case of a risk assessment, such as:
- Is the chemical used in a closed, half-open or open system?
- How widely will the chemical be applied during use?
- Will the chemical generate vapor, dust or aerosols during use?
To help you find the appropriate risk level for specific situations, examples of these different situations have been recorded for each risk level. Similarly, examples of the duration of use have also been provided to help select the right duration of use to reflect the situation.
Environment
For environmental risks, in addition to the values from the safety data sheet, the probability that the chemical will end up in the environment is entered. The probability is mirrored against the frequency of use of the chemical in the risk assessment situation. The risk assessment does not include the amount of use of the chemical in the calculation of the numerical risk level. If this is to be included in the calculated value, internal instructions must be provided on how the amount of use of the chemical affects the value chosen. It is important to provide unambiguous guidance here so that risk assessments are comparable.
Fire
For fire risks, in addition to the values from the safety data sheet, the probability of the chemical igniting or exploding is entered. The probability is mirrored against the frequency of use of the chemical in the risk assessment situation. The risk assessment does not include the amount of use of the chemical in the calculation of the numerical risk level. If this is to be included in the calculated value, internal instructions must be provided on how the amount of chemical use affects the value chosen. It is important to provide unambiguous guidance here so that risk assessments are comparable.
If at this stage the risk levels are not at the desired level or if deviations have been identified in the risk assessment, you can record corrective measures to reduce the risks associated with the use at the end of the risk assessment, together with any other comments. Finally, press save to save the risk assessment to the list.
Versioning and Version History of Risk Assessments
If a risk assessment has already been completed for a chemical and needs to be redone, this can be done by clicking the "+ New Version" button next to the chemical. This action copies the data from the previous risk assessment to create a new version, which can then be edited as needed. Each new risk assessment creates a new version—this way, all previously completed assessments are preserved and can be reviewed later if necessary.
You can view previous versions by opening the "Risk Assessment" tab for the chemical and selecting the desired version from the top right corner.
Exporting Risk Assessments to an Excel File
Risk assessments can also be exported to an Excel file from Impact. When exporting risk assessments, it’s important to note that any applied filters will affect the data included in the export. For example, this allows you to limit the export to only the risk assessments for a specific site/level. By clicking "Create Risk Assessment List," you can preview the data that will be included in the file. It is also possible to export the data in CSV format from the preview view.
Filling a risk assessment:
Items marked with * are mandatory. They must be completed as a minimum before saving.
The risk assessment can be edited afterwards by opening the desired risk assessment. Once a risk assessment has been made, you can edit everything except the chemical for which the risk assessment was made. From the edit mode you can also copy the risk assessment as a basis for a new risk assessment for the same chemical.
You can also print the risk assessment from the editing view.