As we celebrate National Safe Work Month, it’s the ideal time to discuss creating a healthier and safer environment for your people, customers and community. 

Improving dangerous goods safety and compliance is an ongoing process that can be streamlined and perfected if you’re equipped with the right tools, training and knowledge. In this article, we’ll look at some of the simple and quick ways that you can rectify dangerous goods safety issues in your workplace, with some expert advice from the Storemasta team. 

Safe Work Month is the perfect time to discuss health and safety for your site or organise a Safe Tea or Safe Work event.

Safety Tip #1  Maintain your PPE 

Personal protective equipment isn’t just important for staff who are handling hazardous substances, providing and maintaining PPE is part of your compliance obligation. 

The Model WHS Regulations explain that workplaces: 

“… provide the worker with information, training and instruction in the: 

(a) proper use and wearing of personal protective equipment; and 

(b) the storage and maintenance of personal protective equipment.” 

Whether you’re working with googles, gloves, respiratory equipment or protective clothing, PPE is not only an investment, but also necessary for the protection of your team and the compliance of your workplace.  

However, making sure staff are equipped to both find and look after the PPE is a different story. 

That’s where the PPE Cabinet comes in. These purpose-built cabinets offer a range of benefits including increased organisation with dedicated storage, high visibility with cabinet signage and stand out colours, fast access when dealing with job tasks or emergency situations, and a better control on inventory with everything kept in a protected, designated storage space. 

Storing PPE can improve the lifespan and safety of your equipment, reducing the risk of chemical exposure for your team.

Safety Tip #2  Secure and Segregate Gases 

You don’t have to look too long for news about a Class 2 gas incident. Whether it’s a flammable gas bottle destroying a café or a cylinder exploding during transit, gases can create a range of risks for the workplaces that use them. 

The correct handling and storage of gases is essential to minimise damage, as is the segregation of gases from other divisions. The Standards explain that gases should be segregated – or separated from each other – at a distance of at least 3 metres. Ignition sources and other incompatible dangerous goods, such as flammable liquids or oxidising agents for example, should also be segregated to maintain safety. 

Don’t ever assume these everyday gases are harmless; if they’re not secured properly when they’re not in use, or they’re handled in an environment where they can be overheated or dropped, these metal cans, cylinders and gas bottles can cause immense damage. 

Class 2 gases are common in the workplace, but they can ignite, explode or cause harm to staff who are exposed to them.

Safety Tip #3  Use Handling Equipment to Reduce Hazards 

You don’t have to struggle with manual tasks, especially when they involve the handling of chemical containers, drums, IBCs or gas cylinders. To limit the likelihood and impact of a hazard, use handling equipment when moving your dangerous goods and hazardous substances. 

Handling equipment can include gas bottle trolleys, bunded drum dollies and even mobile waste managers. Through every stage of chemical handling — from the time it lands on your delivery dock to the moment it’s taken to waste management — handling equipment can help your team stay safe and reduce DG hazards. 

Safety Tip #4  Replace Damaged or Missing Signage 

When was the last time you checked your dangerous goods and hazard signage? While your storage equipment comes equipped with shiny, new signage for your DG class or division, your placarding can’t decrease risk if it’s faded, aged or simply missing. 

Regularly inspecting your signage is part of your ongoing compliance obligations, so make sure that you have spare signage on hand to replace any dangerous goods diamonds or hazard signs that may have seen better days. 

"Don't overlook your dangerous goods signage. If it's not in good condition and displayed clearly, your staff won't understand the goods they're working with... or the dangers that are present."

- Alecia Kemp, DG Storage Consultant

Safety Tip #5   Consider Class 9 Dangerous Goods 

Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods Substances and Articles: it’s such a diverse range of DG spanning a wide range of hazards, even the name sounds convoluted! 

Class 9 DG has come to the forefront in recent years, primarily due to lithium-ion battery fire risks being such an immediate issue for homes, workplaces and firefighting services. 

How you’re storing your Class 9 DG will be influenced by your own onsite risk assessment, but the same principles apply: identify the hazards, assess the risk, control these risks and sustain compliance. Whether it’s dry ice, airbag inflators or lithium-ion batteries, you’ll need to make sure that these are handled, stored, transported and disposed of in a way that reduces risk.  

Dedicated Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods storage is important, with the segregation of goods from incompatible substances and materials a key consideration.  

In addition to using Class 9 cabinets or outdoor stores, you should consider further controls for lithium-ion batteries – including fire protection, alarm systems and suppression technology. 

"Lithium-ion batteries need specific conditions for storage including ventilation, low humidity and a moderate temperature. With lithium-ion battery fire incidents on the rise, workplaces need to look at their batteries and how they are storing and charging them."

- Bethanie Urquhart, DG Storage Consultant

Safety Tip #6  Store Chemicals with Compliance 

Obviously, choosing reliable chemical storage made to Australian Standards is something we stand by. But once you have rolled the cabinet or store off the delivery truck, you’re faced with the next task: how to store your chemicals with compliance. 

While your equipment may meet the Standards and be suitable for your goods, if you’re loading your cabinet incorrectly, jamming open the doors to complete a task, ignoring leaks and spills, or forgetting to repair the equipment with spare parts, you won’t be meeting your obligations. 

What you select, as well as how you use, clean, maintain and repair, your DG storage is vital for ongoing risk management and compliance. Think about developing procedures and inspections for your chemical storage equipment, as well as training to ensure your staff are using the cabinet or outdoor storage container in the safest possible way. 

Safety Tip #7 When in Doubt, Speak to a Professional 

When you’re dealing with WHS laws, a range of hazardous substances and dangerous goods, a host of Australian Standards and an ever-changing workplace, it’s not always easy to stay on top of chemical safety. But making sure things are up to scratch can mean the difference between a major incident or a safe and compliance workplace. 

If you’re confused about dangerous goods, always speak to a professional who can help guide you through the risk management process. When you’re not sure what Hazchem and DG are onsite, the requirements relating to their handling and storage, and the risks present in your operations, a Dangerous Goods Consultant can cut through the confusion and provide actionable steps to control those risks. 

You can quickly locate a qualified Dangerous Goods Consultant by going to aidgc.org.au and visiting their Find a Consultant page.  

Alternatively, book a consultation through Storemasta and our team will guide you through the risk management process; with the first step being a free onsite consultation to identify your hazardous substances and dangerous goods. 

 "Workplaces who prioritise chemical risk management not only create healthier, safer workplaces, but they can increase efficiency, productivity and staff satisfaction."

- Caleb Urquhart, CEO 

Safe Work All Year Round 

During Safe Work Month (and beyond!), take the time to consider the improvements you can make to increase the health and safety of your workplace. Sometimes, even the simple tasks — such as inspecting your cabinets and stores, always using handling equipment, storing PPE correctly or using the proper bunding for your substances — can have an enormous impact when managing DG risks.  

Interested in more DG safety tips? Explore the Knowledge Centre and watch the latest videos and tutorials on Youtube.