Control banding helps you better evaluate chemical information in the context of the unique conditions of your workplace, especially when the MSDS and product label don’t tell the whole story.
As a safety and health professional, you know that certain chemicals are hazardous, but there’s often no way to know the actual risk to workers when they use a chemical under a variety of conditions and tasks.
The MSDS or product label explains general hazards and exposure limits, but it can’t tell you if your workers are really in any danger under special conditions. For example, what happens when workers mix or use chemicals together? Don’t the hazards change? How can you know?
Fortunately, there are tools to help you better evaluate chemical information in the context of the unique conditions of your workplace. One such tool is control banding.
Control banding is a graphic computer-based model to help you evaluate the health risks to employees from hazardous chemicals as they are used in the workplace, and decide what site-specific controls are needed. It’s intended to help small businesses especially by providing an easy-to-understand, practical approach to controlling hazardous exposures at work.
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Key Definitions
A “risk” in the context of workplace chemicals is a hazard (e.g., corrosive, carcinogen, skin irritant) plus the exposure potential (e.g., how exposed, how long, how much). In many workplaces, the hazard is known but not the actual exposure potential.
A “band” is a level of risk for a chemical associated with a specific work task. It is graphically illustrated in a computer model as a slice or “band” of a pie chart with several concentric circles. One slice may be indicated in red, meaning highly hazardous with multiple controls required; or green, meaning low hazard and use a single control such as general ventilation.
Four Main Bands
Four main control bands have been developed for exposure to chemicals by inhalation:
Band 1—Use good industrial hygiene practice and general ventilation
Band 2—Use local exhaust ventilation
Band 3—Enclose the process
Band 4—Seek expert advice
Risk Phrases
The data for assigning bands for a chemical and risk levels come primarily from “risk phrases” in MSDSs and site-specific information from the user. Risk phrases are starting to appear on newer MSDSs to meet European Union data requirements. A “risk phrase” is a standardized code on an MSDS that describes a level of risk from a chemical. For example:
R1—Explosive when dry
R2—Risk of explosion by shock, friction, fire or other source of ignition
R3—Extreme risk of explosion by shock, friction, fire or other sources of ignition
Control banding matches a series of risk phrases from an MSDS with information about conditions in the workplace and uses of the chemical. The model generates a control band chart that shows you the level of risk your employees will face under those conditions. You are able to identify exposure controls more effectively now that the site-specific risk to employees is known.
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Training for Consistent Compliance
Identifying and analyzing workplace risks with tools like control banding helps you keep your workers safe. But you can’t do it all. Your workers will only be truly safe if they have the knowledge to work safely.
And that means training. Lots of effective, memorable training.
If you’ve been looking for quality hazardous material training or training for a wide range of other safety concerns, look no farther. Safety Training Presentations gets you off to a good start with 25 core PowerPoint® safety presentations, each one responsive to either an OSHA training requirement or to common causes of workplace accidents. All are customizable, so you can add your specific hazards or safety policies.
Each lesson also includes completion certificates, sign-in sheets, evaluation forms, and training records. In short, it contains everything you need to motivate, reinforce, retain, and transfer new knowledge—and document that you did so.
In addition to HazCom Training, Safety Training Presentation topics covered include:
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Back Safety
- Emergency Action
- Ergonomics
- Fire Prevention
- PPE
- Welding/Cutting/Brazing
- Portable Power Tool Safety
- Scaffolds
- Lockout/Tagout
- Forklift Operator Safety
- Confined Space Safety
- Fall Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- and more!
Of course, training needs change as OSHA introduces new requirements or as new work practices and technologies bring new hazards. To cover this, you receive a new CD every 90 days you’re in the program, each containing five additional or updated topics.
Just as important for those on a budget (and who isn’t these days?), the cost of these presentations works out to under $20 each.
We’ve arranged for Advisor subscribers to get a no-cost, no-obligation look at Safety Training Presentations for 30 days. Feel free to try a few lessons with your own trainees. Please let us know, and we’ll be glad to set it up.
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