I run a bar and once a week one staff member is tasked with going into the plant room behind the bar and using corrosive chemicals to clean the keg lines. Last week the staff member suffered serious burns to her hands after the chemicals splashed onto her while she was mixing them. She was not wearing any gloves at the time. What steps can I take to ensure this does not happen again?
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Answer by Shamaila Khan, Kingsville 3012 VIC
- Chemical-induced injuries and diseases are amongst the most significant problems for employers and industry. In order to reduce the likelihood of this incident occurring again you should:
- conduct a risk assessment on the specific activity of cleaning keg lines including hazard identification, assessment and control;
- implement administrative controls by developing a procedure for the safe cleaning of keg lines and ensure all staff who clean keg lines are familiar with the procedure;
- look into possible engineering controls such as automatic cleaning apparatus which could eliminate the need for corrosive chemicals to be handled by workers for the purpose of cleaning keg lines;
- provide suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) including:
- industrial gloves;
- goggles; and
- breathing masks;
- ensure the PPE is readily available in the plant room at all times;
- provide a first-aid kid in the plant room and ensure it is well stocked;
- ensure there is plenty of signage in the plant room containing instructions on the safe way to clean keg lines as well as warnings as to the dangerous types of chemicals being stored and used in the room;
- ensure current material safety data sheets for all chemicals are printed and kept in the plant room;
- ensure chemicals are properly bonded and prevented from being able to be tipped over and spilled;
- ensure there is a spill kit close to where the chemicals are stored so that any spills can be quickly mopped up;
- ensure chemicals are stored according to their dangerous goods classification and are stored away from any extreme heat and that chemicals which may react with each other are not stored together;
- provide training to all staff involved in keg line cleaning and provide refresher training annually; and
- ensure that staff involved in keg line cleaning are consulted with respect to these changes.