Good practices

A good practice is the description of how a practical problem can be dealt with in a simple and correct way. The idea is that carrying out an activity using the appropriate working method will lead to fewer problems, fewer unforeseen complications and better end results. In the context of the OHS Catalogue, the aim is always to work in a safe and healthy manner.

The added value of a good practice has been demonstrated, often on the basis of an evaluation of practical experiences or by means of measurements, for example.

The good practices are initially described briefly and forcefully. There may be documents linked to the good practices containing additional information on the subject. Where possible, a video will be shown.

• Wear gloves to prevent ethanol penetrating the skin. The gloves also prevent degreasing of the skin.The health care industry uses a lot of hand sanitiser for hand disinfection. It contains a component to reduce the degreasing effect.
•  Apply ethanol to a tissue (or alternative medium) with a bottle or siphon.
• Wipe the surface to be disinfected clean with the tissue.
• Place the tissue in a specific hospital waste container and cover with a lid.

If disinfection with a cloth is not possible, a plant spray or atomiser is preferable to a siphon. The reason for this is that more ethanol is used in a siphon, resulting in higher exposure.

Watch the video: 'Alcohol exposure during disinfection'.

For more information:

• Ethanol information
• Use of ethanol in health care
• WIP hand hygiene guideline

Formaldehyde at room temperature is a colourless gas with a stinging smell that mixes well with air. The names formaldehyde and formalin are – wrongly – often used interchangeably.

• Good practice for formaldehyde
• Additional information on formaldehyde

The abbreviation CMR stands for Carcinogenic (1), Mutagenic (2) and Reprotoxic substances (3).

In order to be able to work safely with CMR substances, it is important to know whether there are any risks of exposure to CMR substances. The probability of exposure can be estimated by means of an assessment model.

If there is a good chance of exposure, i.e. the exposure estimate is high, the model can be used to determine which recommendations (4) can be given to lower the estimate.

If this does not work, a workplace survey must be carried out to obtain advice on approaching zero exposure. If this does not work either, working with the substance in question is not safe under the conditions studied and work must be stopped in order to rule out any health risks.

In order to arrive at an exposure assessment with advice, the step-by-step plan can be followed.

Step-by-step plan

Assessment model

(The step-by-step plan and the assessment model are still under development. Publication will follow as soon as possible).

1. Causes cancer.
2. Induces changes in hereditary traits.
3. Harmful to reproduction or to offspring.
4. For example, working in a fume cupboard, wearing gloves for handling an H-notated substance.

This good practice has been captured in a video.

It shows how logical thinking can lead to a procedure that can be simple yet very effective. The basis is the NFU database for dangerous substances.

From the material safety data sheet or the workplace instruction card, the information on what to do after a substance or mixture has been spilled or accidentally released is translated into a simple colour code.

Watch the video: Is this substance dangerous?

This good practice has been captured in a video. It shows the procedures and acts prompted by the accidental release of a dangerous substance or mixture.

The basis of this good practice is again the NFU database for dangerous substances. Based on the workplace instruction card, the information on what to do after a substance or mixture has been spilled is translated into a procedure.

As our colleague says: Better Safe than Sorry.

Watch the video: What to do in case of a chemical spill?

Phenol and phenolic products are used at almost all UMC laboratories because they play an important role in isolating DNA.

• Good practice for phenol
• Phenol incident information
• Additional information on phenol

Gassen kunnen vloeibaar worden gemaakt door verhoging van druk of door sterke afkoeling. Gassen die bij zeer lage temperatuur vloeibaar of vast zijn geworden worden cryogene stoffen genoemd. Naast het specifieke risico van cryogene stoffen door hun lage temperaturen is zuurstofverdringing een risico die vaak niet wordt onderkend. Iedereen die met cryogene stoffen werkt, moet rekening houden met alle gevaareigenschappen van het gas, zoals de brandbaarheid, explosiegevaar maar ook de mate van zuurstofverdrijving.

In deze Good practice een rekentool die gebruikt kan worden om wat ‘gevoel’ te krijgen bij de hoeveelheid vloeibaar stikstof die in een ruimte staat opgeslagen. Dit in relatie tot de ventilatievoud  (in h^-1) en de grootte van de ruimte (in m³). In een normale situatie bij 10% verdamping in 24 uur en in een calamiteiten situatie waarbij 10% (of meer) van de totale hoeveelheid N₂ verdampt in een uur tijd.  Met de kleuren groen, oranje en rood wordt aangegeven of er sprake is van een veilige, minder veilige of gevaarlijke situatie.  Voor droogijs (vast CO₂) is een gelijksoortige berekening beschikbaar.

Naast een rekentool is een filmpje beschikbaar over het Veilig werken met cryogene stoffen.

• Good practice cryogene stoffen
• Incident informatie Cryogene stoffen
• Aanvullende informatie Cryogene stoffen

Berekening cryoruimten (Een xlsm-bestand wordt naar uw computer gedownload, klik in het sheet op tabblad <open>)

Bekijk het filmpje: Veilig werken met cryogene stoffen
Bekijk het Engelstalig ondertitelde filmpje: Safe working with cryogenic gases