Risks and Hazards Confronting ABC Chemicals - Essay Example

Shikha Swaroop Academia Research ABC Chemicals-Business Case study February 18, ABC Chemicals: Risks and Hazards Confronting the Organization ABC Chemicals-Introduction to the Organization and Its Operations ABC Chemicals is a medium sized chemical distributor located at the back of a large metropolitan shopping zone. The company purchases large quantities of cleaning chemicals that includes solvents, acids and other corrosives and detergents. These chemicals are delivered in drums with a capacity of 25 liters and are decanted by ABC’s staff into retail size containers. The containers are then re-labeled and shipped in company-tagged delivery vehicles to retail outlets throughout the metropolitan area. Objectives of the Essay: This paper aims at defining some risks and hazards surrounding ABC Chemicals and outlining measures to minimize the risk element considering the nature of business. What is Risk? Every business organization is surrounded by an element of risk. Risk is defined as the uncertainty of profit or danger of loss due to some unforeseen events. Some form of risk is present in all functional areas of business, be it production, marketing, sales or operations. Risks are unavoidable and cannot be completely eliminated however through preventive measures, the degree of risk can be considerably reduced in a workplace. The Element of Risk at ABC Chemicals Can Be Classified as Following: Employees of ABC handling Hazardous chemicals Occurrence of vehicle accidents in front of the organization premises Elderly residents’ nursing home and a child care centre in the organizations vicinity Storing empty drums in the back yard against the cyclone fence behind dry grass paddock owned by a local council Lack of employee training and safety equipment to handle emergencies Employees of ABC Handling Hazardous Chemicals ABC Chemicals employs some 50 people whose duties include performing day-to-day business transactions and decanting of the chemicals into smaller containers. As the company deals in chemicals, the materials being used may be toxic, foul smelling, corrosive, carcinogenic, staining and allergenic in nature. A routine exposure to such chemicals without deploying safety mechanisms can cause serious health ailments for the employees. Research has proved that constant exposure to harmful chemicals can lead to cancer, skin diseases and other organ malfunctioning besides causing irritation and dizziness. Fires and explosions in the premises due to chemical reactions or toxic spills can cause massive destruction of business operations and human lives. Elderly Residents’ Nursing Home and a Child Care Centre in the Organization’s Vicinity At a distance of 25 meters from the company site is a local nursing home that cares for elderly residents with age-related conditions like dementia. Across the road from the nursing home is a child care centre that provides day care for children under 5. A chemical house like ABC Chemicals, releases toxic waste whether it is involved in the process of manufacturing chemicals, refilling the drums carrying solvents and acids or in the transportation of the same. Harmful chemicals are released while decanting and pouring the material in separate drums. As the entire process is done manually, there could be spills and leaks. One cannot even rule out the possibility of this waste reaching the nursing home and child care center in the neighborhood through drains, water pipes or soil. Study indicates that the elderly residents at the nursing home suffer from problems like dementia. Dementia According to ‘MedicineNet.com,’ an online, healthcare media publishing company, based in California, “dementia is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain.” People with dementia have low levels of intellectual functioning that comes in the way of their conducting normal day to day activities and even relationships. They tend to loose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional balance, and may experience behavioral problems like anger, anxiety, delusions, and hallucinations. What Causes Dementia Among other causes of dementia, exposure to lead, heavy metals and other poisonous chemical substances can lead to symptoms of dementia and these symptoms may or may not resolve even after medical treatment depending upon the damage caused to the brain. Harmful Chemicals and their Effect on Children at the Day Care Besides the old home, there is a day care center across the road. The center takes care of children less than 5 years of age. Leaks, spills and foul smell emitted from these chemicals during the decanting process at ABC Chemicals, may reach the children’s play area through contaminated soil or polluted air. Lead and arsenic content in the chemicals may contaminate drinking water as well as the soil in the play home area. Children can breathe and ingest these poisonous substances or absorb them through their skin. As these children are small, they are particularly prone to nerve, brain, or developmental damage through some of these toxins and carcinogenic material. One such study by Lisa Wade McCormick states that harmful chemicals can lead to various forms of cancer, asthma, diabetes, autism and other such severe neurodevelopment disorders in children Occurrence of Vehicle Accidents In Front of the Organization Premises ABC Chemicals is situated on a busy intersection and there have been several significant vehicle accidents in front of the premises. As the company deals in hazardous chemicals, petrol or gas leaking from the accident site can cause chemical reactions leading to explosions and blasts at the company premises. This can cause huge damage to life and property and the environment at large. Storing Empty Drums in the Back Yard against the Cyclone Fence behind Dry Grass Paddock Owned By a Local Council Small spills during the decanting procedures are cleaned up with rags, which are disposed of at the end of the day into the general waste dumpster in the back yard of the premises. The dumpster is collected by a waste contractor on weekly basis. So the whole week’s waste lies unchecked in the dumpster. If an employee or passerby accidentally drops a cigarette stub or a matchstick in the dumpster, the rags can catch fire leading to explosions. Besides, foul smell from the rags can be inhaled by the neighborhood residents causing serious health issues. All empty chemical drums are stored in the back yard against the back cyclone fence. These drums are collected on a monthly basis and as many as 250 drums can be stored there awaiting collection. Behind the cyclone fence is a large open overgrown paddock with dry grass, which is owned by the local council. The council has expressed a desire to build a community center on this site at some time in the near future. The paddock has dry grass and chemical waste in the drums can burn the dry grass and damage the soil making it unfit for use. Stray animals like dogs, cats or even pets venturing on this grass can suffer health wise. Dumping waste in the paddock area may weaken the foundation of the community center planned to be built in the future. People may develop skin irritation and other medical problems. Lack of Safety Equipment to Handle Emergencies The employees of ABC Chemicals have not received any training in safe handling of chemicals and how to cope with emergencies and there is no emergency plan displayed in the work place. Risk Management Process The workplace risks can be considerably reduced by following some safety rules and by implementing a risk management process According to the “Business Portal of India,” The Risk management process involves: Identification of the risks Evaluation of the risks Choice of the right method for handling of risks Evaluating the outcome of the chosen method At ABC chemicals, the following measures would help to reduce the incidence of risk. Measures to Be Deployed While Using Harmful Chemicals Workers should use hoods or face shields while decanting chemicals or while pouring them from one container into another to avoid damaging inhalation and direct eye contact. Safety workwear provides resistance against harmful chemicals and ensures the workers wellbeing. The company premise should have fire extinguishers, safety showers and water sprinklers to handle sudden outbreak of fire or chemical combustion. Respirators should be available for emergencies. Air purifiers should be installed to check foul smell emitted from chemicals and solvents besides maintaining a virus free, well ventilated workplace. Emergency equipment should be kept in a central location and must be inspected periodically by trained staff or members of top management. Health and safety of their workers should be a prime concern for the Company’s management. Workers should be given routine trainings like fire drill, how to give first aid in case of accidents etc. Moreover there should be a medical practitioner at the worksite at all times to handle crisis if and when it arises. Health and Wellbeing of the Children at the Day Care and Elderly Residents of the Nursing Home Measures should be taken by the company to reduce toxic exposure in the soil particularly arsenic and other chemical content. Soil safety program can be deployed for sample soil testing in the play area and old age home to check the toxic and chemical substance. Residents of the nursing home and day care can take some precautions like washing hands and face after working or playing in the soil, drinking filtered water, removing shoes before coming indoors etc. Environmental Safety and Protection ABC chemicals can construct an enclosure wall so that chemical waste from the company premise does not pollute the surrounding neighborhood. Such an enclosure will also prevent and destruction at the company site due to road accidents. Legislations Governing the Chemical Industry There are some legally binding conventions with regard to harmful chemicals, signed in the interest of public health and environment protection. Deadly workplace accidents are common in places, where awareness and enforcement of basic safety practices is missing. Chemical safety laws in many countries are implemented to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and safeguard public health. Chemical waste management laws and practices in many countries assure proper handling and disposal of inflammable chemicals and toxic waste to protect the health and safety of the community and to comply with federal and state regulations governing hazardous waste management. “The Employer Chemical Hazard Communication Rule” was developed in the state of Washington to make sure employers and employees are informed about chemical hazards in the workplace. Important elements of this rule have been mentioned below: This rule applies to: Employers and their dealers or subcontractors, engaged in businesses where chemicals are used, distributed, or produced for use or distribution. This Rule states that it is the company’s responsibility to inform and train its employees about the hazards of chemicals they may be exposed to during normal working conditions, or in emergencies. This information may be imparted by: Making a list of the hazardous chemicals present in the workplace. Preparing a written Chemical Hazard Communication Program for the workplace. Informing employees about this rule and the company’s program. Providing training to employees about working in the presence of hazardous chemicals. Getting and keeping the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for the hazardous chemicals. Making sure that labels on containers of hazardous chemicals are in place and easy to read. Further the employer needs to ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace is labeled, tagged, or marked with the information on the chemical’s name and warning signs. The Rule states that it is the employer’s responsibility to inform and train its employees about hazardous chemicals in the workplace both at the time of their recruitment and during the tenure of their job as and when a new physical or health hazard related to chemical exposure is introduced. The training can be imparted in the employees’ local language if they are not conversant with English. Employees should be aware of the risks of overexposure to these chemicals and the steps to take to protect themselves and the surrounding environment from the chemical hazards ABC chemicals should design a safety plan and periodically train the employees on the use of safety measures while handling harmful chemicals. Works Cited “Better Chemical Safety Laws Could Reduce Chronic Disease,” Lisa Wade McCormick, ConsumerAffairs.com, January 23, 2010, Web 18 February 2010 Department of Ecology, State of Washington, Web 18 February 2010 Employee Chemical Hazard Communication, WAC 296-800-170, Washington, Web 18 February 2010 MedicineNet.com, online, healthcare, media publishing company, California 1996, Web 18 February 2010 The Business Portal of India, Web 18 February 2010 Read More