Haz Spill (or Hazardous Spills) refers to a chemical or hazardous material spill. This is the accidental release of a substance that can risk health or the environment.
Under workplace duty of care and Australian legislation workers must be protected from Dangerous Goods substances.
What does Hazspill refer to?
Hazspill is short for Hazardous Spill.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary
Hazardous: (of substances, materials, activities, or conditions) dangerous
Ref: Cambridge Dictionary – Hazardous
Spill is “to (cause to) flow, move, fall or spread over the edge or outside the limits of something” Ref: Cambridge Dictionary – Spill
Hazspill is a shortened term used to indicate a hazardous materials accidental release/spill.
What is an example of a hazardous spill?
Hazardous spills can occur in various settings, in the workplace premises, during transportation, when loading/unloading etc.
A common instance of hazspill is when personal are storing, handling or using hazardous substances and a spill occurs in or around the workplace.
The substances involved in a hazardous spill can vary greatly.
Although we may often think of dangerous substances being uncommon or not something we see in our day to day lives e.g. Radioactive materials, explosives.
We also need to carefully consider commonly used materials that are also dangerous e.g. Petrol, Pesticides, Acids.
Hazardous spills can occur for various reasons, often as a result of accidents, human error, or poor maintenance. Other causes of preventable spills may include inadequate storage practices, intentional acts, or lack of proper training.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes or floods can also be an issue for some countries.
Examples of Hazardous/Dangerous Substances:
- Toxic Chemicals
- Flammable Materials
- Explosive Materials
- Corrosive Substances
- Reactive Chemicals
- Carcinogens
- Radioactive Materials
Hazspill Training typically covers:
- How to identify Hazardous Materials
- Preventative measures when working with hazardous materials
- Emergency Response procedures
- PPE – Personal Protective Equipment – The use of this equipment
- Communication Channels and Protocols
- Decontamination processes in order to minimise the spread of hazardous materials
- Regulatory Compliance
Why do I need hazspill training?
Spill response training is essential for all personnel and companies working with and around chemicals and hazardous substances. It is part of a company’s corporate responsibility to ensure all reasonable steps are taken to manage and prevent hazardous spills. This limits environmental impacts, risk to employees and ensures you follow local regulations.
In addition to the above it is also important to consider staffs psychology and stress management if impacted by hazardous spills.
Nationwide Training provide half day training courses in Hazspill Response Awareness. This training is face to face and includes a practical demonstration and hands on tasks.