Chemical storage and use
Chemicals and substances used at AHO must be registered in the digital substance index: EcoOnline. Chemicals that can be purchased from the workshop are already registered. If you bring your own chemicals, you have a duty to familiarise yourself with the safety datasheet for the substance and ensure that you understand the necessary safety precautions prior to use. Please contact the shop foreman for advice and guidance if you are unsure.
Important notes:
- If you store chemicals in non-original packaging, you are required to affix the original label to the container. Never store chemicals in drinks bottles or food containers.
- Do not use a chemical before you have read and understood the safety datasheet for the substance.
- Chemicals that are not registered in the school’s substance index must not be used.
Using EcoOnline
Students and staff can look up the safety datasheets for all registered chemicals in EcoOnline. Workshops are grouped by location, such as the wood workshop, metal workshop, plastic workshop and interaction workshop. Here you can find registered products, HSE datasheets and information about safety precautions, hazards and correct waste management procedures.
Go to the AHO substance index in EcoOnline
How to find safety datasheets
There are two ways in which to find safety datasheets:
- By clicking on the physical workshop (for example the wood workshop) under the Locations menu item.
- By searching directly for chemicals under the My products menu item or using the search functionality.
Both options will provide a list of available chemicals and associated safety datasheets.
Hazards and safety precautions for different chemicals
Safety datasheets are important documents that provide information about the hazards and safety precautions associated with different substances. Each datasheet consists of 16 points and point 15 is particularly important. Here you will see any hazard symbols, risk sentences (R-sentences) and safety sentences (S-sentences). These standardised sentences describe both the risk associated with the use of the substance and the safety precautions that must be taken to prevent injuries.
Short and full versions of safety datasheets
Datasheets are available in two versions: a short version and a full version with all 16 points. If you can only see the short version, open the PDF document under Documents to view the full version.
Preventive measures
AHO limits the use of hazardous chemicals at workshops and everyone has a duty to select the least hazardous substance when more than one product can be used for the same task.
Nevertheless, chemicals that require protective measures are used at AHO workshops. Some chemicals require protective measures and a safe job analysis (SJA) prior to use. Storage, mixing, casting, painting and heat treatment of composites must all be carried out in authorised spaces or under extractors to ensure that gases and particles are captured. Some processes require the use of gloves, gas masks and safety goggles.
Always protect yourself and your surroundings before starting work with chemicals.
Chemical storage
Chemicals such as spray adhesives, spray paint, paint and dual component adhesives must be stored in locked student lockers in halls or student lockers at the light engineering workshop. Half-full spray cans that can be used by others must be placed on the shelves in the painting space.
If you are unsure about how to store chemicals, please contact the workshop for guidance.
Waste management
Many adhesives and composite products contain microplastics in liquid or solid form and these require appropriate waste management. It is important to know what to do with residues or excess materials – whether these should be discarded using special containers or emptied into the sink.
The workshops have systems in place for waste management when it comes to chemical waste and materials:
- Spray cans must be disposed of using the waste bins in the painting space.
- Flammable materials such as cloths must be disposed of using the red bin for combustible waste.
- Paint and other chemicals must be in their original packaging and placed in the pallet collar in the waste room. Please contact AHO operations or the workshop for advice if you are uncertain about anything.
- Material residues must be sorted into dedicated skips.
- Plaster must be disposed of in dedicated skips in the plaster space.
- Metal must be disposed of in the dedicated skip outside the metal workshop.
- Wood, cardboard and plastic must be disposed of in dedicated skips