Chemical risk assessment in a selected Romanian stainless steel processing company

The production and use of chemicals are continuously increasing worldwide. For example, the global output of chemicals increased approximately 12 times between 1970 and 2020. The burden of disease attributable to exposure to chemicals is significant. World Health Organization estimates that globally, about 5 million deaths and 90 million disability - adjusted life years are attributable to occupational, environmental exposure and management. Public authorities and employers need access to reliable information on chemicals and practical, widely-accepted risk assessment methods in order to effectively control and minimize this threat. To support the management of chemical substances in small and mediumsized enterprises, the UK Health and Safety Executive developed the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Essentials (COSHH Essentials), a control banding technique that determines the management method by assigning the qualitative work environment characteristics of the enterprises to a hazard and exposure prediction band. Qualitative tools were used for assessing the risk of these chemicals, creating solutions, and implementing control measures in various industrial fields. The present paper synthesizes the results of an extensive research study, dedicated to the evaluation of chemical risks within a Romanian company which has as object of activity the mechanical processing of steel laminates and their treatment by methods of electrochemical deposition of hard chromium / electrochemical nickel plating. The application of the simplified health, safety and environmental risk assessment methodology developed by the French National Security Research Institute (INRS) was considered to be the most appropriate in the preliminary phase of identifying and prioritizing the risks associated with chemicals used in technological processes in selected company. Based on the obtained results, the prevention and protection plan regarding the chemical risks was elaborated, the implementation of which led to the reduction of the workers' exposure and to the minimization of the probability and severity of the potential consequences.