Chemical Exposure

Denny_Crane · 10-01-2017 12:21am

Go get checked.

Atlantic Dawn · 10-01-2017 12:22am

Sounds like either they didn't provide the proper protection or it was mixed too strong. What did the instructions on the side of the container say if there was any?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp · 10-01-2017 12:26am

I don't believe he mixed it with anything. He used it undiluted, at least that's my reading of it.

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Sounds like either they didn't provide the proper protection or it was mixed too strong. What did the instructions on the side of the container say if there was any?

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:28am

Thanks for the reply! I had the correct protection, The mix was not diluted at all. I didn't read the bottle, I had been told 3 times to just put the chemical from the drum I was given all over the floor. I have never seen the process being done before and have no experience of what it should look like or entail.

hawkelady · 10-01-2017 12:33am

What are you hoping from you "complaining"? Money??
If you wake up tomorrow and the tingling is gone would you still want to complain. Did you not think of reading the container at all?

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:37am

No, not looking for money at all. Simply wondering what can be done as I wasn't provided adequate training to use said chemical. I had no idea of the strength of it, maybe a bit naive of me. Yes I will still tell my manager about it, just so they know it happened and to make sure it doesn't happen again. No, being perfectly honest I didn't think of that. There was no mention of it needing to be diluted, nothing, I should have been told this when being trained to use it, as I was told with the other chemicals I use.

Denny_Crane · 10-01-2017 12:38am

hawkelady wrote: »

What are you hoping from you "complaining"? Money??
If you wake up tomorrow and the tingling is gone would you still want to complain. Did you not think of reading the container at all?

Jesus Christ talk about jumping to conclusions.

Also if due to a lack of proper training and an obvious lack of supervision the OP has suffered damage what do you expect them to ask for, forgiveness?

hawkelady · 10-01-2017 12:39am

Did you have to wipe it off the floor after a while or brush it in ? What exactly was the product?

Atlantic Dawn · 10-01-2017 12:40am

I would always read the instructions on the side of a container when provided, often they are revised and what was ok a while back may not be ok now.

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:44am

hawkelady · 10-01-2017 12:44am

Denny_Crane wrote: »

hawkelady wrote: »

What are you hoping from you "complaining"? Money??
If you wake up tomorrow and the tingling is gone would you still want to complain. Did you not think of reading the container at all?

Jesus Christ talk about jumping to conclusions.

Also if due to a lack of proper training and an obvious lack of supervision the OP has suffered damage what do you expect them to ask for, forgiveness?

No just curious as to what the op wants as an outcome. If he thinks he is really ill then I would hope he would have the sense to go to an a + e as opposed to being on boards.ie.

So I'd like to know if as he says he's ok now. Does he want it written in the h&s statement that employees are to be told to dilute chemicals and read labels

Denny_Crane · 10-01-2017 12:47am

hawkelady wrote: »

No just curious as to what the op wants as an outcome. If he thinks he is really ill then I would hope he would have the sense to go to an a + e as opposed to being on boards.ie.

So I'd like to know if as he says he's ok now. Does he want it written in the h&s statement that employees are to be told to dilute chemicals and read labels

It should be, well the Irish equivalent of the COSHH, but I'm sure a supervisor taking a massive five more minutes to pop back in the proceeding 2 and a half hours to check to make sure the employee's 'training' had sunk in would also have done.

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:47am

I am currently in a+e, thanks for the concern hawkelady! Well in doing so that would be training the employee as to the correct use of chemicals? Is the employer responsible to do this?How much should the employee be expected to know?

Denny_Crane · 10-01-2017 12:51am

Each situation turns on it's own facts. To be fair you probably should have had a read of the labels but you should also be instructed to do this. Worry about getting checked out, make an informal complaint to your employer and if you don't feel it's being taken seriously your next step is a grievance.

If you've a genuine injury consult a solicitor if you need to recover any significant damages. However this is massively jumping the gun.

Miike · 10-01-2017 12:52am

Lemonee_ wrote: »

I am currently in a+e, thanks for the concern hawkelady! Well in doing so that would be training the employee as to the correct use of chemicals? Is the employer responsible to do this?How much should the employee be expected to know?

Does your employer supply MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) folders with all the chemicals you work with?

The onus is on the employer to provide training. A record of which should be kept by management.

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:55am

Denny_Crane wrote: »

Each situation turns on it's own facts. To be fair you probably should have had a read of the labels but you should also be instructed to do this. Worry about getting checked out, make an informal complaint to your employer and if you don't feel it's being taken seriously your next step is a grievance.

If you've a genuine injury consult a solicitor if you need to recover any significant damages. However this is massively jumping the gun.

Thanks very much for your help. I highly doubt it will go that far. Will speak to my manager tomorrow about it anyway! Thank you!

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 12:56am

Miike wrote: »

Does your employer supply MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) folders with all the chemicals you work with?

The onus is on the employer to provide training. A record of which should be kept by management.

These sheets are kept in the office. Perfect, I presume training needs to be adequate in some way?

Miike · 10-01-2017 1:01am

Lemonee_ wrote: »

These sheets are kept in the office. Perfect, I presume training needs to be adequate in some way?

These sheets are to there to be available to you at all times. I would discuss this with your line manager. They provide the information key to those who use them, being in an office doesn't help anyone. I would suggest from here on out, you read the MSDS and be aware that some of these chemicals can have very serious impacts on your health.

Training (I imagine) would be mostly based around interpreting MSDS, understanding the correct use of chemicals and the correct use of PPE / Which PPE for each specific chemical. It would also put onus on you to be safe and read about what you are using. Have you received any documented training around the use of chemicals?

Your supervisor telling you to toss a bottle of X over the floor doesn't even come close to "training"

Is your cleaning set in a health-care environment? Hospital, nursing home etc?

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 1:08am

Miike wrote: »

These sheets are to there to be available to you at all times. I would discuss this with your line manager. They provide the information key to those who use them, being in an office doesn't help anyone. I would suggest from here on out, you read the MSDS and be aware that some of these chemicals can have very serious impacts on your health.

Training (I imagine) would be mostly based around interpreting MSDS, understanding the correct use of chemicals and the correct use of PPE / Which PPE for each specific chemical. It would also put onus on you to be safe and read about what you are using. Have you received any documented training around the use of chemicals?

Your supervisor telling you to toss a bottle of X over the floor doesn't even come close to "training"

Is your cleaning set in a health-care environment? Hospital, nursing home etc?

Thanks you. For certain chemicals, the ones I use everyday, I have received the training, but not for the specific chemical I used today. Again probably naive of me to just do as my supervisor says, but then again he is a position of trust. I think it was also a job which needed to be done for tomorrow, but still no reason to not provide training or have some already trained to do it.

Yes, its a hospital.

Miike · 10-01-2017 1:09am

Lemonee_ wrote: »

Thanks you. For certain chemicals, the ones I use everyday, I have received the training, but not for the specific chemical I used today. Again probably naive of me to just do as my supervisor says, but then again he is a position of trust. I think it was also a job which needed to be done for tomorrow, but still no reason to not provide training or have some already trained to do it.

Yes, its a hospital.

Have you done the CleanPass training course?

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 1:11am

Miike wrote: »

Have you done the CleanPass training course?

I haven't personally, but my supervisors have.

Miike · 10-01-2017 1:13am

Lemonee_ wrote: »

I haven't personally, but my supervisors have.

Is that standard practice where you work? Only supervisors do CleanPass?

Also, just to mention, I hope you're okay and things work out for the best.

If I was you, I'd talk to your line manager about this incident, an incident report should definitely be filled out by your self also.

Lemonee_ · 10-01-2017 1:16am

Miike wrote: »

Is that standard practice where you work? Only supervisors do CleanPass?

Also, just to mention, I hope you're okay and things work out for the best.

If I was you, I'd talk to your line manager about this incident, an incident report should definitely be filled out by your self also.

Yes, the staff are either students working part-time or people who have been working there years, Training is generally lacking, but that's a different matter.

Thanks, and thank you so much for your help! I will do that tomorrow.

Chemical Exposure

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