In this chapter, we introduce the legal requirements for minimising exposure to hazardous substances, including assessing and managing the risk. We also discuss specific hazards such as welding fumes, solvents, legionella, ionising radiations and asbestos.
There are many different kinds of hazardous substances found in workplaces. It is your duty to assess the risks these may present to employees in the course of their work and to others who may be affected by that work (see risk assessments).
(See the Environment pages for information on REACH)