Chemical risk assessment is the process of evaluating the likelihood and severity of adverse effects from chemical substances on workers, consumers, and the environment, taking into account both their hazardous properties and the conditions of exposure.
Chemical risk assessment
Chemical risk assessment is the method to identify the risks associated with the use of chemical substances throughout their life cycle. In the chemical risk assessment, companies connect information on the hazardous properties of chemicals with how they are produced, used, stored, and disposed of.
By carrying out a chemical risk assessment, companies can understand where risks may arise — for workers handling chemical substances as such or as part of mixtures and articles, for consumers using products containing these substances, and for the environment through emissions. The knowledge on what types of risk occur at which life cycle stage enables informed decisions on control measures, including substitution, emission and exposure controls or process changes.
Chemical risk assessment supports compliance with regulatory requirements and contributes to responsible chemical management. It should be regularly reviewed, particularly when introducing new substances, modifying processes, or receiving updated safety information.
Chemical risk assessment consists of these steps:
- Hazard identification, where the intrinsic hazardous properties of a chemical are evaluated;
- Exposure assessment, which considers how, when, and to what extent people or the environment may come into contact with the substance;
- Risk characterisation, which integrates hazard and exposure information to determine whether the expected exposure to a substance is below levels considered safe for humans and the environment.
Some substances have no effect thresholds (so called non-threshold substances) and some are persistent and therefore, accumulate in the environment, which makes it impossible to determine an exposure level. For these two types of substances, no risk assessment is normally performed, but substitution or other means to minimise emissions should immediately be implemented.
If a risk assessment does result in a conclusion that a risk exists, it should be followed by:
- Risk management, recommending measures to reduce or control the identified risks (e.g., substitution, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, or improved operational procedures).