The Health & Safety At Work Act 1974 places upon us, as suppliers of goods, the responsibility of providing adequate information to customers about the products which we sell and to give details of any inherent dangers or problems attached thereto.

As distributors of materials produced by other companies, we naturally relate our own responsibilities to those of the supplying works with regard to the end use of the material. However, it is necessary for us to define the following points and draw your attention to the general information relating to the use, at work, of any material supplied by us.

  1. Materials supplied will comply with the appropriate specification quoted by us and are not designed or tested for any specific finished product uses. Therefore, the user must pay careful attention to the type of material required in relation to its end use. If materials supplied by us are in a particular form, to comply with a specific requirement, the material should only be used for that requirement and no other.
  2. Care must be taken when cutting - by any method - materials supplied by us. Necessary safety precautions must be complied with when material is being sheared or sawn and where gas burning techniques are being used. It should be assumed that there could be a health risk where certain alloying elements have been used in the manufacture of that material. It would be advisable to refer to the Code of Practice for Health Precautions, published by HM Factory Inspectorate in 1973.
  3. It is necessary to bundle material prior to delivery. Material used for bundling is for that purpose only and should not be used as an aid to lifting.
  4. When materials are cut - at any stage of manufacture and by any method - a sharp edge or burr can result. Normal care should be exercised when handling materials, whether supplied in stock or random lengths, or in specific sizes, lengths and shapes.
It is expected that you will bring this information to the attention of your employees as it relates to their health and safety when dealing with materials supplied by us. This notice, which is by way of a formality, is in anticipation of any Code of Practice, which may be issued by the Health & Safety Commission, and where changes in our obligations are made, these will be communicated to you, as appropriate.

CONTROL OF SUBSTANCES HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH
Physical Data
All metallic products are chemically stable except under extreme heat. The melting point of steel is generally in excess of 14000c. Steel can react with strong acids to form hydrogen gas. In its hot state, steel does not present an explosion hazard. Plastic products are safe in their "as supplied" state, but should NOT be introduced to extreme heat.

Health & Safety
In their natural state, steel products no not present a health hazard. However, processes such as welding, burning, brazing or machining can result in vaporising of the metal or generate airborne particles that may present a hazard, particularly by inhalation. Such operations should be carried out in well-ventilated conditions and if necessary, fume extraction equipment provided. Also, where appropriate, respiratory protective equipment should be used.

Steel may be protected with a coating of oil, which may cause skin irritation.

When cutting or shearing the product and when opening the strapping around the product, there is a risk of laceration. Care should be taken in all handling processes such as lifting, storage and transport and appropriate equipment should be used.

Protective Clothing should be worn when carrying out all the above operations.

Relevant References:
  • Protection of Eye Regulations (1974)
  • Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980 (Revised 1985)
  • HSE Approved Code of Practice. Control of Lead at Work
  • BS 2092 Specification for Industrial Eye Protection
  • BS 5304 Safeguarding of Machinery
  • There is a range of HSE booklets and guidance notes available and if further information is required, please contact us on: info@egglestonbros.co.uk.

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