It is essential that all information provided is understandable to the employees who use these resources.
The legislation does not extend beyond these regulations. It is therefore the employer's responsibility, in cooperation with the prevention adviser, to take action on this. In practice, safety instruction cards (SICs) are often used to convey all legally required information to employees, in addition to providing appropriate training. These SICs can, for example, be hung near the work equipment, CBM, and PPE.
The content of the SICs can originate from (task) risk analyses and the manufacturer's manual. The goal is to summarize information from these sources and clearly convey it to employees. Therefore, it is also important that the SICs are drawn up in a language understandable to the users. The ultimate goal of an SIC is to provide employees with the necessary information to use work equipment, CBM, and PPE correctly and safely.
Chemical agents
For chemical agents, it can also be useful to draw up an SIC (alternative name: work instruction card). According to the codex (Book VI – Chapter VI – Information and Training of Employees), employees who come into contact with hazardous chemical products must be aware of safety and health risks, occupational exposure limits, and other legal provisions. In addition, they must also receive training and information on appropriate precautionary and protective measures. Merely providing safety data sheets (SDS) often proves insufficient in practice, as these are often not read by users.
Some tips for drawing up an SIC:
- The content of an SIC must not only be based on the SDS, but also on the results of the risk assessment.
- Draw up an SIC that is specific to one product or a series of products with similar properties and for one specific application. That is why it is also sometimes called a work instruction card.
- Critically assess the measures mentioned in the SDS and adjust them if necessary.
- Ensure that the SIC is written in a language understandable to the users. Don't be afraid to add photos of, for example, the specific PPE to be used.
- Ensure that the SIC remains up-to-date. If there are changes to the product or safety regulations, adjust the SIC in a timely manner.
