Improvement notice schedule

A suitable and sufficient assessment should include the following and deal not only with employees but others who may be exposed such as industrial cleaners:

• consideration of the health effects of the metalworking fluids (MWFs), including information contained in any safety data sheet and the health effects associated with inhalation, not only of the MWFs themselves but also of any material with which they may become contaminated in use, such as bacteria in water-mix MWFs or the metals being worked,
• the level, type and duration of exposure,
• the work circumstances including the amount of MWFs involved,
• activities such as sump cleaning and maintenance where there is a potential for a high level of exposure,
• the arrangements for any preventative or control measures provided,
• the arrangements for monitoring MWF quality when in use, including:
  • the arrangements for monitoring microbial contamination of water-mix MWFs (eg weekly testing of sumps using dip slides),
  • the arrangements for monitoring MWF appearance, odour and colour,
  • the arrangements for monitoring water-mix MWF concentration,
  • the arrangements for monitoring water-mix MWF pH,
  • the arrangements for other monitoring including biocide levels, tramp oil, temperature etc, and
  • the results of any MWF quality monitoring,
• the arrangements for maintaining, examining and testing control measures (eg the arrangements for thorough examination and test of local exhaust ventilation),
• the arrangements for monitoring occupational exposure,
• the results of occupational exposure monitoring;
• the arrangements for health surveillance,
• the results of the health surveillance (suitably anonymised),
• the arrangements for providing information, instruction and training for persons who may be exposed to MWFs, and
• any additional relevant information,
• or you can take any other equally effective measures to achieve compliance with the notice.