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While many kinds of work involve hazardous substances, some types of business are more likely to pose a risk than others - for example:

• construction and building trades produce dust and fumes, and use hazardous materials and chemicals
• manufacturing businesses are likely to carry out work that involves hazardous substances or produces hazardous waste
• cleaning businesses often use products which are harmful if they are allowed to enter the environment
• medical and care businesses can produce large quantities of clinical waste
• car body shops use paints and adhesives, and need to dispose of hazardous waste such as batteries and oil-contaminated materials
• surface-engineering operations may create dust problems, while many processes use hazardous substances
• delivery and transport businesses may produce dust, fumes and carbon-dioxide emissions, as well as any hazardous substances they are carrying
• agricultural businesses use fertilisers and pest control products, and there may be the risk of disease, including those that pass from animals to humans, such as bird flu

While some businesses, such as retail and hospitality, are relatively low risk, you should check your business processes thoroughly. Even office-based businesses may be able to reduce the use of or risks posed by hazardous substances, for example from cleaning products and electrical equipment.

The legislation that applies will vary depending on the type and quantity of hazardous substances you use - see how to comply with hazardous substances legislation.

Types of hazardous substances in your business

Common hazardous substances used in or produced by business can include:

• chemicals
• oil and fuels
• batteries
• adhesives
• paints
• cleaning agents
• pest control products
• electrical equipment with hazardous or radioactive components
• biological agents, such as bacteria and other micro-organisms
• waste
• by-products from using energy, such as gas or fumes from soldering, hot oil or metal-plating

You should remember that most substances could cause significant harm to water in the environment - such as ponds and rivers - if their concentration is high enough. There are also some substances that pose no risk to human health, such as milk and other foodstuffs, which can cause significant damage to the environment.

If your business uses or produces hazardous substances there are a number of legal requirements you may need to comply with.

You are required to identify where your activities pose an imminent threat to the environment or where actual environmental damage has occurred. Where damage has already occurred you must take remedial action to repair the damage.

If you use substances that pose a risk to human health, you must make sure you control exposure to these substances.

If you use hazardous substances such as solvents you may require a pollution prevention and control permit. This permit will contain conditions that control your use of hazardous substances.

Separate rules still apply to specific substances:

• If you manufacture, use or recover chemicals you must comply with the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) regime.
• If you store oil you may need to comply with oil storage regulations.
• If you produce electrical and electronic products you must ensure they comply with limits on certain hazardous substances.
• If you use ozone-depleting substances or fluorinated greenhouse gases such as solvents, refrigerants and foam-blowing agents you must be qualified to do so, handle them appropriately and comply with any phase-out dates that apply.
• If you produce, sell or use pest control products you must make sure they are approved and comply with certain legal requirements.
• If you use or design packaging, you must make sure it doesn't exceed 100 parts per million of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium.
• If your business is involved in managing radioactive substances.

Separate rules also apply when disposing of hazardous substances.

If you use or handle substances that pose a risk to human health, you must comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). These regulations require you to control exposure to hazardous substances.

You should also assess the risks of storing and handling substances hazardous to the environment as well as human health. For instance, consider the effects of a leak to the air, water and surrounding land. This can help you to avoid being prosecuted for causing pollution.

Simple steps to control the risks of hazardous substances include:

• following the manufacturer's instructions on the safety data sheet when storing chemicals
• keeping the minimum quantity of hazardous substances necessary
• storing incompatible substances separately
• preventing release or leaks
• training employees to store and handle hazardous substances properly
• labelling storage containers properly
• storing flammable substances in suitable containers away from sources of ignition, such as boilers and heaters
• placing stores of liquid above ground where they're unlikely to be damaged, for example away from driveways
• maintaining gauges, valves and pipework
• having procedures for dealing with emergency leaks
• using a secondary containment system such as a drip tray or bund (a storage area designed to prevent liquids escaping)
• monitoring oil use - unexpectedly high use may indicate a leak

There are various risks involved when transporting hazardous substances. These include damage in transit, loss and theft, fire, explosion, leaks and spills. Many goods are not dangerous themselves, but contain harmful substances which could cause harm to the environment, people or both.

Special rules apply if you transport goods classified as dangerous. The first step is to identify the risks involved and classify your goods.

You should then ensure loads are secure, weight is distributed evenly and you put suitable warning signs on vehicles. If you are transporting dangerous goods by road or rail, you must:

• use suitable packaging which is labelled so that anyone in contact with it can take appropriate precautions
• use the appropriate vehicle, container, tank or wagon according to the classification of the goods
• display certain information, if required, about the goods on the vehicle or container
• follow proper procedures when goods are being loaded and unloaded

Road vehicles must carry specified types of safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers. You may also need a qualified dangerous goods safety adviser. All drivers must have suitable training, not just to drive their vehicle, but also on what to do if an accident occurs. Drivers need to hold an ADR training certificate.

If you transport other people's waste, or your own construction or demolition waste, you must register with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency as a waste carrier.

If you transport dangerous goods by air, sea, road, rail or inland waterway, .

There are some exceptions to the rules, for example small quantities of certain types of dangerous goods are exempt from most regulations.

The business benefits of a sustainable approach to using hazardous substances include:

• Compliance with your legal obligations. Compliance helps minimise the likelihood of costs and damage to your business. You will also avoid the risk of prosecution or civil sanctions which can include compliance, restoration and stop notices as well as large and variable fines.
• Cost benefits. Using fewer hazardous materials saves you money, while creating less hazardous waste can reduce the costs of waste disposal.
• Marketing benefits. A sustainable approach can strengthen your image and help you win business.

One of the key principles of sustainability in business is simply consuming less. This is particularly important for hazardous substances because they have a worse effect on the environment than other resources.

A simple review of your business processes could help reduce your business' impact on the environment and benefit your bottom line. For example, could you reduce the amount of hazardous substances you buy and use every day?

As well as using fewer hazardous substances, could you replace hazardous raw materials with a more sustainable option?

Find out if you can reduce the amount of hazardous waste you create in your business processes, for example cutting down on processes that produce harmful by-products or recovering waste to reuse.

Your responsibilities don't end once you have finished using hazardous substances - you have legal responsibilities to ensure that they are disposed of or recovered correctly too.

As part of your risk assessment, you'll need to carefully consider the treatment and disposal or recovery process. Your business has a legal duty of care for its waste. This means that you are responsible until the waste has either been disposed of or fully recovered.

There are additional legal requirements for the disposal or treatment of wastes and containers used for materials with hazardous characteristics. In Northern Ireland you must pre-notify the Northern Ireland Environment Agency of hazardous waste consignments that you intend to make.

You can use information contained on the safety data sheet that accompanies the materials or chemicals received onto your site to help you determine if your waste is hazardous.

Examples of hazardous wastes include:

• asbestos
• lead-acid batteries
• used engine oils and oil filters
• oily sludges
• solvents and solvent-based substances
• chemical wastes
• pesticides
• fluorescent light tubes

There are key steps you need to follow to make sure that you're dealing with hazardous substances safely. Make sure you:

1. Identify the hazardous substances in your workplace and the risks they pose to people's health or the environment.
2. Decide what precautions are needed to eliminate the risks, or reduce them to a level which will protect the environment and people's health.
3. Eliminate the hazardous substances wherever possible - if this isn't possible, control exposure to a level which will protect the health of the environment or people who could be affected.
4. Implement control measures and ensure that they are used and maintained - make sure that everyone is consistently carrying out these procedures to avoid any risks to health.
5. Monitor exposure - if the substances are airborne, you may need to monitor workers' exposure to ensure you .
6. Carry out appropriate health surveillance - in certain circumstances, to ensure their health is not being damaged.
7. Prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies - see how to set up a health and safety management system.
8. Inform, train and supervise employees to help ensure their health is not damaged when using or in contact with hazardous substances.

The Health and Safety Executive of Northern Ireland (HSENI) has .