1.1 Why do we need to work systematically with chemicals?

Summary

Chemicals are essential in most industries, but they can also pose risks to people, the environment, and businesses. When chemical management is not handled systematically, the risk of accidents, ill health, environmental harm, and operational disruptions increases. A structured approach makes it easier to understand the risks, prioritise the right actions, and create a safe working environment.

Chemicals provide benefits – but require control

Many organisations use chemicals daily: in maintenance, production, cleaning, painting, analysis, or storage. Every chemical or chemical product used constitutes a source of risk because it can affect people and the environment in different ways.

Examples of risks include:

Immediate effects, such as corrosive injuries, burns, or skin and eye irritation
Long-term effects, such as allergies, asthma, cancer, or effects on fertility
Environmental impacts, e.g., releases of hazardous substances into soil or water
Operational impacts, e.g., production downtime, fines, or reputational damage

A structured way of working is therefore not only about meeting legal requirements – it is a crucial part of protecting people, the environment, and the organisation.

Chemical management is a moving target

Many believe that chemical management is something you “complete” once. In reality, it often looks quite different.

Companies face a number of changes over time:

New sources of risk are purchased
Safety data sheets are updated
Legislation changes
Staff join or leave
Work processes and products change
New risks emerge while old ones disappear

Because of this, chemical management must function as an ongoing process – not a project with an end date.

Risks increase when routines are lacking or insufficient

When chemical management is not structured, the same types of issues often arise:

The chemical inventory becomes outdated quickly
Important information, such as SDS or safety sheets, is missing or hard to access
Risk assessments are not carried out, or are done too late
Wrong products are chosen for a specific task
Employees lack training and knowledge about the risks
Permits or legal requirements are overlooked
Unclear roles mean that responsibility falls “between the cracks”

These shortcomings create uncertainty and often lead to action only after something has gone wrong.

A structured approach makes it easy to do things right

When chemical management is organised into clear steps, it becomes easier to:

gain a complete overview of sources of risk
prioritise the most important risks
carry out risk assessments in the right order
ensure that staff receive the correct information and training
follow up the work regularly
ensure compliance with legal requirements

This reduces the risk of mistakes, saves time, and provides confidence across the organisation.

Structured chemical management benefits both people and the organisation

For employees

A safer work environment
Fewer accidents and less ill health
Clear routines and easy access to safety information

For the environment

Fewer emissions
Better control over use and storage
Reduced impact on soil and water

For the organisation

Less downtime
Lower costs from errors or incidents
Strengthened sustainability work
Improved preparedness for inspections
A solid foundation for decision-making and improvements

Simplicity above all

Even if chemical management may seem complex, the work does not have to be difficult. By following a clear process and updating it regularly, a sustainable, safe, and predictable management approach is achieved.

The goal is not to do everything perfectly from the start — the goal is to work in a structured and continuous way. That is when the greatest impact is achieved.