Webinar: Regulations and requirements for explosives precursors
Open webinar with Workplace Safety and DSB
How should companies handle and store chemicals that can be used to make explosives? What do the regulations require – and which substances are covered?
Together with the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), we invite you to an informative webinar covering how to identify such substances, the requirements for storage, use, and reporting. Lastly, your responsibilities as a company.
The webinar is ideal for anyone working with chemical handling in industry, offshore, research, or other activities where such substances may be present. You will receive practical advice and guidance directly from the authorities, with the chance to ask questions along the way.
Topics include:
What is DSB’s role in the field of chemicals and explosives?
What is the background to, and content of, the regulation on explosives precursors?
Which substances are covered (list 1 and list 2)?
What are the requirements for storing and securing such chemicals?
Registration
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 10:00 – 11:00
Sign up to gain a clear overview of how your company can comply with the regulations on explosives precursors.
Strengthened chemical management: Workplace Safety professional day with Bamble municipality
Hans Kristian Brekken, kjemiker og produktutvikler i Workplace Safety
At Workplace Safety, we believe in practical, tailored training to ensure our customers make full use of the solution’s functionality.
Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting an in-person training day with Bamble municipality, which places a strong emphasis on safe and correct chemical handling across its departments.
This session proved to be a valuable arena for discussing their needs and adapting the system to the municipality’s specific requirements.
We share this experience to inspire other customers to consider investing in a training day.
Physical presence creates a stronger focus and commitment for both parties, offering benefits that go beyond digital meetings and giving participants a deeper understanding of the system.
A municipality with chemical management in focus
Bamble municipality in Telemark is a medium-sized municipality with just over 14,000 inhabitants. The municipality uses chemicals in a number of sectors, from municipal engineering and cleaning to nursing homes and schools.
With such diverse applications, it was important to provide training that addressed both administrative functions and specific workflows required when handling chemicals.
Bamble municipality is committed to safe and responsible chemical management and sought to strengthen competence around the statutory requirements that apply when working with chemicals. Therefore, the training also highlighted how Workplace Safety supports compliance through user-friendly workflows and continuous documentation of completed tasks.
Training and advice
The day began with a training session for administrator users, focusing on access management, advanced functionality, and best practices for structuring and managing the chemical inventory in Workplace Safety.
This gave Bamble municipality a clear understanding of the system’s capabilities, from standard setups to more advanced customisations. By sharing examples from other municipalities and public sector organisations using Workplace Safety, we were able to explore different approaches and solutions.
Next, we trained super-users in the most relevant modules, including risk assessment, substitution assessment, and exposure registration. The training combined theory with practical application with participants learning about regulations and obligations while working through case studies in the system. With demo access, they tested different features, getting hands-on experience, which is crucial to feel confident in the system.
We also supported Bamble municipality in setting up its own exposure and risk assessment routines. Through practical exercises and guidance, the participants developed a solid understanding of how to establish these processes in Workplace Safety, providing a strong foundation for ongoing work and compliance with statutory requirements.
Workplace Safety is a user-friendly solution that is easy to implement, but for those who want to unlock its full potential, we recommend a thorough review with our experts.
Our training offers customers real value by demonstrating the full range of possibilities within the system. While Workplace Safety is highly flexible, its broad features can sometimes make it challenging to see the complete picture.
Through our training, administrators and super-users gain the insight needed to go beyond the standard setup. This enables them to customise the system, work more efficiently, and adapt chemical management to the specific needs of their business.
Our experience shows that training with physical presence gives participants a deeper understanding of Workplace Safety.
Many companies face challenges with internal adoption of chemical management systems and understanding of legal requirements. A training day with our experts can provide exactly what is needed to strengthen internal competence and ensure full benefits of the system – streamlining processes, improving workflows, and enhancing compliance.
We hope this inspires more organisations to invest in tailored training and build stronger chemical management skills in the workplace. The goal is to get people started, engaged, and confident, making chemical management both safe and straightforward.
Get in touch with us to discuss how we can organise a training program for your company!
Requirement for training in the use of the chemical inventory
According to the Regulations on the performance of work §2-4, the employer must ensure that employees have easy access to the chemical inventory and that relevant safety data sheets (SDS) are available in the workplace.
Providing thorough training for administrators and super-users helps lower the threshold for further training across the organisation.
Improved chemical safety with new hazard classes in the CLP regulations
In April 2023, updates to the EU CLP regulation (classification, labelling, and packaging) came into force. The update introduced new classifications of chemicals, with a focus on endocrine-disrupting properties and environmental risks, including bioaccumulative properties and potential water pollution.
Classification and labelling is a key tool for reducing risk in chemical use. Over time, it encourages the replacement of the most hazardous substances with safer alternatives.
The new hazard classes include:
Endocrine disrupting properties: Chemicals that affect the endocrine system, potentially causing health issues such as birth defects and development disorders in humans and wildlife.
Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties (PBT and vPvB): Substances that break down slowly in the environment and build up in organisms and food chains.
Persistent, mobile and toxic properties (PMT and vPvM): Substances that combine high persistence with mobility, spreading rapidly in the environment, often through waterways.
Code
H-phrases
EUH380
May cause endocrine disruption in humans
EUH381
Suspected of causing endocrine disruption in humans
EUH430
Can cause endocrine disruption in the environment
EUH431
Suspected of causing endocrine disruption in the environment
EUH440
Accumulates in the environment and living organisms, including humans
EUH441
Highly accumulates in the environment and living organisms, including humans
EUH450
Can cause long-term and diffuse pollution of water resources
EUH451
Can cause very long-term and diffuse pollution of water resources
Significance of the changes
The new hazard classes strengthen the regulation of substances with these properties, ensuring that hazardous chemicals are handled in the same way as other serious hazards. This may results in stricter requirements for companies and limitations on how these substances can be used. The changes will also influence related legislation, including rules on biocides, pesticides, cosmetics, and occupational health and safety.
New obligations for companies
Chemical suppliers are now required to review their chemicals and determine whether they fall under the new hazard classes. If so, they must update their registrations with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and ensure that everyone in the supply chain receives up-to-date safety information. For new substances, the rules apply from May 1, 2025, while existing substances have until November 2026. There are also transition periods in place for mixtures.
The introduction of the new hazard classes is an important step in strengthening the protection of health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. ECHA is updating its guidance to reflect these changes, and companies can follow the process and access resources directly on the ECHA website.
What does this mean for your chemical management?
Your company should ensure it has a clear overview of whether any products fall under the new chemical classifications. Contact the suppliers of your chemical products for updated information, and keep track of changes to the safety data sheets, especially if your company uses automatic updates in the chemical inventory.
If products are covered by the new classifications, a new risk assessment must be carried out. This includes evaluating whether additional protective measures are required to ensure that the use and storage of the substances remain at an acceptable risk level, in line with your company’s safety criteria.
Written by Hans Kristian Brekken, chemist and product developer at Workplace Safety.
This article was written for the Norwegian Automobile Industry Association and published in the member magazine Bilbransjen.
An important part of your HSE work
Risk assessment of chemicals is an important part of HSE work, especially in the automotive industry where employees handle a wide range of chemicals every day.
Chemicals can have hazardous properties, especially those used in workshops and paint shops. If handled incorrectly, they may cause acute or long-term health issues, environmental pollution, or even explosive incidents. Carrying out thorough risk assessments enables you to identify the necessary control measures to ensure safe use and management of chemicals.
Risk assessments must be documented in writing
In Norway, the requirements for chemical risk assessment are regulated by the Working Environment Act and regulations such as the Regulations on the Performance of Work. Employers are obligated to identify and assess all chemical substances used in the workplace, and every risk assessment must be documented in writing.
“The risk assessment should always cover the entire work operation in which the chemicals are used”
The way of use guides the risk assessment and measures
A risk assessment must always be based on the specific use of the chemical in question.
The assessment should evaluate the entire work operation in which the chemical is used. If the same chemical is applied in different work operations, this must either be reflected within a single risk assessment or addresses through separate assessments.
Different applications may require different protective equipment and additional training. For example, the use of diisocyanates with a high degree of exposure will trigger mandatory additional training.
Conducting a risk assessment
There are several ways to conduct a chemical risk assessment. This following steps provide a general overview of the process:
An updated chemical inventory: The chemical inventory provides an overview of all chemicals and their safety data sheets (SDS). Always use the latest version of the SDS and verify key information about hazardous properties.
Assessment of hazard: Assess the inherent hazards of the chemical using information from the SDS.
Exposure assessment: Analyse how the chemical is used, quantities handled, routes of exposure (e.g. inhalation, skin contact, and ingestion), frequency and duration of work, and existing workplace control measures.
Characterisation of risk: Combine hazard and exposure information to estimate the overall risk.
Implementation of control measures: Based on the risk assessment, implement measures to reduce risk, such as improved ventilation, appropriate PPE, or substitution with safer alternatives. Integrate these measures into work instructions, checklists, and training routines.
Documentation and auditing: Document the process and review it regularly to ensure assessments remain up to date.
Control measures
Control measures may include the following:
Necessary ventilation
Training of employees
Use of protective equipment
For example, a risk assessment of car painting may include multiple chemicals. This may require isolation of the work area, local exhaust ventilation, training in the use of diisocyanates during spray application, establishing a designated processing zone, and use of protective equipment.
Work smart with user-friendly tools
Digital chemical management systems provide structured processes that make it easier to conduct and document risk assessments in line with regulatory requirements.
Use the expertise of the occupational health service
The occupational health service is a key advisor in risk assessment and employee training on safe chemical handling.
With in-depth knowledge of safe working practices and chemical handling, they can help ensure a safe workplace.
Remember: if the risk conditions warrant it, it is a legal requirement to be affiliated with an approved occupational health service, so make full use of this resource.
Written by Hans Kristian Brekken, chemist and product developer at Workplace Safety.
