Risks surrounding hazardous chemicals can be difficult to define and often have multiple dimensions, as many different aspects can lead to hazards. A liquefied petroleum gas supply company's delivery driver rashly threw a cylinder onto one side of the truck, causing an explosion; the contract engineer brought a pot of spray paint to mark the cutting point and ignited an acetylene bottle; a contract worker left a plastic cup containing corrosive chemicals in the staff kitchen, and an employee thought it was water that had drunk the liquid.

This article is about safety contractors and chemical suppliers who keep your organization running but also affect the overall safety of the site. Ultimately, it's about working together (cooperation and collaboration) to minimize chemical risk.

It is the responsibility of the transportation company that contracts with chemical suppliers to deliver hazardous chemicals to your site to ensure that its workers (and your workers) are not at risk when transporting these chemicals.

Building strong relationships is a key step in chemical safety management. Here are some examples of how to work with chemical suppliers to improve workplace safety.

Australian safety standards require that inventories of hazardous substances and dangerous goods be kept to a minimum (but still feasible). Reputable suppliers provide quick ordering service to help you minimize chemical inventory.

Empty chemical containers usually carry chemical residues and are still classified as dangerous goods (e.g. gas cylinders) in many cases. If suppliers can regularly take away empty cylinders or provide recyclable containers for chemicals such as solvents, the chemical hazards on site can also be reduced.

Many laboratories have established a working relationship with their chemical suppliers so that they can purchase precise quantities of hazardous substances, even mixtures that are readily available. This reduces the amount of raw materials they need to keep on site, as well as mixing and decanting hazardous chemicals.

Manufacturers and suppliers know their chemicals better than anyone else, and they can help you develop spill cleaning procedures and equipment for chemicals held on site.

Involving suppliers in the risk management process can help you better understand chemical health hazards, select the best PPE, and develop an emergency response plan.

In some cases, employees of your supplier (e.g., a delivery company) may be required to undergo on-site safety induction before transporting chemicals and hazardous materials.