Chemical control in the commercial sector needs a coherent approach

The 2012 fire at the Hong Kong department store in Vantaa, Finland, has led to closer monitoring of the storage and control of dangerous chemicals in stores. In the case of Hong Kong in Vantaa, the building should have been able to withstand the fire without collapsing, but the chemical load in the store meant that the fire could not be controlled and the building eventually collapsed. The uncontrolled fire posed a major risk to the rescue worker. It also demonstrated how much of a safety risk chemicals pose in a shop environment if they are not properly stored or handled.

The Government Decree on the Control of Handling and Storage of Dangerous Chemicals was already revised in 2012, but this autumn the topic is particularly topical. At the beginning of the year, the Partnership Network of Rescue Services obliged Finnish traders to submit a chemical notification to their local rescue authority. The notification to the rescue authority had to be made by the end of August if the store stores or stores dangerous chemicals in quantities exceeding the limits set out in the Control Regulation. Examples of such products include spray paints, varnishes, solvents, urethane foams, deodorants, glass cleaners and lighters, and fireworks.

As the deadline for notifications was only a few months ago, the processes are in their early stages. As a result, common, nationally harmonised procedures for rescue services have not yet been established. The authorities' control practices and procedures for handling chemical notifications vary between regions and even between individuals, despite the fact that the control of handling and storage of dangerous chemicals is based on the same laws. However, I believe that as the process progresses, practices will also become more harmonised.

The deadline for chemical notifications in the trade sector expired at the end of August. Inspections by the emergency services have found that the trade sector has not taken sufficient measures to comply with the Chemical Substances Control Regulation. For example, protective alarms and fire safety cabinets are still missing in many shops. The retail sector should implement protective solutions without the supervisory authority imposing them on each individual store. There is a mood of expectation in the retail chemicals control sector. If necessary, the local emergency authority can use administrative coercive measures under the Chemical Safety Act to achieve a lawful storefront. The nature of these measures will most likely vary from region to region.

Despite its complexity and common procedures, chemical notification is first and foremost about safety. The aim of the prescriptive restrictions and protection solutions is to ensure the safety of persons in the trade, to prevent damage to property and to safeguard the capabilities of the emergency services.

Heikki Aho