Internship – Chemical Substances Management

Frencken Group; Eindhoven; Hybrid; EUR 5,600 - 10,000; Full time

Job summary

Frencken Group invites an intern to support Chemical Substances Management across EHS, Production Engineering, Quality, and Business Excellence. You will help build COSHH documentation, analyze hazardous materials, and propose practical improvements aligned with the company’s Hoshin Kanri objectives.

You will collaborate with safety officers and process owners to deliver implementable recommendations, templates, and work plans, gaining hands-on experience in chemical safety and operational

Qualifications

• Currently studying: MBO or HBO Chemistry, Chemical Science, Applied Science Safety Studies or related field.
• Interest in safety, compliance, and practical improvement projects.
• Willing to work in a factory environment and engage with operators.
• Structured and detail-oriented; able to analyze information and draw clear conclusions.
• Strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Inventory, classify and consolidate chemical substances used onsite from ERP lists, warehouses and SDS archives.
• Contribute to COSHH documentation by collecting SDS, extracting hazards, exposure risks, PPE, storage, incompatibilities, and emergency measures.
• Prepare COSHH assessments with use scenarios, controls, residual risk, and improvement actions; validate with EHS and process owners.
• Identify risk hotspots and gaps such as missing SDS, improper storage, unclear ownership, or uncontrolled usage.
• Develop practical recommendations on chemical approvals, ownership, storage, labeling, training, and create implementation templates and checklists.

Skills

Safety awareness

Compliance

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Factory environment

Education

MBO/HBO Chemistry or related field

Job description

Internship Assignment: Chemical Substances Management

Duration: 6 months (Full-time)

Department: Environment, Safety & Health (EHS) / Business Engineering / Production

About the Internship

At Frencken, our factories use a wide range of chemical substances, including cleaning agents, solvents, coatings, and adhesives. To strengthen control over chemical usage, storage, safety, and compliance, we are working to establish and complete COSHH documentation (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) for all applicable substances. As an intern, you will play an important role in a company-wide Hazardous Material Management improvement program that is part of this year's Hoshin Kanri objectives. You will work closely with colleagues from EHS, Production, Production Engineering, Quality, and Business Excellence to help create a safer, more structured, and compliant working environment.

Objective

• Building and completing COSHH documentation for substances currently used on-site
• Improving hazardous material management through on-site analysis and data-driven recommendations
• Delivering practical and implementable advice aligned with the broader Hoshin Kanri program

Your Responsibilities

• A. Inventory & Classification
  • Identify chemical substances used in production, maintenance, warehouses, and laboratories
  • Consolidate information from ERP purchasing lists, warehouse locations, production lines, and SDS archives
  • Create a comprehensive master list including:
    • Product name
    • Supplier
    • Internal item code
    • Storage locations
    • Usage process
    • Quantities
    • Hazard classifications
• B. COSHH Documentation Completion
  • For each substance, or a prioritized group of substances, you will:
    • Collect or request Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from suppliers
    • Extract relevant information regarding:
      • Hazards
      • Exposure risks
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
      • Storage requirements
      • Incompatibilities
      • Emergency measures
    • Prepare COSHH assessments including:
      • Intended use and exposure scenarios
      • Existing control measures
      • Residual risk evaluations
      • Recommended improvement actions
    • Validate assessments with EHS and relevant process owners
• C. Risk Hotspots & Gap Analysis
  • Identify gaps such as:
    • Missing or outdated SDS documentation
    • Incorrect storage practices
    • Unknown ownership
    • Uncontrolled usage
    • Incompatible storage
    • Missing labels
    • Unclear disposal procedures
  • Prioritize findings using a structured approach
  • Translate findings into improvement proposals using the Hierarchy of Controls methodology
• D. Practical Recommendations & Implementation Support
  • Develop recommendations related to:
    • Chemical approval and introduction processes
    • Documentation ownership and governance
    • Storage and segregation practices
    • Labeling standards and workplace instructions
    • Training and awareness initiatives
  • In addition, you will create an implementation package consisting of templates, checklists, workflow proposals, and recommended next steps.

What We Are Looking For

• Education
  • You are currently studying: MBO or HBO Chemistry Chemical Science Applied Science Safety Studies Or a related field
• Skills & Interests
  • Interested in safety, compliance, and practical improvement projects
  • Comfortable working in a factory environment and engaging with operators
  • Structured and detail-oriented
  • Able to analyze information and formulate clear conclusions
  • Strong communication skills
• Bonus Skills
  • Experience with COSHH or structured documentation
  • Knowledge of hazardous substance legislation
  • Interest in continuous improvement methodologies
• Guidance & Support
  • You will report to the Director of Business Excellence and receive day-to-day guidance from the Safety Officer and Business Engineer. Regular feedback sessions and progress reviews will be scheduled to ensure you receive the support needed to successfully complete the assignment and gain valuable hands‑on experience in chemical safety, compliance, and operational improvement.

We are a global integrated technology solutions company that’s fully committed to providing complete and integrated one‑stop solutions in partnership with our valued customers. The Frencken Group serves customers in Europe, Asia, and the US through a global network of operating subsidiaries. The Group offers a comprehensive range of product solutions that span the entire value chain – from initial product design, development and prototyping, to engineering, final test, and series manufacturing. The comprehensive range of product solutions is enabled by leveraging the capabilities of our strategically located facilities in the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia, and China.