Experts overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal have begun securing their work sites, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN said in a statement.

Experts overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical arsenal have begun securing their work sites, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the UN said in a statement.

"Joint work with the Syrian authorities has begun on securing the sites where the team will operate," said the statement, which detailed the activities of the team's first day of work on Wednesday.

"In addition, planning continues for one of the team's immediate tasks, disabling Syria's chemical weapons production facilities, which should begin soon."

On Wednesday, the team also considered "the health and environmental hazards which they may have to confront", said the joint statement.

"Meanwhile, discussions on the size of Syria's stockpiles are also under way, as well as long-term planning, so that deadlines unanimously imposed by the executive council of the OPCW and the UN Security Council are met," it added.

"In their discussions with the authorities, the OPCW-UN team was keen to stress that the onus was on the Syrian government to meet the verification and destruction deadlines," said the statement.