Category: Chemicals

Today’s workplace uses thousands of chemicals, many of which are hazardous. The resources in this section will help guide you in the safe and legal identification, storage, transport, and use of these chemicals, and in making sure that your employees right to know how to be safe around such substances is provided, as required by law.

Q&A: NFPA vs. GHS Labels

Recently, a subscriber asked the following question: The NFPA 704 had us label the outside doors of our facilities so that first responders are aware of the dangers of HAZMAT in our facility. With the requirement of GHS now in full effect, should those labels be removed and replaced with GHS placards?

Chemical Safety Board Announces Strategic Plan

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent federal agency that investigates serious chemical incidents, has announced an updated mission that will guide its activities going forward. Keep reading for details.

Using Lagging Metrics for PSM Compliance

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is suggesting that you use metrics to analyze and improve your Process Safety Management (PSM) program. Let’s see if some of these ideas will work for you. Today we will look at OSHA’s suggestions for using lagging metrics, and tomorrow we will review how leading metrics can help […]

Conducting a PSM Compliance Audit

Yesterday we looked at steps to take when planning the triennial audit required by the Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard. Today, let’s take a look at the audit itself.

Planning for a PSM Compliance Audit

When was your last process safety compliance audit? If you are subject to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Process Safety Management (PSM) of Highly Hazardous Chemicals standard (29 CFR 1910.119), you’re required to conduct a program compliance audit every 3 years. If you’re due—or if you can’t remember when you conducted your last […]

Huge Fines for Messing with Ammonia Exposure

Both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are focusing on ammonia. Today we will reflect on lessons learned from recent enforcement actions by the agencies. Tomorrow we will review EPA’s new risk assessment for ammonia.

PHMSA and OSHA Clarify Requirements for Labeling Hazardous Chemicals for Bulk Shipments

On September 19, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a joint guidance memorandum clarifying the applicability of their respective requirements for labeling hazardous chemicals.

Q&A: Eyewash Station

Recently, a subscriber asked the following question: We are in a medical clinic setting and have a question about our eyewash stations. We currently have the bottles with saline flush system. We are wondering if we need to upgrade those to the faucet system. Where do we find these guidelines?

Q&A: CAS Numbers for Silica Rule

Recently, a subscriber asked the following question: Where can I find a list of all CAS numbers that correspond to the final ruling on crystalline silica for general industry? I notice new exposure levels are talked about but not linked to a chemical/CAS number.