What’s So Important About HazCom Training?

Aside from compliance with OSHA’s hazard communication standard (29 CFR 1901.1200), HazCom training is essential because it prevents accidents, like this one:

An employee was removing a box labeled “corrosive” from a shelf when the box slipped and fell to the floor. The box contained eight one-gallon plastic containers of 98 percent sulfuric acid.

Prior to this activity, the worker had received no awareness training in hazardous substances, nor had his supervisor discussed the hazards of this particular substance or of the handling precautions required to prevent accidents.

As the employee was lowering the box, two of the one-gallon containers fell out and acid splashed the employee. He suffered burns to his neck and legs and was taken to the hospital where he was treated and released the same day.

This worker was lucky. Had the acid splashed on his face or in his eyes, the injuries could have been much or serious. He might even have been permanently blinded.

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What Went Wrong Here?

Let’s start with the acid manufacturer. The manufacturer had apparently done its job and provided hazard information because the containers were properly labeled. Somewhere in the workplace there was probably also an MSDS for sulfuric acid. So you can’t blame the manufacturer.

Blame the employee? He obviously hadn’t read the label or looked at the MSDS. But this worker wasn’t careless; he was ignorant. He wasn’t aware of the hazards, and he hadn’t been trained to use the required safe work practices to prevent such an accident. He probably didn’t even know what an MSDS was or where to find one.

So you really can’t blame the employee. Had he known he was handling a dangerous substance, and had he known how to find the safety information he needed to work safely, he probably would have taken better precautions.

So who’s really to blame for this accident? The employer, which had fallen far short of OSHA’s hazard communication requirements. Had the employer complied with HazCom training requirements, this accident and injury could have been prevented.

And that’s why HazCom training is so important.

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Instant HazCom Training

If you’ve been looking for quality HazCom training to prevent accidents and injuries like the ones we’ve just described, look no farther. Safety Training Presentation gets you off to a good start with an engaging PowerPoint® presentation that covers all the basics.

And HazCom training is only one of the topics available in this power-packed safety training resource. When you purchase Safety Training Presentation, you get a total of 25 core PowerPoint safety presentations, each one responsive to either an OSHA training requirement or to common causes of workplace accidents. All are customizable, so you can add your specific hazards or safety policies.

Each lesson also includes completion certificates, sign-in sheets, evaluation forms, and training records. In short, it contains everything you need to motivate, reinforce, retain, and transfer new knowledge—and document that you did so.

In addition to HazCom Training, Safety Training Presentation topics covered include:

• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Back Safety
• Emergency Action
• Ergonomics
• Fire Prevention
• PPE
• Welding/Cutting/Brazing
• Portable Power Tool Safety
• Scaffolds
• Lockout/Tagout
• Forklift Operator Safety
• Confined Space Safety
• Fall Protection
• Respiratory Protection
• and more!

Of course, training needs change as OSHA introduces new requirements or as new work practices and technologies bring new hazards. To cover this, you receive a new CD every 90 days you’re in the program, each containing five additional or updated topics.

Just as important for those on a budget (and who isn’t these days?), the cost of these presentations works out to under $20 each.

We’ve arranged for Advisor subscribers to get a no-cost, no-obligation look at Safety Training Presentations for 30 days. Feel free to try a few lessons with your own trainees. Please let us know, and we’ll be glad to set it up.

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