Category: Chemicals

What do you do with hazardous chemicals for which OSHA has not designated a permissible exposure limit? Absent a PEL, you need other guidelines to protect employee health. But what are they? When there is no specific regulation concerning a hazard, the general duty clause kicks in. But it merely states that employers must “furnish […]

Yesterday, we reviewed a study that revealed some disturbing news about workers’ perceptions concerning chemical safety in the workplace. Today, we suggest 7 simple steps for correcting the hazard communication deficiencies highlighted by the study. To ensure more effective hazard communication: 1.   Train supervisors and safety personnel to communicate hazard information and safety procedures effectively. […]

According to a new study, workplace hazard communication might not always be as effectively as we’d like to believe. New research from Belgium has made some very important (some might even say alarming) findings about chemical safety in the workplace. The study, entitled “Workers’ Perception of Chemical Risks: A Focus Group Study,” was published in […]

What you are about to read is the story of an actual hazardous substance accident inspected and documented by OSHA. This story highlights the importance of 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 […]

Got a few minutes to test your knowledge of HazCom requirements? Answer the questions below and then check your responses. Employers have four basic duties under the Hazard Communication standard. What are they? When must employees receive HazCom training? Who is responsible for training temps? The HazCom standard identifies four basic components that must be […]

Cleanup procedures for chemical spills depend on the size of the spill and the risks. Make sure employees understand cleanup rules. Even small spills of highly toxic or flammable substances can be hazardous. Large spills can cause serious injuries to employees and damage to your facility as well as have an environmental impact. Cleanup should […]

Even in small amounts, chemical spills and leaks can be dangerous. Train employees to respond quickly and effectively. Although there is no specific training requirement for general employee response to the accidental spill or leak of potentially hazardous chemicals, there are specific training requirements for workers who: Handle certain specified hazardous substances such as formaldehyde, […]

This week is Poison Prevention Week, which makes it the perfect occasion to hold a safety meeting on preventing poisoning on the job and at home. Unprotected exposure to many substances found in the workplace and in the home can lead to poisoning. What’s more it isn’t all that hard to be exposed, since these […]

Any time employees are working with hazardous materials, there is a risk of exposure. To prevent exposures, emphasize 5 key protective measures. 1. Knowledge Employees need to pay attention to safety training and apply what they learn on the job. When they come to a training session or safety meeting, they should be prepared to […]

HazCom featured in third place on OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2010. Two big HazCom issues are labels and MSDSs. Every year HazCom features somewhere on OSHA’s top 10 list. Violations can have a significant impact on employee safety, and citations can be costly. Many of the 7,000 HazCom violations cited this year were serious, […]