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Do you have hazardous chemicals in your workplace? If you think the answer is no, are you sure? Let’s start with a definition! OSHA defines a hazardous chemical as one that presents either a physical or a health hazard. Many common and readily available products such as paints, cleaners, and other materials found in the workplace meet this definition. In fact, last year OSHA issued over 6,300 violations to companies that failed to comply with this standard. Learn more about your Right-to-Know! Both OSHA and the EPA seemed to have recently awoken from their regulatory slumber. OSHA has announced its first major rulemaking during the Obama administration with a proposed change to the agency’s Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard. The existing OSHA HazCom Standard provides workers with the right to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed to while working, as well as the measures they can take to protect themselves. This standard was originally Top Ten Things You Need to Know about the Chemical Hygiene Standard 1. The OSHA Standard for regulating safety in research and development laboratories is: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.1450). The standard does not apply to production or QA/QC labs (see definition in #9). 2. The employer must develop and maintain a Chemical Hygiene Plan for each lab 3. The employer must designate a Chemical Hygiene Officer (an individual or group of individuals responsible for 1. Is the material hazardous? This can be determined by looking at the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or the label. 2. Does the Department of Transportation consider the material a hazardous material for transportation? Check the Hazardous Material Table (HMT) found in 49 CFR 172.101. 3. Is the material listed by name in the HMT? If so, that would be the proper shipping name. 4. Is the material not listed by name in the HMT but is a OSHA has unveiled its latest National Emphasis Program (NEP), the Process Safety Management (PSM) Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program. This program targets workplaces that could potentially release highly hazardous chemicals by evaluating their compliance of the PSM standard (29 CFR 1910.119). The only NAICS that has been excluded is 32411 (Petroleum refineries), which has been covered by the Petroleum Refinery Process Safety Management NEP. The PSM Covered Chemical Facilities NEP will be used for programmed inspections at The Importance of Following OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200 In their attempts to increase workplace efficiency, employers and employees alike sometimes forget about a few basic safety requirements. Most commonly overlooked is OSHA’s Hazardous Communication (HAZCOM) standard which requires employers to provide employees with information “concerning chemical hazards and the appropriate protective measures for safe handling practices”. HazCom is an important part of work place safety because it provides employees with the basic |
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