Chemical Hazards Hazardous Materials Identification System Under the Hazard Communication Standard put forth by OSHA, virtually all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace are required to have labels that indicate the type and level of the potential hazard. The warning labels used to identify chemical hazards have a universal color and numbering system. They also utilize a letter designating what type of personal protective equipment is needed. This makes it easier for you to tell what type and level of hazard you are dealing with. Colors are used to show the specific kind of hazard, and numbers within the colors are used...

Hazards Of Solvents We use solvents practically every day in our lives. At work, we may use or be exposed to solvents when we come in contact with paints, coatings while using dip tanks, thinners, degreasers, cleaners, glues or mastics. As a result of this widespread usage, it is important to know some of the hazards that are associated with the group of chemicals, generally called "solvents." For practical purposes, a solvent is simply a liquid capable of dissolving specific solids or liquids. As you know, there are solvents that we use daily that are hazardous. Petroleum-based solvents are the most common...

Hazcom vs. Hazmat vs. Hazardous Waste What Is The Difference????? AT LAST REPORT there were 213,000 chemicals and chemical compounds being used in this country. And each year thousands of new chemical compounds are produced and become part of our lives at home and at work. Nearly 1.5 billion tons of hazardous materials are transported annually in the U.S., over the road or by rail, aircraft or vessel. A lot of these products improve our lives, but many are harmful to our health and to the environment. The trouble is, these substances become so common to us, we are in danger of...

A review of the Hazard Communication Standard The purpose of a Hazard Communication Program is to help employees understand the potential hazards of the chemicals in use at their worksite. This education, required by the Occupational Safety & Health Act, is also called Workers' Right To Know. Failure to meet all the requirements of the law is OSHA's most frequently cited violation. One of the reasons for this is, many employers, supervisors and workers think chemicals are just too complex to explain and to understand. As a result, there is a temptation to avoid the subject. Hazard Communication is very important,...

Establishing A Hazard Communication Program Every day at workplaces, employees work with or are incidentally exposed to hazardous substances that can harm their health or cause other safety hazards. In response to this reality, OSHA enacted the Hazard Communication standard. The standard requires that every workplace, which has or uses hazardous substances, must have a written and effectively implemented Hazard Communication Program that specifically addresses the potential hazards found at that particular site. The program must be accessible to employees (or their representatives) and to OSHA. Whatever the size of the facility or number of hazardous substances, it is essential that both...

GHS - Classification and Labeling of Chemicals If you currently work in a workplace that uses hazardous chemicals governed by a Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) Program, there are changes to the standard you need to be aware of. In March 2012, the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration updated its HAZCOM standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) to align with the GHS - Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. The major changes to the standard are: - Hazard classification: Provides specific criteria for the classification of health and physical hazards, as well as classification of mixtures. - Labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers will be required...

Transitioning to Safer Chemicals American workers use tens of thousands of chemicals every day. While many of these chemicals are suspected of being harmful, only a small number are regulated in the workplace. As a result, workers suffer more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths annually related to chemical exposures. Workplace chemical exposures have been linked to cancers, and other lung, kidney, skin, heart, stomach, brain, nerve, and reproductive diseases. Establishing a chemical management system that goes beyond simply complying with OSHA standards and strives to reduce or eliminate chemical hazards at the source through informed substitution best protects workers. Transitioning to safer alternatives...