FEBRUARY CORE REFRESHER HSE TOOL BOX HAZARD COMMUNICATION (HAZCOM) THE RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAW The Hazard Communication Standard is sometimes called the Right to Know Law because it guarantees the right to know about the hazardous chemicals in your workplace. RESPONSIBILITY OF EMPLOYERS The HazCom Standard focuses on five main areas: 1. Identifying hazardous materials employers must identify all hazardous materials in the workplace 2. Product warning labels all HazMat must be labeled and employers must create a chemical inventory list 3. MSDS s employers must obtain an up-to-date MSDS for each hazardous material; the container label should always match the MSDS for the chemical exactly 4. Written hazard communication program - workers protected by adopting appropriate controls 5. Employee training employers must make sure that all workers receive the information and training they need to do their job safely Note: Tell employees who is in charge of the company s Hazard Communication program. RESPONSIBILITY OF WORKERS Workers must: Read and follow instructions on warning labels and the MSDS Use PPE properly Follow safe work practices HAZARDS The Hazard Communication Standard applies to hazardous chemicals as defined by OSHA. The definition of a hazardous chemical is very broad and includes most chemicals in the workplace. OSHA divides hazardous chemicals into two categories, physical and health hazards: PHYSICAL HAZARDS combustible liquid compressed gas corrosive explosive aerosol, flammable gas, flammable liquid, flammable solid, flammable organic peroxide oxidizer pyrophoric unstable (reactive) water-reactive HEALTH HAZARDS carcinogen highly toxic irritant sensitizer toxic hepatotoxins nephrotoxins neurotoxins: agents which act on the blood or hematopoietic system agents which damage the lung reproductive toxins cutaneous hazards eye hazards
PRODUCT WARNING LABELS Warning labels are required on hazardous material containers. The label must contain at least the product name (same as MSDS) and all the physical and health hazards. Symbolic labels may be used to identify physical and health hazards. NFPA LABEL The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 704 Label is the most common symbolic labeling system. Red - Fire Hazard Blue - Health Hazard Yellow Reactivity Hazard White - Special Hazard The numbers 0" through 4" are used to identify the relative degree of the hazard. The number 0" indicates no hazard; the number 4" indicates a high hazard. HMIS LABEL The HMIS (Hazardous Material Information System) label is another common symbolic labeling system. The HMIS label is very similar to the NFPA label. The major difference is that in the white segment letters are used, which indicate different types of PPE. The letters must be decoded using a reference chart. Note: Inform employees which labeling system the company uses. Read labels carefully before using a chemical. As a general rule, don t use chemicals from unlabeled containers! Chemicals in unlabeled containers should not be used unless it is a small quantity to be used immediately. Note: Inform employees how to identify the contents of piping in the workplace. MSDS The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) gives detailed information about the hazards of a specific material and how to control them. A MSDS must be available to workers for all hazardous chemicals in the work area. Certain information is required on a MSDS: The common name and chemical name Name, address, and phone number of the manufacturer Emergency phone numbers Date the form was issued Hazardous ingredients meeting OSHA s definition of a physical or health hazard Safe exposure limits Physical information Fire and explosion information
Dangers from chemical reactions Measures to control hazards Information about health hazards How to deal with spills and leaks Make sure you read the MSDS before you use a chemical. The MSDS s relevant to a jobsite must be kept near at hand, easily accessible to employees in the work area containing the chemicals. EXPOSURE DEFINITIONS Generally, PEL s and TLV-TWA s indicate average amounts you can safely be exposed to for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. PEL - Permissible Exposure Limit is an exposure limit established by OSHA's regulatory authority. It may be a Time Weighted Average (TWA) limit or a maximum concentration exposure limit. TWA - Time Weighted Average exposure is the airborne concentration of a material to which a person is exposed, averaged over the total exposure time generally the total workday (8 to 12 hours) TLV - Threshold Limit Value is a term used by ACGIH to express the airborne concentration of material to which nearly all persons can be exposed day after day without adverse effects; often expressed as TLV- TWA UEL or UFL - Upper Explosive Limit or Upper Flammable Limit of a vapor or gas; the highest concentration (Highest percentage of the substance in air) that will produce a flash of fire when an ignition source (heat, arc, or flame) is present. At higher concentrations, the mixture is too "rich" to burn LEL or LFL - Lower Explosive Limit or Lower Flammable Limit, of a vapor or gas; the lowest concentration (lowest percentage of the substance in air) that will produce a flash of fire when an ignition source (heat, arc, or flame) is present. At concentrations lower than LEL, the mixture is too "lean" to burn WRITTEN HAZARD COMMUNICATION PROGRAM Your employer is required to have a written HazCom plan that describes how they intend to comply with the OSHA regulation. The written HazCom plan must contain a current chemical inventory. If you bring a new chemical to a facility, let the person in charge of the HazCom program know so that it can be added to the chemical inventory. EMPLOYEE TRAINING The training you have just received is generic HazCom training. You must attend a supplemental briefing by your employer to complete this training. The training will answer questions specific to your company s HazCom program, such as: Who is in charge of the HazCom program? Where are MSDS s kept? How are you informed of hazards associated with non-routine tasks? How are the contents of piping identified? Which labeling system does the company use? NOTE: REVIEW SAMPLE MSDS OF A COMMON CHEMICAL USED ON LOCATION
FEBRUARY - CORE REFRESHER SAFETY MEETING EMPLOYEE NAME (PRINT) : DATE: COMPANY NAME: EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE: MEETING GIVEN BY: 1. Your employer must provide training concerning the location of MSDS s in the workplace. 2. Examples of some chemical types with potential for creating physical hazards are those which are: A. Oxidizers B. Corrosives C. Explosives 3. In the NFPA and HMIS labeling system the color indicates a health hazard. A. Blue B. Red C. White D. Yellow 4. The is the average amount of a chemical that a worker can be safely exposed to eight hours a day, five days a week. A. MSDS B. PEL C. HMIS D. None of the above 5. MSDS s are required to contain certain information including: A. Emergency phone numbers B. Safe exposure limits C. Manufacturer s contact info 6. Employee responsibilities concerning HAZCOM are: A. Read and follow instructions on warning labels and the MSDS B. Use PPE properly C. Follow safe work practices 7. Work locations are not required to keep a current list of chemicals store on site. 8. LEL stands for Lower Explosive Limit 9. Prior to using a chemical you should: A. Pour the chemical in a container B. Obtain and read the MSDS for the chemical being used C. Open the container to make sure it is the right chemical D. Use it even thought you are sure not what it is 10. It is okay to use a chemical in an un-labeled container:
Date: Sign-In Sheet for Safe Operations Meeting Conducted By: Means to Verify Understanding: Quiz Q & A - Group Discussion Hands On Demo Safety Topic(s) Covered: PEC Core Refresher 2 - HAZCOM 1. Name ( p r I n t ) Signature Employee # or Last 4 digits of SS # 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.