Hazard Communication Your Right to Know

What is Hazard Communication OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200 – “Right to Know” went into effect in November 1985 The purpose of Haz-Com is to communicate hazards associated with the workplace to employees. Employees have a Right to Know about the hazards in their work area and the potential effects of these hazards upon health and safety

Material Safety Data Sheets Hazardous Communications

MSDS Sections: Identification of chemical Hazardous Ingredients Physical Data Fire and Explosion Data Health Hazard Data Reactivity Data Personal Protection Equipment Spill & Leak Procedures Handling & Storage

Information included in MSDS sections Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), Threshold Limit Value (TLV), other exposure limits Whether a chemical in a carcinogen Precautions to take for safe handling/use Recommended engineering controls. Emergency first aid procedures Date of preparation Name, address, phone number of manufacturer, importer, responsible party

MSDS Requirements Mohave Community College must have a MSDS for every hazardous substance an employee uses as part of the job. MSDSs must be available to an employee the entire time they are in the workplace.

MSDS Requirements If an employee requests a copy of an MSDS for a product he/she uses, and MCC cannot provide it after one working day, the employee may refuse to use that product or work in an area where the product is being used. If an employee requests a personal copy of an MSDS, MCC has 15 days to provide it.

Labeling & Marking Systems Hazardous Communications

Labeling & Marking Systems The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard requires that ALL hazardous materials be labeled. Labels must appear either on the container itself, the batch ticket, placard or the process sheets. Hazardous chemicals in portable containers which are for the immediate use of the employee who performs the transfer is the exception to this rule.

Labeling and Marking Systems Labels warn of potential dangers Labels are not intended to be the sole source of information Labels serve as an immediate warning Types of Labels NFPA Diamonds HMIS Labels Uniform Laboratory Hazard Signage System

NFPA Diamonds Color coded, numerical system Will be located near main entrances, fire alarm panels, or on outside entrance doors Provides at-a-glance hazard information

NFPA Diamonds Blue = Health Red = Flammability Yellow = Instability White = Special hazard information

NFPA Diamonds 4 = Deadly Hazard 3 = Severe Hazard 2 = Moderate Hazard 1 = Slight Hazard 0 = No Hazard

HMIS Label Designed to go on individual containers of products that don’t have the manufacturer’s labels Same color code/ numerical rating system as the NFPA diamonds

HMIS Label Blue = Health Red = Flammability Yellow = Instability White = Personal protective equipment or special protection information Numerical Rating of 0- 4

Uniform Laboratory Signage Located on laboratory and chemical storage area doors Pictographs depict worst hazards present in lab or area

Remember! You should never have any unattended, unlabeled containers in your workplace! Always check with the appropriate personnel (lab manager, etc) before performing any work on maintenance in a laboratory!

Health Hazards Hazard Communications

Health Hazards include… Any chemical that may be harmful to your health is called a health hazard. Health hazards include: Corrosives – cause tissue damage and burns on contact with skin and eyes Primary Irritants – cause intense redness or swelling of the skin or eyes on contact, but with no permanent damage Sensitizers – cause an allergic skin or lung reaction

Health Hazards include… Acutely Toxic Materials – cause an adverse effect even at a very low dose Carcinogens – may cause cancer Teratogens – may cause birth defects Organ Specific Hazards – may cause damage to specific organ systems, such as the blood, liver, lungs, or reproductive system

Routes of Exposure Absorption – skin & eyes Ingestion – direct & indirect Inhalation Injection

Physical Hazards Hazard Communications

Physical Hazards Physical hazards are those hazards which threaten your physical safety

Physical hazards include any chemical that is: Combustible liquid Compressed gas Explosive Flammable Organic peroxide Oxidizer Unstable (reactive)

Physical hazards also include… Heat stress Cold stress Lasers Hand-arm vibrations Ionizing Radiation Noise Radio Waves Ultraviolet radiation

Protective Measures Hazard Communications

Protective Measures Engineering Controls – well designed work areas minimize exposure to materials which are hazardous (ie exhaust systems and wetting systems to control dust) Work Practices – Safe work practices will insure that chemicals are used correctly and safely Product Substitution – Because many chemicals do similar jobs, it is important to select chemicals that do a good job, while being less toxic Personal Protective Equipment – Respirators, eye protection, gloves, aprons, and other protective equipment and clothing are designed to protect employees while working – USE THEM!

What now? Hazard Communications

What now? Know the location and availability of hazard communication program, chemical and physical hazard inventory and MSDS files. Know what protective measures (PPE) you will need when dealing with hazards Speak with your supervisor about chemical specific and site specific Haz-Com training

What now? Knowing how to work safely with chemicals and other physical hazards is an important activity. This is the reason for the online training, site specific training, materials inventory and MSDS You have a right to know, but you also have a responsibility to use the knowledge and skills to work safely!

Thank You!