CCRI Biology Hazard Communications Your “Right to Know” Resource: Oklahoma State University

RHODE ISLAND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE RIGHT-TO-KNOW-ACT, CHAPTER The Right-To-Know Act, administered by the Rhode Island Department of Labor is designed to protect employees who may be exposed to one or more of 1100 hazardous chemicals on the "State of Rhode Island Hazardous Substance List". All CCRI employees who may be exposed to any chemicals stored and used in the College buildings are covered by this law. Posters around the College inform you of your rights under the law. Copies of the Law itself, Chapter 28-21, and the State of Rhode Island Hazardous Substance List are on reserve in the Learning Resource Centers of all three campuses.

Hazard Communications Compliance: The Four Part Program  Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)/Chemical Inventory  Labeling and Marking Systems  Employee Training  Written Plan

Hazard Communications Material Safety Data Sheets

Hazard Communications Material Safety Data Sheets Company Information Hazardous Ingredients Physical Data Fire and Explosion Data Health Hazard Data Reactivity Data Spill & Leak Procedures Special Protection Information Special Precautions

MSDSs: Your Rights 1. An MSDS for every hazardous substance used as part of your job must be available to you the entire time you are in the workplace. 2. If you request to see a copy of an MSDS for a product you use, and it cannot be provided to you after 3 working days, you may refuse to use that product or work in an area where it is being used. Hazard Communications

Labeling and Marking Systems

Hazard Communications Labeling and Marking Systems  NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Diamonds  HMIS Labels (Hazardous Materials Identification System)  Uniform Laboratory Hazard Signage System

Labeling and Marking Systems: NFPA Diamonds  Color coded, numerical rating system  Should be near main entrances, fire alarm panels, or on outside entrance doors  Provide at-a-glance hazard information

Labeling and Marking Systems NFPA Diamonds  Blue = Health  Red = Flammability  Yellow = Instability  White = Special hazard information

Labeling and Marking Systems NFPA Diamonds  4= Deadly Hazard  3= Severe Hazard  2= Moderate Hazard  1= Slight Hazard  0= No Hazard

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

Labeling and Marking Systems HMIS Labels  Blue = Health  Red = Flammability  Yellow = Instability  White = Personal Protective Equipment or special protection information  Numerical Rating of 0-4

Labeling and Marking Systems HMIS Labels  You should never have any unattended, unlabeled containers in your workplace!

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

Labeling and Marking Systems Uniform Laboratory Signage  Always check with the appropriate personnel (lab manager, chemical hygiene officer, etc.) before performing work or maintenance in a laboratory!

Hazard Communications Employee Training

In order to comply with the Rhode Island Hazardous Substance Right-to-Know Act (Chapter 28-21), CCRI offers its employees training sessions which are available on videotape at each campus Library. All new employees, within 30 days after their first day of employment, must view these Hazardous Materials Right-to-Know videos. Employees must sign at the audiovisual desk so that the College will have a record of participation, which is required by law. Training must be repeated annually and whenever a new hazard is introduced.

Employee Training  The training covers:  Requirements of regulations  Location and availability of MSDSs  Hazardous chemicals used in the workplace  Method to detect release  Physical and health hazards  Measures for personal protection  Details and location of Chemical Hygiene Plan

Hazard Communications The Written Plan

1. MSDS Management and Accessibility The Community College of Rhode Island has a comprehensive program, administered by the Department of Security and Safety and Campus Police, for managing its hazardous substance inventory and material safety data sheet (MSDS) file. The MSDS management program may be accessed from CCRI's Environmental and Safety web page. MSDSs are available to any employee who wants to learn about a particular substance. MSDS files are maintained at each workplace for your perusal. A copy of each MSDS is placed in a wall-mounted MSDS station in the vicinity of the room in which substances are stored or used. The MSDS station is intended for the use of emergency fire and medical responders. MSDSs should never be removed from these wall stations by anyone else. Anyone at CCRI may obtain an MSDS hard copy for any room or area by calling call the Department of Security and Safety and Campus Police. Anyone at the College or any outside interested party such as a fire department representative or private citizen may access MSDS pro ( and search the database for CCRI's Hazardous Substance Inventory and MSDS file. The program allows you to search for all hazardous materials currently in use or used in the past at CCRI by substance name or by location at each of CCRI's three sites, the Flanagan Campus (Lincoln) the Knight Campus (Warwick) or the Liston Campus (Providence). MSDS prohttp:// :

2. Chemical Inventory  Once every year, in compliance with Rhode Island Chapter 28-21, the Rhode Island Hazardous Substance Right-To-Know Act, a request goes to each CCRI department for an updated list of its hazardous substances. The hazardous substance inventory for that department is updated by the Department of Security and Safety and Campus Police and the MSDSs are entered into the College's database. Questions about updating the department's inventory should be referred to the Department of Security and Safety and Campus Police at  A paper copy of the inventory is placed in the wall-mounted MSDS station in the vicinity of the room in which the substances are stored or used. The MSDS station is intended for the use of emergency fire and medical responders. Informative materials should never be removed from these wall stations by anyone else.  In accordance with Rhode Island Chapter 28-21, an updated hard copy of the hazardous substance inventory is sent yearly to the local (Lincoln, Providence, Warwick) fire department that serves each campus.  Anyone at the College or any outside interested party such as a fire department representative or private citizen may access MSDS pro ( and search the database for CCRI's Hazardous Substance Inventory and MSDS file. The program allows you to search for all hazardous materials currently in use or used in the past at CCRI by substance name or by location at each of CCRI's three sites, the Flanagan Campus (Lincoln) the Knight Campus (Warwick) or the Liston Campus (Providence).MSDS prohttp://

3. EMPLOYEE TRAINING CCRI personnel who used hazardous substances are trained yearly to recognize chemical hazards in their workplaces and how to read and interpret Material Safety Data Sheets.

Hazard Communications BE SAFE, NOT SORRY!

Exposure If you are exposed to a hazardous substance at work, File an Incident Report with College Security and send a copy to the Chemical Safety Coordinator.

?????Questions????? Contact:Rick Foote, Outsourcing Program Director Triumvirate Environmental ph: / or Chris Swartzel, Field Chemist Triumvirate Environmental ph: /