Reducing Exposure to Chemical Hazards at Work

According to David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “More than 32 million workers are exposed to 650,000 hazardous chemical products in American workplaces.” For this reason, the OSHA is continuing their Alliance with the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC). As an HR professional, knowing about this alliance and complying with all workplace safety guidelines is essential to helping to keep your employees safe. 

Goals of the Alliance
The Alliance between the OSHS and the SCHC will continue for two years. Goals intended to promote best practices in the workplace include:

• Reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace
• Addressing hazard communication
• Reducing occupational illnesses and injuries due to chemical exposure
• Increasing awareness of GHS – the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

These goals will help employees know what chemical hazards are in the workplace so they may avoid exposure to them. The Alliance will also disseminate information on labeling, safety measures, compliant labeling, and other best practices though Webinars, meetings, and national conferences on health and safety.

Your Role in Chemical Safety
OSHA helps ensure chemical safety in the workplace by developing and enforcing regulations, and offering training, assistance, and education. However, ultimately the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 places responsibility on the employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their employees.  HR professionals should visit the Hazard Communication Web page for OSHA to learn the most recent revisions to standards, safety labels, and data sheets. The Hazard Communication Standard makes information available about identifying chemicals and their hazards. This includes:

• Requirements for chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate possible hazards
• Development of Material Safety Data Sheets and labels that are compliant with regulations
• Requirements of employers to ensure that all chemicals have the proper labels and Material Safety Data Sheets
• Requirement of employers to train workers in the proper handling of chemicals

Complying with all OSHA requirements and guidelines helps to keep your employees safe and helps to ensure you are in compliance with the law and safe from liability if an injury or incident occurs.