Training programs HAZCOM

The company may wish to review their HazCom training program. 

The written HazCom program must include information on container labeling, collection and availability of SDSs, and the employee training program. It also must contain a list of the hazardous chemicals, the means the employer will use to inform employees of the hazards of non-routine tasks (e.g., the cleaning of reactor vessels), and the hazards associated with chemicals in unlabeled pipes. 

The most important element of the entire right-to-know program is employee training and education. In the processing industry all employees—operators, analyzer and instrument technicians, and maintenance personnel—are at risk from hazardous chemicals. Employers are required by the HAZCOM standard to provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area. The employee training section should contain a synopsis of the educational program. It should provide a description of how the company intends to train its employees about routine hazards and hazards created by non-routine tasks. 

OSHA issued its HAZCOM standard to address the assessment and communication of chemical hazards in the workplace. This standard has often been referred to as the worker s right to know standard. This standard is intended to help protect employee safety and health in work sites where chemicals are used or present. There is no list of hazardous chemicals. Instead, OSHA has defined two categories of hazardous materials health hazards and physical hazards. If a material meets one of OSHA s definitions, it is considered a hazardous chemical. Every company which uses hazardous chemicals, must have a written hazard communication program. This program must be available to employees, and be provided to OSHA upon request. The most important element of the entire right-to-know program is employee training and education. 

You must instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions. While diesel exhaust emissions per se are not covered by the Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard, 1910.1200, diesel fuel is. Any known hazards associated with diesel fuel must be found on the safety data sheet (SDS), and full application of HazCom program, including training, is required. This includes the hazards associated with fuel combustion. Finally, employees who will be using respirators must also be provided training on how to use, clean, and store respirators. 

You must include respirable crystalline silica in your Hazard Communication (HazCom) Program. Your employees must be trained on silica and silica hazards in accordance with the HazCom Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. Make sure you cover the following health hazards of silica cancer, lung effects, immune system effects, and kidney effects. 

A fundamental principle of the chemical hazard communication (HAZCOM) program is that informed people are less likely to be injured by chemicals and chemical processes than uninformed people. According to the standard, all of the chemical inventories and processes within a chemical plant or refinery must be evaluated for potential hazards and risks. Where a risk is found, essential information and training are required for all people affected. A chemical HAZCOM program is composed of two essential parts the written program (which addresses chemical manufacturers) and employee training (Figure 3-3). 

A fundamental principle of the chemical hazard communication (HAZCOM) program is that informed people are less likely to be injured by chemicals and chemical processes than uninformed people. A chemical hazard communication program is composed of both information and training. 

A written HazCom program helps employers to inform and train their employees properly and to design and put in place employee protection programs. It also provides necessary hazard information to employees so that they can participate in, and support, the protective measures in place at their workplaces. 

HazCom, along with a video to illustrate the scope of the law, is necessary in training en loyees. The written program for HazCom should be discussed along with a description of material safety data sheets (MSDS). When the training is con leted, employees must be shown die location of the written program and the MSDS. 

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