What Is Hazard Communication

In 1983 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed the Hazard Communication Standard 

The HazCom standard is often called the Right-to-Know law or HazCom. 

The HazCom standard is based on a simple idea — that you, as an employee, have both a right and a need to know  

Most chemicals used in the workplace have some hazard potential and so are covered by the rule. 

All employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must  

---

With this knowledge on hazards, efforts wUl be made to find what is hazard analysis Hazard analysis uncovers the hazards that exist in the workplace (in this case, industrial plant) focusing on the system or project. As discussed previously, in hazard analysis, risk based decisions are taken to develop means to quantify, track, develop mitigation means, and control hazards, foUow up action, verify effectiveness, and communicate. However at first it is necessary to define risk, so in the next clause same is discussed. 

An important and difficult task is concisely translating your requirements into study objectives. For example, if you need to decide between two methods of storing a hazardous chemical in a plant, the analysis objective should precisely define that what is needed is the relative difference between the methods, not the more general I want to know the risk of these two storage methods. And asking your QRA team for more than is necessary to satisfy your particular need is counterproductive and may create unnecessary liabilities. For any QRA to efficiently produce the necessary types of results, you must clearly communicate your requirements... 

To prepare, look at your hazard vulnerahilities, look through worst case scenario eyes, and look at your emergency plans. Ask what liabilities do you have in the community you serve and what assets are available. Think about your staff and their need to care for their families. Do your plans address families Think about an incident management system and what is necessary for prolonged events. Look at your plans—do they address your entire organization ... 

The needs of the intended target audience influence what label components are used. In transport , for example, the label, placard, and transport documents are all used. In the workplace , the label is one element of a multicomponent system of chemical hazard communication, the other elements being the MSDS and training. In communicating the potential hazard of consumer products , the label plays the major role in providing the user with information about all the potential health, environmental, and physical hazards of the product and advice on using the product safely. 

The modern industrial worksite can be a noisy place. This poses two safety and health related problems. First, there is the problem of distraction. Any operation that requires oral communication will suffer from a noisy environment. Interference with communications can create misunderstandings about information transmitted from one person to another. When such communications relate to hazardous activities, any misunderstandings can lead to accidents. Second, there is the problem of hearing loss. Exposure to noise that exceeds prescribed levels can result in permanent hearing loss. Occupational exposure to loud sounds is the most common cause of what is often called noise-induced hearing loss. 

The Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) is performance-based, not specification-based. Performance-based standards are very flexible. They tell you what you have to accomplish and you decide how to do it. Except for a few minor things like ensuring that shipped containers have labels in English, OSHA doesn t care how you meet the goals of the hazard communication standard as long as you meet them. 

One out of every four workers contacts hazardous chemicals on the job. As a construction worker, you have a need and a right to know the chemicals to which you are exposed, their hazards, and how to protect yourself when working. This simple concept is the basis of the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). Labeling is the part of HazCom that requires a label on containers so that you are alerted to the fact that a potential hazard exists. Because labels are right on a container, in most cases, you can immediately find out what the chemical s hazards are. The label s message about the hazards is the hazard warning label. Take a look at a hazardous chemical container in your facility, it should have a label. This label should have the following minimum information ... 

J. J. KELLER S CONSTRUCTION TOOLBOX TALKS Hazard Communication — What Is GHS ... 

Hazard Communication — What Is GHS Hazard Communication — GHS Overview Hazard Communication — Container Labels Hazard Communication — Container Labels Alternate Hazard Communication — Outer Container Labels Hazard Communication — GHS Pictograms Hazard Communication—Health Hazards Hazard Communication—Safety Data Sheets Hazard Communication — Safety Data Sheets Alternate Hazard Communication—Other Hazards Hazard Communication—Physical Hazards Hazard Communication— Written Program Occupational Health — Carcinogens Occupational Health — Diesel Exhaust Occupational Health — Silicosis Safety Health Program Management — Employee Exposure and Medical Records... 

An accurate chemical inventory is the foundation for your overall chemical management initiatives. It will ensure that there are no cracks in your foundation, which should be built on an understanding of what chemicals you have on site and where they re located. Understanding the entry points for chenticals is also critical. Without it, aU downstream processes for hazard communication, regulatory reporting, and even internal sustainability initiatives will suffer. 

The most common required program is the Hazard Communication Program (CFR 1910.1200). Nearly every company has hazardous materials on their premises and, therefore, needs a HAZCOM program. The question arises as to what is a hazardous material. If you can t safely wash your eyes with it, consider it hazardous. The standard is obviously more technical, giving the employer exceptions. The most common exception is that if the material used is only maintained in household quantities, it does not have to meet all the requirements of the standard. For most hazardous materials, which usually come in the form of chemicals, a few basic requirements exist. The Hazard Communication program is more thoroughly discussed in chapter 15 dealing with hazardous materials. 

What is frequently as important as the safety of the system is that it should be properly communicated to those who should be using it. For lower-risk activities, verbal communication may be adequate, but where the hazard or risk is high and the safety of the operator depends on the system, the system needs to be understood without ambiguity. In such cases the details of the system should be in writing. 

What is a fundamental principle of the chemical hazard communication program ... 

Risk analysis is a live document and it should be thoroughly reviewed by the operator whenever there is any change in the system because it is the responsibility of the operator to understand all risks and control measures all the time. Also to improve the quality of risk analysis it is important to validate all hazards/major incident events, likelihood, control measures, and consequence, very rigorously. Proper communication, updating, and education/training are parts of risk management, which is an extension of risk analysis. So far helpful discussions have taken place regarding control measure, but what is control measure The next clause provides the answer. 

Communication on safety by all levels of employment is encouraged as an understood element in the organization s culture. Management promotes a continuing and open discussion of hazards, incidents, and concerns about risks. At all levels, personnel are informed of the hazards of operations and of what is expected concerning them. Progress relative to established goals is published, discussed, and routinely communicated to employees. Two-way communications, upward and downward. 

---