OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard requires us to identify hazardous chemicals in the workplace and inform you about the hazards you work with. The standard also requires us to make sure you understand the steps you can take to protect yourself from chemical hazards in the workplace. Today, we’re going to use an actual accident as a case study to help you better understand how to work safely with hazardous chemicals.

Session Objectives

The main objective of this session is to make sure you identify chemical hazards and take proper precautions to protect your health and safety whenever you work with or around hazardous chemicals. By the time the session is over, you should be able to:

• Understand the purpose and requirements of OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard;
• Identify chemical hazards and safe work practices using labels and safety data sheets, or SDSs;
• Understand the effects and symptoms of exposures and proper first aid;
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment, or PPE, to protect against specific hazards; and
• Respond quickly and effectively to spills.

Pre-quiz: How Much Do You Know?

Before we begin the session, let’s take a few minutes to see how much you already know about hazard communication. Decide which of the statements on the screen are True or False.

• The purpose of hazard communication is to inform you about chemical hazards in the workplace.

– This is true.

• The best place to get complete safety and health information about a chemical is on the label.

– This is false.

• PPE is optional when handling most chemicals.

– This is also false.

• If a hazardous chemical spills or leaks, you should clean it up right away with paper towels or a mop.

– This is also false.

How did you do? Did you get all the answers right?

If not, don’t worry. You’ll learn all about these issues and a lot more during the session. Are you prepared to concentrate on learning the training material?

Splashed by Sulfuric Acid

What you are about to hear is the story of an actual accident inspected and documented by OSHA.

• An employee was removing a box from a shelf when the box slipped and fell to the floor. The box contained eight, 1-gallon plastic containers of a liquid chemical.
• Two of the 1-gallon containers spilled out and splashed the employee.
• The worker suffered burns to his neck and legs and was taken to the local hospital, where he was treated and released the same day.

The plastic containers held the “corrosive” pictogram and were determined to contain 98 percent sulfuric acid.

The employee was not trained to work around chemical hazards, and his supervisor did not advise the employee about the hazards of handling sulfuric acid.

Right to Know

• OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard says that you have the right to know about chemical hazards in the workplace and how to work safely with hazardous chemicals.

The employee in our case study was not made aware of the hazardous chemicals in his workplace or how to handle those chemicals safely. The accident you just heard about could have been prevented if the worker had simply been made aware of the presence of hazardous chemicals. He might have handled the box more carefully. Had he also been informed about the specific hazards of the chemical he was handling and trained to perform his job duties safely, he would almost certainly have been able to avoid injuries, if not the accident itself.

Manufacturers

The Hazard Communication standard requires manufacturers to provide information about the hazards of their chemicals to help users handle them safely.

The standard requires manufacturers to do three important things.

• First, they must determine what all the health and safety hazards are.
• Next, they must label their containers with this information, including the “corrosive” pictogram.
• And finally, they must develop an SDS that contains detailed information about their chemical. Manufacturers must provide an SDS to anyone who purchases the chemical directly from them, as well as to anyone who requests a copy of the SDS.

In our case study, the manufacturer had apparently done its job and provided hazard information because the containers were labeled with the “corrosive” pictogram. Somewhere in the workplace there was probably also an SDS for sulfuric acid.

Employers

Employers have four basic duties under the Hazard Communication standard.

• First, we are required to have a written hazard communication program that describes how we intend to ensure that all employees understand the hazards of chemicals in the workplace.
• Second, we must maintain a list of hazardous chemicals that are used and stored in the workplace.
• Third, we must obtain SDSs from manufacturers, and maintain them in such a way that you and your coworkers have unrestricted access to them at any time.
• Fourth, we are required to train you to make sure you understand chemical hazards and safe work practices. Training must include information about OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard, about specific chemicals in the workplace, about how to read and interpret labels, and how to obtain and read SDSs.

In our case study, the employer fell short of OSHA’s hazard communication requirements. The worker did not seem to be aware of the hazards or the required safe work practices to prevent the accident.

Are you familiar with our hazard communication program?

Chemical Hazards

Chemical hazards fall into four categories. A chemical may have only one of these hazard characteristics or all four.

• Chemicals that are flammable or explosive are easily ignited by a flame or spark. Examples include propane, gasoline, acetone, and alcohol.
• Reactive chemicals will burn, explode, or release gases after making contact with water, air, or other chemicals. Examples include acetylene, acrylic acid, 1,3 butadiene, phosphorus, chlorine, and nitric acid.
• Corrosive chemicals will eat through metals, clothing, and human skin. Corrosive materials might be acids or alkalines. Alkalines are also known as caustics or bases. Examples of corrosive materials include sulfuric acid, caustic soda, and sodium hydroxide.
• Chemicals considered toxic typically make people sick when vapors, gases, dusts, or fumes are inhaled. Examples of toxic chemicals include pesticides, many solvents, and asbestos.

In our case study, the worker was splashed with sulfuric acid, which is very corrosive. He suffered burns because the acid ate at his skin.

Routes of Exposure

Recognizing possible ways you could be exposed to hazardous chemicals will help you take the right precautions to protect your health.

• Chemicals can get on your skin and cause irritation such as a rash or dermatitis. They can also burn your skin, as you heard in the case study. Some toxic chemicals can be absorbed through the skin, get into your blood stream, and poison your body.
• If chemicals get in your eyes, they will likely cause irritation. Some could even cause serious eye damage that could affect your vision.
• If you breathe chemical vapors, gases, dust, or fumes, these contaminants can get into your respiratory system and cause irritation and damage to your respiratory system. In high airborne concentrations some chemicals can even prevent you from getting enough oxygen.
• Chemicals can also be swallowed, or ingested, when they get on food or into beverages that are later consumed. They can also be swallowed if you touch your mouth with contaminated hands.
• Chemicals can also enter your body by being injected under your skin by a sharp object such as a metal edge on a drum lid, a blade, a screwdriver, or a needle.

In our case study, the route of exposure was skin contact. The sulfuric acid got on the worker’s skin and burned it.

Effects of Exposure

The health effects of exposure to hazardous chemicals can be short-term or long-term.

• Short-term effects, called “acute” effects, are typically the result of a brief exposure that occurs once or a few times over a short period, such as during a workday. Acute effects generally occur soon after exposure and disappear over time once you are no longer exposed to the chemical. Symptoms of a brief exposure might include a rash, dizziness, a headache, or respiratory or eye irritation.
• Chronic, or long-term effects, are typically the result of being exposed to a chemical over a period of many years. Chronic health effects are usually permanent and will not disappear even after you are no longer exposed to the chemical. Chronic illnesses can also occur after brief exposures to extremely high concentrations of some chemicals. Chronic illnesses include sensitization, lung and liver damage, and cancer.

Effects of Exposure (cont.)

The concentration and duration of the exposure will often determine how you are affected. Safe exposure limits for many chemicals are set by OSHA and are called the permissible exposure limit, or PEL. Safe concentrations may also be referred to as the threshold limit value, or TLV. Both the TLV and PEL, which you’ll find in the SDS, refer to concentrations of a chemical that the average employee can safely be exposed to during an 8-hour workday.

We work hard to keep the concentration level of chemicals in the air below the PEL and TLV to protect you from overexposure. We use a variety of preventive measures to do this, including:

• Engineering controls, such as ventilation;
• Administrative controls, such as limiting the amount of time you can work with certain chemicals or in an area where these chemicals are being used; and
• PPE, such as respirators, gloves, and goggles.

In our case study, the employee was exposed to a very concentrated solution of sulfuric acid for a short period of time. His acute exposure resulted in burns on his neck and legs.

PPE

PPE is a very important part of exposure prevention. Sometimes, engineering and administrative controls alone aren’t enough to prevent exposures. That’s where PPE comes in. It’s your personal barrier against chemical hazards.

• Eye protection should be worn whenever you are working around chemicals, even if you’re just moving boxes off a shelf, as in our case study. The type of eye protection required depends on the potential exposure. Goggles offer better protection than safety glasses and should definitely be worn when there’s a risk of splashes, vapors, gases, or mists. The SDS will identify you the right eyewear to use.
• Face shields worn over eye protection—never in place of eye protection—protect your face from splashes or sprays.
• Respirators should be worn to protect against vapors, gases, dusts, or fumes. The type of respirator used depends on the type of chemical as well as the airborne concentration. Very high concentrations of almost any hazardous chemical will require the use of an air-supplied respirator. For lower concentrations, you can generally rely on an air-purifying respirator. The SDS will identify which type of respirator you need and which type of cartridge to use for an air-purifying respirator.

Gloves

Gloves are also required when handling chemicals. The type of glove you need to use depends on the hazard. For example:

• Butyl gloves work well for ketones, esters, alcohol, and most inorganic acids and caustics.
• Latex can be used for a variety of chemicals, including most acids and caustics, salts, detergents, and alcohols. Many solvents, however, will break down latex.
• Neoprene has good protective qualities against oils, acids, caustics, and some solvents.
• Other types of gloves include nitrile, polyvinyl chloride-coated gloves, polyvinyl alcohol gloves, Viton®, and silver shield gloves, which resist permeation and breakthrough by more chemicals than any other gloves.

Each type of glove has its own special uses. The SDS will identify the best gloves to protect against specific hazards.

Other PPE

• In addition to protecting your hands, you also need to protect your feet. Boots are made of many of the same materials as gloves, and protect feet against splashes and sprays.
• Protective clothing also comes in many forms. Paper-like chemicals such as Tyvec®, protect against dust but not splashes. Some suits can be purchased with different coatings to protect against different types and concentrations of chemicals. Rain suits made of rubber or PVC can protect you from a variety of liquids.
• Head protection generally comes in the form of a hood. The hood will usually be made of the same material as the protective clothing you wear. In fact, many styles of protective clothing come with hoods.

In our case study, the employee wasn’t wearing any PPE. His skin was totally exposed to the spilling and splashing sulfuric acid.

Think about the type of PPE you need to protect against the hazards of the chemicals you work with.

Exercise

Now it’s time to test your knowledge of the information presented in the previous slides about hazard communication. Read each question on the screen and think about your answer.

• According to the Hazard Communication standard, who must prepare safety data sheets?

– The manufacturer, distributor, or importer must prepare SDSs.

• What type of PPE do you need to wear when working with hazardous chemicals?

– Depending on the chemical, you may need to wear goggles, a face shield, a respirator, gloves, foot and head protection, or protective clothing.

• What are examples of short-term health effects of exposure?

– Examples of a short-term health effects of exposure include headache, dizziness, rash, and respiratory irritation.

• How can chemicals get into your body?

– Chemicals can get into your body through skin or eye contact, inhalation, ingestion, or injection.

How did you do? Did you get all the answers right? Would you like to go back and review any of the material?

Review

Now it’s time to ask yourself if you understand the information presented so far about hazard communication. For example, do you understand what we’ve said about:

• Hazard Communication standard requirements?
• Hazard communication program?
• Hazards?
• Routes of exposure?
• Effects of exposure?
• Required PPE?

It’s very important to understand all this information so that you can do your part to prevent hazardous chemical accidents and exposures on the job.

Let’s continue now to the next slide and discuss labels.

What’s on a Chemical Label

In many ways, labels are the first line of defense against accidents and health hazards. You will find the following information elements on chemical labels:

• Product identifier
• Supplier identification
• Signal word
• Pictogram
• Hazard statement
• Precautionary statement
• Supplemental information

Let’s take a look at each element.

What’s on a Chemical Label? (cont.)

The chemical label must contain both a product identifier for the chemical and supplier identification information.

• The product identifier is the name or number that allows you to identify the chemical in the container.
• Supplier identification must include the name, address, and telephone number for the chemical manufacturer, importer, or other supplier.
• The chemical label will include one of two signal words that tell you the relative severity of the hazard presented. It alerts you to a potential hazard.
• “Danger” is used for the more severe hazards.
• “Warning” is used for less severe hazards and is less serious than “Danger.”

What’s on a Chemical Label? (cont.)

• Hazard statements assigned to a hazard class or category appear on the label. They describe the nature of the hazard and, where appropriate, the degree of the hazard. The hazard statement can include information on an exposure being fatal or toxic, organ damage, and routes of exposure. For example, a hazard statement could say:

– Highly flammable liquid and vapor. May cause liver and kidney damage.

• Precautionary statements describe recommended measures that should be taken to minimize or prevent adverse effects from exposure to a chemical or improper storage or handling. Four types of precautionary statements appear on a chemical label. They are:

1. Prevention. For example, “Wash thoroughly after handling.”
2. Response. For example, “If swallowed, immediately call a poison center.”
3. Storage. For example, “Store locked up.”
4. Disposal. For example, “Dispose of in accordance with local, regional, national, and international regulations, as specified.

What’s on a Chemical Label? (cont.)

• Pictograms include a symbol and other graphic elements intended to convey specific information about the hazards of a chemical. They appear on a white background within a diamond-shaped square with a red border and are placed on the label based on a chemical’s hazard classification.
• There are eight mandatory hazard symbols used in pictograms. Each conveys the specific hazard of the chemical, with a ninth nonmandatory symbol for environmental hazards.
• Supplemental information includes any additional information provided on the chemical label that is not required or specified by the GHS amendments to HazCom.

DOT Labels

Here are some examples of Department of Transportation labels. DOT labels are effective because they visually tell you about the hazard or danger associated with a hazardous chemical. Can you identify the hazard warning in each of these labels?

• The DOT flammable label is the one with the red background with the white flame. The number 3 at the bottom is the DOT hazard identification number, which means this is a flammable liquid. Flammable gases and solids also have the flame, but the colors vary and the numbers are different. A flammable solid has the number 4 on the label, and a flammable gas has the number
• The DOT poison label is the one with the skull and crossbones. This means the chemical is toxic to humans, animals, or the environment. The number at the bottom of a poison label is 6.
• The DOT corrosive label is very descriptive. The upper half has two pictures. One shows a chemical dripping on a steel bar and eating a hole in the metal. The other shows the chemical burning a hand. The number at the bottom of the label is 8, for corrosive chemicals.

Safety Data Sheets

Labels give you a snapshot of the risks associated with a chemical. The safety data sheet (SDS) gives you the most complete and detailed information. The SDS for each chemical:

• Is a detailed written description of the chemical;
• Describes its hazards, as well as precautions and remedies to releases and exposure; and
• Must be readily available for you to read. You should always read the SDS before starting to work with a chemical.

Sections 1-4

• Section 1 contains the product identifier and other means of identification, recommended uses and restrictions, supplier information, and an emergency number.
• Section 2 contains the hazard classification, the signal word, hazard and precautionary statements, hazard symbol, other hazards not otherwise classified, and any statements regarding mixtures consisting of ingredients of unknown toxicity.
• Section 3 contains information about chemical composition and ingredients, including chemical name, common name and synonyms, CAS number and other unique identifier, and impurities and stabilizing additives that are classified and that contribute to the classification of the substance.
• Section 4 contains a description of necessary first aid, symptoms and health effects (acute and delayed), and the need for immediate medical attention and special treatment (if required).

Sections 5-8

• Section 5 contains information about suitable and unsuitable extinguishing substances, and about specific hazards from the chemical, and special PPE and precautions for firefighters.
• Section 6 contains information about personal precautions and PPE, emergency precautions, environmental procedures, and containment and cleanup methods and materials.
• Section 7 describes precautions for safe handling and conditions for safe storage.
• Section 8 contains information about control parameters (such as exposure limit values), engineering controls, and individual protection measures and PPE.

Sections 9-12

• Section 9 contains information about the substance’s physical and chemical properties, for example, appearance, odor, melting and freezing points, flash point, and flammability.
• Section 10 contains information about the substance’s stability or reactivity, possible hazardous reactions, conditions to avoid, incompatible chemicals, and hazardous decomposition products.
• Section 11 contains information describing likely routes of exposure, symptoms, immediate and delayed health effects, numerical measures of toxicity, and whether the chemical is listed in the National Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens, the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs, or by OSHA.
• Section 12 contains ecological information such as the substance’s ecotoxicity, persistence and degradability, bioaccumulative potential, mobility in soil, and other adverse environmental effects.

Sections 13-16

• Section 13 provides information on waste residues and safe handling and disposal of substances and contaminated packaging.
• Section 14 gives information on the safe transportation of the chemical.
• Section 15 contains safety, health, and environmental regulatory information.
• Section 16 provides other relevant information.

Emergency Response: First Aid

It is important always to read the label and SDS for exact first-aid procedures for hazardous chemicals. What we’ll talk about in this slide are basic procedures that are generally appropriate for most exposures.

• If chemicals splash in your eyes, go immediately to an eyewash station, hold your eyelids open, and flush eyes with water for about 15 minutes. Then seek medical attention.
• If you get chemicals on your skin, wash immediately with soap and water to remove the chemical and then flush the area well with water to remove all traces of chemical. If you get hazardous chemicals on your work clothes, remove clothes and use a safety shower to wash chemicals off your skin. Then seek medical attention.
• If you inhale hazardous chemicals, get away from the area and get into fresh air. If you still feel symptoms, seek medical attention.
• If you swallow, or ingest, hazardous chemicals, get medical assistance immediately. First aid procedures for ingestion vary, so you have to check the SDS.
• If hazardous chemicals get under your skin, wash the area, and seek medical attention right away.

In our case study, the worker who was splashed with sulfuric acid should have immediately removed his clothes and gotten to a safety shower to wash off the chemical before going to the hospital.

Emergency Response: Spills and Leaks

• Unless you are a member of an emergency spill response team, you should evacuate the immediate area of a spill and notify others right away. Tell coworkers in the area to evacuate, notify a supervisor, and call the emergency response coordinator or 911.
• If it is safe to do so, remove ignition sources. For example, if a drum of flammable liquid is leaking or spilled, you should turn off motors and machines as well as electrical power boxes in the area to prevent a spark from ignited vapors.
• Once you’ve safely evacuated, stay out of the area until you are told that it is safe to return. Only trained, authorized, and properly equipped employees should attempt to contain or clean up a spill.

In our case study, the employee spilled two bottles of sulfuric acid and was burned. If an untrained coworker without the proper equipment had tried to clean up the spill with paper towels or a mop, he or she would have been burned as well.

Think about the proper procedures for reporting and responding to leaks and spills in the workplace.

Exercise

It’s time now to check your knowledge of the information we’ve covered about labels and other hazard communication requirements. See if you can fill in the blanks to complete the sentences you see on the screen.

• Labels tell you the physical and health hazards of a chemical.
• The Hazard Communication standard requires that you have unrestricted access to SDSs.
• And finally, in the event of a spill you should evacuate the area and notify a supervisor.

How did you do? Did you get all the answers right?

 

 

 

Review

Let’s take a few minutes now to review and make sure you understand the information presented in the previous slide. Do you understand what we’ve discussed about:

• Labels?
• SDSs?
• First aid for exposures?
• Spill response?

It’s essential for you to be able to find safety and health information about the hazardous chemicals you work with and to know how to respond effectively in emergencies involving hazardous chemicals.

Now let’s continue to the last slide and some key points to remember about this training session.

Key Points To Remember

Here are the main points to remember from this Hazard Communication refresher course:

• The Hazard Communication standard requires employees and employers to work together to identify and protect against hazards.
• Inform yourself about the hazards of the chemicals you handle and the required safe work practices.
• Always read labels and SDSs, and wear appropriate PPE.
• Know the symptoms of exposure and proper first aid for the chemicals you work with and around.
• Follow proper procedures for responding to spills and leaks.

This concludes the Hazard Communication Refresher training session.