Employee Right to Know

Employee Right to Know...

Employees usually know when payday is, but it is also their right to know the hazards posed by the chemicals they use in the work place. Except most employees don't get as excited about HAZCOM as payday.

HAZCOM stands for the hazard communication standard and all employees are covered by the law. HAZCOM provides for 4 main areas:

	Material safety data sheets must be available to the employee for review.
	All chemical containers must be labeled including pipes
	A written plan must be available
	Training must be provided to the employees

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are supplied by the manufacturer of the chemical. We found that even peppermint oil has an MSDS. It is the responsibility of the employer to assure that all the MSDS are available. This may mean doing an inventory to sort through old MSDS to eliminate the chemical no longer in use.

It is common for a worker to grab a spray bottle and mix bleach and water: but the HAZCOM plan would identify that the spray bottle must be labeled if it is left out the the control of the maker.

Training must be provided for new hires or when an employee changes positions and is now using a different type of chemical. It is the employers obligation to make sure the employees know HAZCOM.

VILLA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS INC. can help your organization gain compliance with HAZCOM. Please call/email us for a free consultation.

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