OSHA chemical Articles
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Culture clash: Use training to build your safety culture
Culture is the tendency in all of us to want to do the right thing in the right way at the right time, ALL the time — even when no one is looking. Culture is the result of all the actions and inactions in institutional and work force memory. Good cultures evolve from common values and attitudes developed as the group seeks to properly solve common problems; it is hard to measure and more ...
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Chemical Watch Quotes the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition in “Industry group: US EPA should cede workplace hazard regulation to Osha”
On December 15, 2017, Chemical Watch featured comments by the TSCA New Chemicals Coalition (NCC) on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new chemical evaluation policy. An industry group has argued that the US EPA should avoid issuing orders to mitigate workplace risks associated with new chemicals. Instead, it says, it should turn over that regulatory responsibility to the ...
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Chemicals get a bad reaction in Washington
Regulation of reactive chemicals has been debated for years. According to the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board’s (CSB) 2002 report, there have been 167 serious reactive chemical accidents during the past two decades, and 108 people were killed in 48 of the incidents. Despite the debate, neither legislative nor regulatory action is expected any time soon. The Occupational Safety and ...
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The essentiality of process-safety management
Untitled Document Loss of Life in the workplace is a tragedy of enormous proportion. One of the tools the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) uses to eliminate workplace disasters is the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard issued in 1992. Questions have arisen about whether the standard is sufficient and whether it should be amended. The Chemical ...
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The Volatile Debate Over Regulation of Reactive Chemicals
Untitled Document The regulation of chemicals believed to be “reactive” has been hotly debated for many years. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “(c)hemical reactivity presents serious, sometimes catastrophic hazards to workers when the hazard is not thoroughly understood and controlled.” The U.S. Chemical ...
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OSHA kicks off the “chemical nEP” - new pilot program will focus on facilities’ compliance with the PSM standard
With little fanfare, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rolled out its much anticipated “PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program.” This one-year pilot program, launched in July 2009, focuses on facilities’ compliance with the OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) standard,1 which aims to blunt the hazard of fires or explosions resulting ...
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Fume Hood Testing & Certification
Whether you work in a large research facility or a makeshift laboratory in your garage, it’s imperative that the equipment you use is safe.Chemical fume hoods are crucial to maintaining a safe work environment. They should be tested and certified to ensure that they’re operating at optimal airflow levels for containing hazardous chemical vapors and gases. How Often Should Fume Hoods Be Tested? ...
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Aligning chemicals labeling with global rules involves major efforts
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began the Herculean task of aligning the U.S."s Hazardous Communication Standard (HCS) with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in September 2009. GHS provides harmonized criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health and physical hazards, and specifies hazard ...
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How to avoid the GHS Tidal Wave
Chemical safety touches us all. It impacts the food we eat, our health and our lifestyle. Impediments to safety can endanger individuals, businesses and society in general. Common sense dictates that sound chemical management should rely on a single classification and labeling system to address specific use patterns and groups of chemicals at the national, regional and international levels. Such ...
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Legal lookout: OSHA revises haz-com standard
Chemical classification, labeling and training standards look to change under a recent OSHA proposal to bring U.S. regs in line with global standards. On Sept. 30, 2009, OSHA proposed revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align it with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS/HCS alignment The system provides ...
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How to Keep Your Industrial Tank Cleaning on Schedule
Plant Managers are responsible for a variety of tasks that keep the plant running smoothly. One of these important tasks is managing industrial tank cleaning. In the past, industrial tank cleaning required several days of work, and moving crews from their regular positions forcing plant production to slow. Now, there are different ways to schedule tank cleaning so you can keep your plant ...
By Ecorobotics
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Improve your approach to hazardous materials
Today most large organizations that must deal with hazardous materials follow a time-honored process for identifying critical compliance needs and spend the money necessary to make it work. However, committing this level of resources can be tough for smaller companies. The challenge is to effectively manage their entire chemical inventory to stay in compliance and avoid the dangers, fines and ...
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GHS: Federal Agencies Step Up Efforts
Now that the United Nations has adopted the Global Harmonization System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), there is an international goal for as many countries as possible to implement GHS by 2008. GHS is an important global system of hazard classification, communication and labeling which, if implemented, is expected to bring much needed consistency and harmony to the workplace. ...
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What Is Occupational Health?
So who determines whether a particular chemical, microbe, or particulate is likely to hurt a worker who is exposed during the course of his or her work activities? Enter the Industrial Hygienist, also referred to as an Occupational Health Specialist or Occupational Hygienist. People engaged in manufacturing, the folks who make the products we all use every day, are exposed to a wide variety of ...
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Best practices in Global MSDS authoring and distribution
Organizations of all sizes face increasing challenges from globalization and changinginternational regulatolY initiatives.These challenges affect an organization'sability to produce and maintain materialsafety data sheets (MSDSs). MSDSs arerequired during sale, use, storage, andshipment of hazardous chemicals. Global MSDS RequirementsCountries have different requirementsand guidelines for the ...
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Air Sampling/Testing of Workers Exposed to Chemicals
As of 2018 and hopefully into 2019, industrial work in the United States certainly seems to be expanding. The concern is: Is the effort to control the air that a worker breathes, keeping pace with the industrial expansion? Experience says that it likely will lag behind putting workers—often new hires at risk for work related illnesses. In short, the potential for worker exposure to ...
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How To Survive An OSHA Inspection
Untitled Document While there's little upside to facing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspection, it is possible to survive the ordeal unscathed. Here's what you need to know to be prepared for what is likely to happen should an OSHA inspector come knocking at your door. What Are Your Chances of Being Inspected? Knowing what can trigger an OSHA ...
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The Intersection of Workplace Safety and Environmental Sustainability: Achieving Sustainable Workplace Safety Practices
The industrial sector has been a major contributor to the earth's resource depletion and pollution. According to the research report 2022, construction industries produce 30.56 billion tons of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) yearly. Polluted air contains detrimental gasses like carbon dioxide and methane, which cause a lot of health-related problems for workers, such as respiratory issues, dizziness, and, ...
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Safe Handling of Industrial Water Systems Chemicals
Many facilities handle chemical treatment without the expertise and support of a water treatment partner. This puts a tremendous amount of responsibility on building managers and facility teams to receive, store, dispense and manage water systems chemicals safely. Under normal circumstances, this is difficult work. But what happens when something goes wrong, such as a spill? Do you have a ...
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What color are your MSDSs?
The title of "good corporate citizen" is a coveted status that requires far more than an unblemished record of compliance. More than a decade ago, consumers started setting strong sustainability expectations through purchasing practices, compelling economic participants to shape up their environmental act. Consumer purchases, influenced by advertising and other corporate messaging, have spawned ...
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