By the fact that you are reading this article indicates that you are conscious and concerned about safety in your workplace. Therefore, it is likely that hazard communication is practiced in your company in some form. However, OSHA has found contractor’s compliance with the hazardous communications regulations sadly lacking since its inception- with lack of a Hazard Communication Program, or employee training usually being in the top five most cited violations by OSHA.
The Hazard Communication Standard (or often referred to as "HazCom" for short) affects every single contractor and builder in the construction industry. It requires every contractor or employer to address comprehensively the issue of evaluating potential hazards in the workplace and communicating the information and appropriate protective measures to their employees (as well as any subcontractors in the case of multi-employer worksites).
Unfortunately, insufficient implementation of these requirements is where employers fall short. Although business owners may tend to put off the job of clearly understanding and implementing government regulations, hazard communication done properly is a must in your workplace.
An employer's impression of merely providing to their workers Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and calling it quits there, or that they don't handle enough hazardous chemicals in their workplace to warrant a comprehensive program is the misunderstanding that puts the employer at risk.
An effective hazard communication program must go beyond the casual use of MSDS sheets, or telling an employee in-passing to watch out for safety hazards. Although a worthy effort, these casual practices are still short of compliance with the standards.
What are you required to do?
There are basically four main elements to an effective hazard communication program:
1) A Written Hazard Communication Program
2) Employee Training
3) Material Safety Data Sheets [MSDS]
4) Labels And Other Forms Of Warning
We’ll cover these elements in parts 2 and 3 of my three part series on Hazard Communication.
It is important to know the safety concerns that affect your workplace. Having valid and up to date safety manuals is essential to your business. Make sure you know all OSHA safety standards and rules.
Source: www.isnare.com
