Section I. THE FEDERAL HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD
4-1.
INTRODUCTION
a. The Federal government is working to reduce the risk of injury or illness
caused by hazardous chemicals in the workplace. Accomplishing this goal requires
information and communication. Everyone needs to know about the hazardous
chemicals they work with -- whether the material poses a risk to safety or health,and
how to minimize or eliminate any such risks.
b. The Hazard Communication Standard was issued by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1983 and revised in 1987. Executive Order
12196 of 1980 and 29 CFR Part 1960 provided the authority for implementing the
Standard within the Federal sector. It requires that you be:
(1) Informed about hazardous chemicals in your workplace.
(2) Trained to work safely with these materials.
c.
Working safely with chemical materials is a team effort. You and your co-
workers that use the material must know about these chemical materials, how they can
enter the body, and how they affect people's health. They must also know how to
recognize hazards and how to control these hazards. Your safety and health, as well as
that of your co-workers, depends on your active participation in this program.
d. This lesson is not intended to teach you everything you need to know about
the program, but to make you aware of the Standard and some of the requirements. A
comprehensive training program is available that includes a trainer's guide, a student
workbook, and the associated 90-minute videotape. DOD activities can obtain copies of
the program through their own publications channels by ordering publication DOD
6050.5-W and DOD 6050.5-G-1.
4-2.
THE HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD GOALS
a.
This Standard strives to achieve the following goals:
(1) Reduce the incidence of injury and illness by hazardous chemicals in
the workplace.
(2) Identify and evaluate chemical hazards.
(3) Establish uniform requirements for communicating information about
chemical hazards to both management and workers.
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