NuCare Carolina Ambulance, Inc.
Annual OSHA Training
Hazard Communication
2011 Update
Hazard Communication
Standard
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Established by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
Also known as the “Right to Know”
Employees have both a need and a right to know the
hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed
to when working.
Employees also need to know what protective
measures are available to prevent adverse effects from
occurring.
Hazard Communication
Standard (cont.)
Knowledge acquired under the standard will help
employers provide safer workplaces for their
employees.
 Most products used in healthcare have some hazard
potential, and thus will be covered by the standard.
 This standard is performance-oriented. We have the
flexibility to adapt the rule to the needs of our
workplace, rather than having to follow specific, rigid
requirements
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Relay of information
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Chemical manufacturers and importers
are required to evaluate the hazards of
the chemicals they produce or import,
and in return provide info about their
products
What is a hazardous chemical?
“Hazardous chemical means any chemical which is a
physical hazard or a health hazard.”
 Not all chemicals used by NuCare are hazardous.
However, NuCare does maintain a list of those which
the standard refers to as “hazardous.”
 A determination of the degree of hazard of some
chemicals used by NuCare does not necessarily mean
an immediate and present danger to the safety and
health of NuCare employees.
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Hazardous Chemical or Not?
If found that the product has the
properties of a physical hazard (such as
flammability) or a health hazard (such as
irritation, lung damage, and cancer) then
the product is classified as a “Hazardous
Chemical”
 Certain steps must be taken if the
product is classified as a hazardous
chemical
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Physical Hazards
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Explosives
Flammable
Combustible
Reactive
Health Hazards
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Irritants and Corrosives
Toxic and Highly Toxic
Carcinogen
Sensitizer
Specified Target Organs
Exposure
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“Exposure” or “exposed” under the standard
means that “an employee is subjected to a
hazardous chemical in the course of
employment through any route of entry
(inhalation, ingestion, absorption, and ocular)
and includes potential (accidental or possible)
exposure”
The Four Keys to Harm
How much exposure?
 How often exposed?
 How sensitive you are to the chemical?
 How the material gets into the body
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◦ i. e., the routes of entry
Routes of entry
Inhalation
 Ingestion
 Absorption
 Ocular
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Inhalation
Occurs when a chemical
is breathed in through
the nose or mouth
 Most common method of
getting chemicals into the
body
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Ingestion
Through the mouth
 Can occur from one’s hands or perhaps a
contaminated cigarette placed into the
mouth
 Important not to eat or smoke in the
same area as hazardous chemicals
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Absorption
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Occurs when the material gets on our
skin and travels into the bloodstream
Ocular
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Occurs when the material gets into the
eyes and travels into the bloodstream
Material Safety Data Sheets
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Documents that give very detailed hazard information
for a chemical
Provided by the chemical manufacturer to provide
additional information concerning safe use of the
product
Employers must have an MSDS for each hazardous
chemical which they use
Sometimes people think of “chemicals” as being only
liquids in containers, but the Haz-Comm Standard
covers chemicals in all forms- liquids, solids, gases,
vapors, fumes, and mists- whether they are “contained”
or not.
Location
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MSDS books are located at
the NuCare base and
updated annually
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They can be found in the
Crew Office or Field
Office and the Supervisor’s
office.
Exclusions
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These regulations do not apply to any
substances which are foods, drugs,
cosmetics, or tobacco products intended
for personal consumption by the
employees in the workplace.
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In addition, these regulations do not apply
to any consumer products and food stuffs
packaged for distribution (and intended
for use by) the general public.
Contents of MSDS
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Section 1- Chemical
Product and Company
Identification
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Section 4- First Aid
Measures (organized by
routes of entry)
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Section 2- Composition,
Information or
Hazardous Ingredients
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Section 5- Fire and
Explosion Hazard
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Section 6- Accidental
Release Measures
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Section 7- Handling and
Storage
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Section 3- Hazard
Identification (organized
by routes of entry)
Contents (cont)
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Section 8- Exposure
Controls and PPE
Section 9- Physical &
Chemical characteristics
Section 10- Reactivity
Data
Section 11- Toxicological
Information
Section 12- Ecological
Information
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Section 13- Disposal
Considerations
Section 14- Transport
Information
Section 15- Regulatory
Information
Section 16- Other
Information
Update of MSDS
Any time a new product is purchased an MSDS
sheet will be generated if not accompanied by
the product.
 New MSDS sheets will be kept updated by using
a standard form—this is done annually in
December.
 Required information should be written on the
form and forwarded to the Safety Officer and
they will be responsible for updating all books.
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Other Requirements of Compliance
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Product labels
Chemical Inventory
Written Program
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Material Safety Data
Sheets
Training
Product Labels
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Labels must be affixed to each
chemical container in the
workplace
Must contain name and address
of the chemical manufacturer,
importer, or other responsible
party
Labels must remain intact.
Labels must identify the
container contents and warn the
user of hazards that may exist
while using the product
Labels must be legible, in English,
and prominently displayed.
Chemical Inventory
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The list will serve as an inventory of everything for
which an MSDS must be procured and maintained
Products name and manufacturer’s name are listed
A compiled list of chemicals are located at each base
Contained in the MSDS binder is also the written
Hazard Communication Program
Training
Each employee who may be “exposed” to hazardous
chemicals when working must be provided information and
trained prior to initial assignment to work with a hazardous
chemical
 Training is to be done initially, annually, and whenever the
hazard changes
 Training must occur within 30 days of employment for new
employees, full or part time
 Must be documented with detailed records of training
maintained by the company and available for review by
supervision, compliance and training staff
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Written Program
All workplaces where employees are exposed
to hazardous chemicals must have a written
plan which describes how the standard will be
implemented in that facility
 The written program and all relative data is
available upon request to employees and their
designated representatives, if any; also to the
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
 Written program will be located in MSDS book
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Protecting Yourself
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Always remember you
are #1.
Protecting yourself is
always your first priority
Keep your work area
clean and orderly
Use the necessary safety
equipment (i.e. gloves,
gowns, goggles)
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Carefully label every
container with the
identity of its contents
and warnings.
Store incompatible
chemicals in separate
areas
Provide means of
containing the material if
containers should break
or spill the contents
Obtain and read the
MSDS sheets
Protective Measures
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By now, you should have a better understanding of the
hazardous properties of chemicals, and how to recognize
the hazards of the particular chemicals with which we work
Protective Measures (cont)
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Even though chemicals in the workplace
may be dangerous, there are methods
available to ensure that the risk is
minimized or eliminated
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
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Gloves: Protect your hands from
chemical exposure
Goggles: Should be worn when there
is a possibility of splashing chemicals in
your eyes
Face shields: Protect your face as well
as your eyes
Respirators: Needed if you have
significant exposure to vapors, fumes
or mists of a hazardous material
Gowns
Employee Responsibilities
Know where to obtain info about
Hazardous chemicals in your work area
 Read and understand labels/MSDS sheets
before you start working
 Ask questions if you are not sure
 Keep work area clean
 Use required PPE/clothing
 DO NOT eat, drink or smoke around
chemicals
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Employee Responsibilities (cont)
Practice good personal hygiene practices,
e.g. wash hands before eating, drinking, or
smoking
 Learn emergency procedures for your
area
 Follow procedures for exposure, disposal
and spill clean-up
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Employer Responsibilities
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Take steps to reduce exposures by
providing safer workplaces
Substitute less hazardous materials
Establish proper work practices
Conclusion
Information is the key
 Your first line of defense in protecting yourself against
hazardous chemicals is knowledge of the chemical itself.
 Make yourself aware of the chemicals around you and
preventive measures that can be taken
 How well you practice safe and healthful work habits
will determine your safety and well-being
 You should be able to go home as healthy as when you
came to work.
 Your job should not cause you your health
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Any Questions About This
Section
?
If you are taking the online version of this course, open the
html document entitled “Haz-Com Quiz”, answer each
question and click “Submit”