OSHA Hazard

Communication
Standard
OSHA AND EPA REQUIREMENTS FOR
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Introduction
Recent advancement in industrial processes has
led to more waist being produced.
The Congress of the United States of America
passed the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation and Liability Act. It put
those industries that had a heavy contribution to
the total industrial waist production under liability
imposed by law.

Introduction
The occupational standard assumes a basic
knowledge of science and healthcare.
The model is the byproduct of a 4-committee
resolution which included NIOSH, OSHA, USCG,
EPA, and CERCLA.
The manual is intended for the study of health
and safety of workers at their respective
worksites.

Uses of the OSHA

Standard
The standard is applicable federal, state and local
officials who operate industries. The manual is
used for several purposes
Planning tool for industrialists who seek guidance
in waste management
Educational tool to educate those entering the
industrial sector of the United States of America
Reference for various environmental laws and
associated practices (Smith, 1992)

Hazards
There are several types of Hazards described in
the OSHA standard
Chemical Exposure
Fire and explosion
Oxygen deficiency
Ionizing radiation
Biological hazards
Safety hazards
Electrical hazards
Heat stress
Cold exposure
Noise

Hazard level criterion

Apart from the hazards, there is a hazard criterion
that is used by safety managers
One of the factors that contributes is the number
of variant hazards present at a specific work site
The extent to which those hazards can be
controlled is also a very important factor (Clansky,
1988)

Chemical Exposure
The standard outlines the major sources of
chemical exposure that are usually observed in
work sites all over the US
Chemical exposure is divided into two categories:
acute and chronic. The categories are based upon
the level of effect of the exposure of a worker to a
particular chemical hazard
The effects depend upon the chemical and the
extent of exposure
Every necessary precautionary gear is to be worn
during work hours at sites where the exposure is

Explosion an Fire
There are several sources of fire in normal work
sites:
Chemical reactions
Ignition of explosive material
Ignition of oxygen rich substances
Agitation of friction-sensitive substances
Force release of fluids under pressure
Appropriate care should be taken. Qualified
personnel should analyze the work site prior to the
allocation of workmen at it

Oxygen Deficiency
The normal oxygen level in the air we breath is
21%.
If the oxygen level in the air decreases to 16%,
the physiological effects of the deficiency is
visible
Qualified field personnel should constantly
monitor the levels of oxygen within the work
environment. This is important for industries
where risks of severe oxygen deficiency are great

Ionizing Radiation
Work sites that are located in areas that have
highly radioactive rocks within them are
hazardous and appropriate measures should be
taken to avoid effects
Gamma radiation causes serious permanent
damage to the body.
According to the standard, special radiation-proof
suits should be provided to the staff for effective
protection against radiation.

Biological hazards
Biological hazards include waste from chemical
factories and waste from hospitals can be
considered as biological waste.
The workers should be provided with the
necessary equipment to escape the negative
effects of the biological waste.
The workers at the work site should be checked
regularly for their health conditions when their
exposure to the waste is more than a certain
critical level

Personal safety hazards

Holes and ditches that a person can fall in
Slippery surfaces
Steep surfaces
Unstable equipment and at work site

Usage of heavy equipment and machinery which

operates with high voltage is also
Site personnel and the management staff should
constantly ensure that every worker is working in
the safest environment possible

Electrical hazards
Power lines, electrical wires, buried cables all of
these pose a threat of electrocution to workers
The OSHA standard describes appropriate clothing
as an integral part of the clothing standard to be
maintained by workers of electric power
generation plants etc.

Heat Stress
Heat stress the most common hazard for workers.
The same protective materials are advised for
workers that are employed in heat-intensive
environments.
Continuous heat exposure can lead to stroke and
even death. Therefore the labor time for each
employee should be appropriately managed so
that no single employee gets more time in the
heat

Cold Exposure
Workers exposed to extreme temperatures should
be provided with the proper safety equipment
that suits their exposure level and ensures safety.
For example, workers working in cold
temperatures are at a constant risk of developing
hypothermia or even frostbite in extreme cases.
The workplace should provide employees with
proper clothing and cold protection wearables.
Furthermore, the total time of exposure must be
reduced by making the employees take shifts and
rest in between to limit the exposure levels per
person.

Noise
There are various impacts that noise can have on
the workforce. These include the following key
aspects:
Workers being startled or becoming distracted as a result of
the noise.
Experiencing physical damage due to constant exposure,
i.e. ear problems or hearing loss.
Constant hindrances in communication thereby resulting in
reduced levels of productivity overall while simultaneously
causing employee discomfort.
Distracting employees from their tasks thereby creating
lower levels of productivity.
Increased levels of anxiety and stress as a result of constant
exposure to noise.

The exposure level must be controlled by

remaining in compliance with the safety standards
laid down by OSHA.

The Site Safety Plan

The OSHA workplace safety standard requires
from the managers of the worksite to develop and
site safety plan before the site becomes
operative.
The site safety plan is developed by the site
managers by considering the hazards associated
with working in the work site area

Site Safety Planning

The site safety planning process is an essential
process that is undertaken by various supervisors
First, the site is inspected for the various hazards
that it contains
Second, the necessary precautions are met and
the safety of each type of worker in each type of
hazard area is considered and provided for
A written version of the site safety plan is
generated so that it is easy to manage the safety
of the work site later on

Requirements of planning
Naming of key personnel that are in charge of the
work site
Risks associated with working at the worksite and
at individual hazardous work points should be
displayed in detail on a board.
Use of danger signs, necessary precautions and
associated safety measures should be displayed
properly
The personnel should be effectively trained before
the work started (Sussman, 1987)

Requirements of planning
Personnel should be provided with the appropriate
clothing
Periodically, the site managers should periodically
check that every safety requirement is being met
A specific assessment should be made in regard
with safety considerations around the work place

Requirements of planning
For every work site, there should be present,
emergency teams that can deal with any mishap
that might occur at the work site
First and secondary aid equipment should be
present at the work site at all times
Site control measures should be defined.
Environmental analysis should be done if the work
involves doing things that are dangerous for
example, drilling at heights or installing high
voltage cables alongside live wires (Sussman,
1987)

Needed personnel
Work places should be provided with the following
expert personnel that should be present at the
work site at all times

Evacuation personnel
Firefighters
Medical team
Chemical experts
Toxicologists

Safety Inspections
A complete safety inspection routine should be
maintained throughout the time that the worksite
is operational.
The safety management team should conduct
weekly and monthly safety training sessions
The management should also rehearse
emergency situations so that they are prepared if
something goes wrong

Safety Inspections
Worker feedback about the safety of their work
environment should be gained so as to get an
overview of how safe they feel around the work
place
The equipment used by the workers should be
optimum and should not pose any threat during
usage to their users

Training programs
Specific training programs for each type of hazard
management should be attended by the workers
of the site
Limitations and precautionary measures should be
taught to the workers at every training cycle
Rules and regulations should be described
appropriately during training programs

Site surveillance
Site surveillance involves the following things:
Safety inspectors
Cameras and digital monitors to assess certain
hazards such as radiation
Weather conditions should be monitored every day
before it starts

Medical history
The OSHA model describes a criterion which is
related to the health of the individual worker of
the site
The model describes a fitness test that has to be
conducted on an individual worker before
assigning him to a physically tedious task
The medical history should be maintained against
the record of each worker for later use

Pre-employment medical
tests
Occupation and medical history
Review of past illness and diseases
Review of allergies and other conditions like
asthma
Physical examination of the employees should be
undertaken so as to check whether or not theyre
fit for the job (Danna & Griffin, 1999)

Hazard analysis
A hazard analysis should be present at the time of
the safety consideration process
The analysis team should formulate an accurate
plan of the work site that shows sites where
hazard is imminent
An analysis report should be maintained and
updated with each weather condition

Official Hazard Guidelines

Threshold Limit Value (TLV)
Use for determining the appropriate level of worker
protection
Permissible Exposure Limit(PEL)
Recommendation Exposure Limit (REL)
IDLH (concentrations of certain chemicals)

Elements of Effective
Hazard Communication
Program
OSHAs effective hazard communication program:

Hazard Communication
Program
OSHA also provides companies with samples of a
hazard communication program which they are
supposed to use as an example to form their own
original one.
The Hazard Communication Program addresses
the following key aspect:
1. The Company Policy.
2. Container Labeling and the name of the
person responsible for the task.
3. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and the name of the
person responsible for the task within the
company.
4. Employee information and training.
5. Hazard and non-routine tasks.

Hazard Communication
Program
6. Informing other employees and the
contractors involved. (This involves the task of
providing the
employees and their contractors
with proper information regarding the level of
exposure and the dangers that they
might face
while working on the facility.
7. A complete list of hazardous chemicals that
the
company is using.
8. Chemicals in unlabeled pipes that the workers
might have to work around.
9. Program availability. The company must have
a copy of this program at all times so that it can be
provided to
employees, contractors and even OSHA

Conclusion
OSHA has laid down strict employee safety
measures that companies and industries have to
comply with in order to retain their jobs.
Employee safety and health are of the utmost
concern to OSHA.
OSHA has developed an extensive criteria for
companies to comply with in order to ensure that
the employees are not in a direct danger while
performing tasks at work.
Specific aspects of their health is taken in to
consideration in order to ensure that the
workplace is not a direct threat to their health and
well-being.

Conclusion
OSHA specifically takes in to account the various
levels of exposure based on their classification.
Exposure to harsh conditions and workplace
environments are all taken in to account.
OSHA also pays specific attention to the exposure
to chemicals that employees might have to face.
The regulations laid down ultimately require
companies to provide their employees with the
necessary protection in order to ensure that they
remain safe and continue to perform effectively.
(Vredenburgh, 2000)

References
Smith, R. S. (1992). Have OSHA and workers'
compensation made the workplace safer? (No. 1).
Institute for Labor Market Policies, School of
Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University.
Clansky, K. B. (1988). Chemical guide to the OSHA
Hazard Communication Stan dard. Roytech
Publications.
Sussman, R. M. (1987). Overview of the OSHA
Hazard Communication Standard and Key Issues
of Interpretation, An. Food Drug Cosm. LJ, 42, 307.
Danna, K., & Griffin, R. W. (1999). Health and wellbeing in the workplace: A review and synthesis of
the literature. Journal of management, 25(3), 357384.

References
Vredenburgh, A. G. (2002). Organizational safety:
which management practices are most effective
in reducing employee injury rates?.Journal of
safety Research,33(2), 259-276.