OSHA To Focus on Chemical Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has teamed up with the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication in an effort to protect workers against chemical hazards in the workplace.

To put the problem of chemical-related work injuries into perspective, it's estimated that approximately 32 million U.S. workers are exposed to one or more chemical hazards annually. Common injuries associated with chemical exposure may include disruption of the central nervous system, sterility, cancer, skin burns, rashes, headaches, respiratory disease, fires and explosions.

According to OSHA, there are more than 650,000 chemical products currently on the market and hundreds more being produced each year. With such a vast array of chemicals, it's difficult for employers to differentiate between them, resulting in confusion on how to prevent and treat related injuries.

OSHA and the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication hope to reduce the number of the chemical-related injuries in the workplace by creating informational material for employers and employees. This educational material will be provided free to charge, with the focus of informing employers and workers in the chemical industry on the safe use and handling of hazardous chemicals.

"American workers use thousands of chemicals every day, and every year tens of thousands of workers are made sick or die from occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals,” Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels said in a statement. “Our renewed partnership with SCHC will extend our efforts toward ensuring healthier workers and safer workplaces.”

The partnership will also cover the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. OSHA ruled back in 2012 that as of June 1, 2015 all companies that manufacture, import and/or distribute, hazardous chemicals must use GHS-compliant labels on products containing hazardous chemicals to comply with OSHA's newly revised Hazard Communication Standard. And with June fast approaching, many employers are left scratching their head on how exactly to accomplish this.