OSHA 3084, Chemical Hazard Communication, discusses how under the provisions of the Hazard Communications Standard, employers are responsible for informing employees of the hazards and the identities of workplace chemicals to which they are exposed. About 32 million workers work with and are potentially exposed to one or more chemical hazards. There are an estimated 650,000 existing chemical products, and hundreds of new ones being introduced annually. This poses a serious problem for exposed workers and their employers. Chemical exposure may cause or contribute to many serious health effects...

A workplace emergency is an unforeseen situation that threatens your employees, customers, or the public; disrupts or shut down your operations; or causes physical or environmental damage. Emergencies may be natural or manmade and include: floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, toxic gas releases, chemical spills, radiological accidents, explosions, civil disturbances, and workplace violence resulting in bodily harm and trauma. OSHA 3088, How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations, is designed to help employers plan for the possibility of an emergency or disaster. Nobody expects an...

OSHA 3096, Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industry. Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as sprayed-on fireproofing, pipe insulation, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts and shingles, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, drywall joint compounds, and acoustical products. Because very few asbestos containing products are being installed today, most worker...

OSHA 3111, Hazard Communication Guidelines for Compliance, and OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is based on a simple concept-that employees have both a need and a right to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed to when working. They also need to know what protective measures are available to prevent adverse effects from occurring. OSHA designed the HCS to provide employees with the information they need to know. Knowledge acquired under the HCS will help employers provide safer workplaces for their employees. When employees have information about the...

OSHA 3114-07R, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. The dumping of hazardous substances poses a significant threat to the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data show that over 18 million tons of hazardous substances covered by TRI were disposed of or released into the environment from 1998 through 2004. Hazardous substances are a serious safety and health problem that continues to endanger human and animal life and environmental quality. Discarded hazardous substances that are toxic, flammable, or corrosive can cause...

OSHA 3115-06R, Underground Construction (Tunneling), standard covers many topics of concern to those who work in the challenging environment of underground construction. A sampling of items covered by the standard includes requirements for safe access and egress routes, employee training in hazard recognition, a "check-in/check-out" procedure, and emergency procedures. This booklet summarizes all requirements of the standard. The construction of underground tunnels, shafts, chambers, and passageways are essential yet dangerous activities. Working under reduced light conditions, difficult or...

OSHA 3120, Control of Hazardous Energy: Lockout/Tagout, presents OSHA's general requirements for controlling hazardous energy during service or maintenance of machines or equipment. It is not intended to replace or to supplement OSHA standards regarding the control of hazardous energy. After reading this booklet, employers and other interested parties are urged to review the OSHA standards on the control of hazardous energy to gain a complete understanding of the requirements regarding the control of hazardous energy. These standards, as well as other relevant resources, are identified...

OSHA 3122-06R, Principal Emergency Response and Preparedness Requirements and Guidance, addressed the fact that the importance of an effective workplace safety and health program cannot be overemphasized. There are many benefits from such a program, including increased productivity, improved employee morale, reduced absenteeism and illness, and reduced workers' compensation rates. Unfortunately, workplace accidents and illnesses still occur in spite of efforts to prevent them, and proper planning is necessary to effectively respond to emergencies. Several Occupational Safety and Health...

Unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids and gases in processes involving highly hazardous chemicals have been reported for many years. Incidents continue to occur in various industries that use highly hazardous chemicals which may be toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive, or may exhibit a combination of these properties. Regardless of the industry that uses these highly hazardous chemicals, there is a potential for an accidental release any time they are not properly controlled. This, in turn, creates the possibility of disaster. Recent major disasters include the 1984...

OSHA 3136-06R, Cadmium, addresses how workers in many industries face potential exposure to cadmium. Cadmium, a naturally occurring element found in the earth's crust, was discovered in 1817, but was not used commercially until the end of the 19th century. This soft, silver-white metal was first used in paint pigments and as a substitute for tin in World War I. Today, about three-fourths of cadmium is used as an electrode component in alkaline batteries, with the remainder used I pigments, coatings, and platings and as a stabilizer for plastics. The potential for exposure is highest among...