Summary of Hazardous Materials

Summary

● The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mission is to prevent work-related ill- nesses, injuries, and death by issuing and enforcing workplace safety and health standards.

● OSHA accomplishes its mission by making and enforcing certain standards needed to protect workers.

● OSHA requires a material safety data sheet (MSDS) be supplied when a chemical or hazardous substance is purchased.

● MSDS provides information on a hazardous material product identifying its dangers and the precautions to be taken while using it.

● The Department of Transportation (DOT) was given broad authority to regulate hazardous materials if transported by Congress in 1966.

● DOT broke hazardous materials into nine categories based on chemical and physical properties.

● DOT identified appropriate packaging materials for shipping or transport of hazardous materials.

● Packing groups are used to indicate the degree of risk a hazardous material may pose when in transport.

● In every workspace with hazardous materials, someone is responsible for the hazards of each chemical present.

● Chemicals that are generally considered to be non- threatening could be hazardous if two chemicals react during a spill.

● There are proper methods for storage of chemicals in the workspace.

● All flammable and combustible liquids should be stored in metal containers in a flammable storage cabinet.

● Federal law strictly regulates the disposal of most hazardous materials.

● Federal law also requires any facility to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated.

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