NIOSH conducts OSH Workplace survey

To respond to growing concern and debate over the supply and demand for occupational safety and health professionals in the United States, NIOSH commissioned a National Survey of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce, released in October, 2011.

The assessment found that based on current trends, future national demand for occupational safety and health services will significantly outstrip the number of professionals with the necessary training, education, and experience to provide such services. The full report provides the findings of the assessment in detail, and discusses the methodology and process used in the assessment. Refer to the Executive Summary section of the Westat report for key findings.

ECHA publishes guidance on SDS compliation

European Chemicals Agency offers a guidance document on how to comply with SDS requirements. Among other guidelines, ECHA states that “The safety data sheet shall be prepared by a competent person who shall take into account the specific needs and knowledge of the user audience, as far as they are known. Suppliers of substances and mixtures shall ensure that such competent persons have received appropriate training, including refresher training.”

Full PDF here: ECHA Guidance on Safety Data Sheets (PDF)

OSHA to Adopt GHS

From OHS:
The Purple Wave for workplace hazard communication — the popular metaphor representing growing worldwide interest in a global standard — is about to come ashore to the United States, as OSHA approaches the final stage of its rulemaking process to adopt the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals as the national Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).

The revised rule would be the first major change to the HCS in nearly 30 years. The new GHS rule is expected to include a three-year transition period for both substances and mixtures, which would coincide with the European Union’s implementation of GHS for mixtures in 2015.

GHS is designed to help workers identify the intrinsic hazards associated with chemicals and convey detailed information about hazardous ingredients, first aid measures, and proper storage and handling techniques for chemical substances and mixtures. The regulation also calls for a revised formatting and content of container labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).

Off The Books: Industry’s Secret Chemicals

From Environmental Working Group:

The 33-year old law that was supposed to ensure that Americans know what chemicals are in use around them, and what health and safety hazards they might pose, has produced a regulatory black hole, a place where information goes in – but much never comes out. The reason is that under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the chemical industry has been allowed to stamp a “trade secret” claim on the identity of two-thirds of all chemicals introduced to the market in the last 27 years, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) analysis of data obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These include substances used in numerous consumer and children’s products.

EWG’s analysis also showed that:
• The public has no access to any information about approximately 17,000 of
the more than 83,000 chemicals on the master inventory compiled by the
EPA.
• Industry has placed “confidential business information” (CBI) claims on the
identity of 13,596 new chemicals produced since 1976 – nearly two-thirds of
the 20,403 chemicals added to the list in the past 33 years.

OSHA proposes GHS

On September 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labor published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that starts the long process of introducing the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) into North America.

The Great MSDS Hoax

From EHS Today:

In theory, MSDSs provide users with information regarding hazardous substances and recommended safety precautions. While the concept behind these documents is good, my experience suggests that the information often is too vague or limited, making MSDSs amount to nothing more than a tragic hoax.

MSDS Gone Wild!

From EHS Today:

Oh no! We have a serious problem. The plant office manager ran into my office with a frantic look of panic on her face. The company safety inspectors are here and they want to see an MSDS on the Wite-Out. What will we do?

This scenario, while fictitious, is played out a thousand times every year in facilities all across our nation. We all have learned the OSHA rules of hazard communication, 29CFR1910.1200. The purpose and design of the program is excellent: that any chemicals produced or imported are evaluated for hazards and those hazards are then communicated to the employees and employers who might come in contact with them.

Chemical Buyers: Heed caution signs on road to e-sourcing

From Purchasing Magazine:

Supplier relationships, compliance issues take center stage when buying chemicals online.
By Rich Weissman — Purchasing, 4/10/2008

While e-sourcing has found its way into nearly every spend area imaginable today, buying chemicals online requires significantly more attention than most spend areas. A buyer’s need for detailed product specifications and regulatory compliance information often outpaces the need for speed in sourcing chemicals, and further emphasizes the need for strong supplier relationships.

Larry Giunipero, the ISM Professor of Purchasing and Supply Management at Florida State University in Tallahassee sees compliance as the major bottleneck in easily purchasing chemicals online. “There is an element of control in the chemical purchase that may not be so prevalent in other online purchases,” says Giunipero. “Buyers have to be concerned with material safety data sheets (MSDS), hazmat issues, and even DOT regulations for the transportation and storage of chemicals.”

OSHA Settles Hazcom Dispute

From Occupational Hazards:

Days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed a petition made by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and other industry groups claiming that OSHA amended its Hazard Communication (hazcom) standard without notice or comment, OSHA and the petitioners reached a settlement.
As per the settlement, OSHA will issue a letter of interpretation addressing specific questions NAM and the Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA) presented to OSHA regarding the agency’s new hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]) standard for general industry. The letter will be issued by OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs.

In addition, NAM and SSINA have agreed to file a motion with the court to withdraw their petition for review of the Cr(VI) standard on or before May 24.

OSHA and the two other industry groups involved in the settlement – Public Citizen Health Group (HRG) and the United Steelworkers – have agreed not to oppose any motion NAM and/or SSINA may file to intervene in support of the Cr(VI) standard in the remaining cases.

Improving Compliance Through Accurate MSDSs and Hazmat Inventory

From Occupational Hazards:

The challenge today for organizations is to effectively manage their entire chemical inventory so they can stay in compliance and avoid the dangers, fines and fees associated with not doing so.
In the hazmat world today, most large organizations follow a time-honored process for identifying critical compliance needs and spend the money necessary to make it work. It is a process that tilts the compliance board in advantage of the bigger players.

It starts with a sophisticated purchasing or procurement system, usually with a module that enables environmental health and safety (EHS) staff to review and approve all incoming hazardous items. Nothing arrives into a big company unnoticed. Next, the chemical or product is tracked through some type of bar code or RFID-tagged inventory management system, and data on its location and specific usage is recorded.

Material safety data sheets (MSDSs) are obtained and tracked, using a sophisticated document and data management system that is tied into procurement and chemical tracking. At the end of all this, compliance reports required by EPA and local agencies are generated and submitted, usually electronically. At this point, management plans are made or modified, staff are trained or retrained and the company moves forward safely until the next monthly review period.