What is Hazard Communication and Why Do You Need It?

If you were asked, right now, to construct a workplace hazard communication plan would you know what was needed, or even why it was important? Would you know what was necessary, or not necessary, to include in your plan? How about who was responsible for overseeing the whole thing?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) bases their hazard communication standard on a simple concept: employees need, and right, to know the identities and hazards of the chemicals they are exposed to in the workplace. Remember, knowing how to prevent the unsafe handling of chemicals in the workplace is every bit as important as knowing how to react in an emergency situation.

1. Step One: Identify Hazards

   A hazard is something that can cause harm, whether it’s electricity, chemicals, heights, or noise – the list can go on and on. Health hazards like irritation or illness, as well as physical hazards such as flammability or reactivity, are present in workplaces all over the world so we need to know where to look for them, how to avoid them, and how to deal with them.

   Risk is the chance, however high or low, that a hazard will actually cause harm. The first step in building your plan is to take inventory of all hazards that exist in routine and non-routine practices.

   Delegate Responsibility

   While the employer is responsible for establishing the hazard communication plan, other roles can be employed within the plan. Perhaps your plan designates a certain employee to be responsible for maintaining the labels on specific hazards. Maybe another employee is responsible for knowing where the first aid kit is kept. Another employee may be responsible for keeping the kit stocked. All this should be made clear to each employee and should be clearly written and accessible to all employees.

   Location and Accessibility

   The written hazard communication plan and protocol must be easily accessible to every employee, at all times. Along the same lines, chemicals should be easily identifiable with labels that are intact and up to date. This means keeping the plan posted in a common space and/or near all specific hazards. It’s also a good idea to add this and other similar policies to the employee handbook.

   Training and Maintaining

   We’re a training company so as far as we’re concerned, it goes without saying that your employees need hazard communication training. Your team may develop the best hazard communication plan ever written, but what good is it if your employees have no idea what it says or how to abide by it? At minimum, training should familiarize employees with the plan, where it can be accessed, and what steps to take if a situation arises. Regular updates and refreshers on relevant hazards and risks will keep your employees up to date and well informed on expected hazard communication tactics.

   It is an employer’s duty and obligation to effectively build and distribute a hazard communication plan that details the proper labeling, handling, and emergency protocols regarding hazardous materials. By doing so, you give your employees the tools they need to protect themselves and reduce illness and injury.