Safety Data Sheets in HAZWOPER Environments

(21 min.) Hazardous materials and waste are a part of many work situations, and can be found in many types of facilities and job sites. It is very important for employees to know how to recognize these potentially dangerous substances, and how to handle and dispose of them properly. In 1976, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to regulate the handling of hazardous waste "from cradle to grave". Since then, other regulations have followed... including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Interim Final Rule for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response ("HAZWOPER")... which in 1986 gave OSHA the task of protecting HAZMAT workers. But every chemical has different hazards. It is important that employees know how to protect themselves from these hazards, as well as what they should do in an emergency involving a chemical that they are working with. The answers to these and other important questions about hazardous chemicals can be found on the chemicals' Safety Data Sheets (SDS). The SDS is basically a guide for the safe use of a hazardous chemical. It provides information about handling, storing, transporting and working with the chemical safely. So it is important that employees know how the SDS is organized and where they can find important information on it. MARCOM's training products on "HAZWOPER: Safety Data Sheets" educate employees about the Safety Data Sheets format and reviews how the information in an SDS can help them work safely with potentially hazardous chemicals. Topics covered in these products include: