Hazard Communication Standard
The Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to disclose toxic and hazardous substances in workplaces. This is related to the Worker Protection Standard.
Specifically, this requires unrestricted employee access to the Material Safety Data Sheet or equivalent, and appropriate training needed to understand health and safety risks.
Employees were often injured or killed before the 19th century and during the early decades of the 20th century.
Workplace safety began with Dr. Alice Hamilton in Chicago, who began working for the state of Illinois in 1910 to deal with workplace safety.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established in 1970 to standardize safety for all workers in the United States, and hazard communication for toxic substance exposure was included during the 1980s.
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) is currently being pursued to standardize workplace hazard protection internationally.
Most developed countries have laws and that stipulate workplace health and safety requirements for toxic substances, including government agencies that provide information and enforcement.
Canada uses the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System to provide worker protection.
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work provides information about worker health and safety agencies located in the European Union.
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) was first adopted in 1983 in the United States with limited scope (48 FR 53280; November 25, 1983). In 1987, scope was expanded to cover all industries where employees are potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals (52 FR 31852; August 24, 1987).
This is managed nationally by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This is managed by states that have an approved plan.
The standard is identified in 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200. The summary is as follows.
The United States Department of Defense does not manage hazards in accordance with public law.
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