What Is hazcom? A practical guide to OSHA’s hazard communication standard

When your employees work with hazardous substances, they need clear, reliable information to stay safe. That’s where OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (hazcom), comes in. From proper labeling to keeping safety data sheets (SDSs) accessible, hazcom outlines exactly how employers must communicate chemical risks and protect their teams.

Imagine there’s a chemical leak at your facility. Will your staff members know how to clean the spill or mitigate ongoing risks? Will they know what kind of protective equipment they should be wearing in the affected area? Will they know who to contact should evacuations be necessary for surrounding businesses and homes?

With a proper hazcom program in place, you can help ensure your staff is prepared to respond to hazardous material emergencies at your facility.

What is hazcom?

Hazcom is the regulatory framework that OSHA has put in place for employers to inform their staff about hazardous materials present in the workplace.

On the principle that employees have a right to know about the hazardous materials at their workplace. Those standards required employers to properly label hazards and provide proper documentation and training to employees.

OSHA has evolved standards in recent years from the “employee right to know” about hazardous materials to the “employee right to understand” hazards and associated risks. The result? More stringent regulations and clearer direction regarding documentation.

OSHA's Hazcom Compliance Standards

To get compliant with OSHA standards for hazcom, employers need to ensure they’re providing their employees with proper tools, procedures and training. That includes:

• Maintaining a written program:  Employers must create, keep and follow a written program explaining how they meet OSHA requirements. It must include a list of on-site hazardous chemicals, explain how SDSs are managed, describe the workplace labeling system and outline training procedures. 
• SDS databases:  SDSs must be accessible to any employee on any shift — not locked away or accessible only through a supervisor. 
• Proper labeling:  All hazardous chemical containers must carry appropriate hazard information, including classification, pictograms and signal words.
• Employee training:  Employees must receive training at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced. Employers must maintain documentation verifying that training has been completed.

According to OSHA, failure to follow these procedures could result in fines of up to $16,000 per violation. If those violations are considered “willful,” fines could reach up to more than $150,000.

What are the benefits of hazcom training?

It’s not just OSHA compliance training and costly fines — the safety of your staff members is on the line. Training your team in hazcom best practices will help give them:

• A better understanding of the risks they face
• Reduced risk of injury
• A stronger safety culture
• More confidence in an emergency

Plus, when you schedule Cintas Hazard Communications training, you get more than just engaging instruction. Our online platform helps track employee compliance and provides access to key documentation so you’re ready in the event of audits or inspections. Our trainers are also constantly tracking the latest regulations, ensuring our courses are always up to date.

Want to learn more about how to get started with Cintas safety training? Click here to learn more.