Hazard Communication Training:

Annual Refresher Course

for the Division of Math and Sciences
revised August 2007
Science Safety Committee:
www.austincc.edu/sci_safe
The Texas Hazard Communication Act
also know has “HAZCOM”

 is a law established to keep you informed about

chemicals and other hazards in the
workplace;
 says that you, as an employee, have the "right to
know" about chemicals that you may come in
contact with while performing your job.

August 2007 2
Definition of a hazardous chemical

a chemical is hazardous, or dangerous, if it can

cause any of these:
 injury to you
 damage to your workplace
 damage to the environment

here are some examples of what

hazardous chemicals can do to you

August 2007 3
Caustic
Burn
Chemical
Burn
ACC’s Responsibilities as an employer:

 to understand the HAZCOM standard

 to develop and implement a HAZCOM plan
http://www.austincc.edu/ehs/Hazcom.php

 to identify and list all workplace hazardous chemicals

 to maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)
 to label all hazardous chemicals
 to train employees in the safe handling and storage of
hazardous chemicals

August 2007 6
Your Responsibilities as an ACC employee:

1. Ask your supervisor:

 which chemicals stored or used in your
workplace could cause damage or exposure
 how to detect over exposure to a chemical
(symptoms)
 what to do in the event of a spill

August 2007 7
Your Responsibilities as an ACC employee:

2. Complete annual HAZCOM training.

3. Know how to use MSDSs.
4. Know how to read chemical labels.
5. Know when and how to use personal protective
equipment (PPE) to protect yourself from
chemicals.

August 2007 8
As an ACC employee, you have the right to:
1. know the locations of hazardous chemicals
2. know the location of and how to access:
• the written ACC hazard communication program
• a printed copy of the workplace chemical list
• printed MSDSs
3. receive training:
• prior to your initial assignment
• when changes occur in your assignment (for
example, when you teach or prepare for a
different course)

August 2007 9
The ACC HAZCOM Program applies to:

1. all ACC employees including

hourly employees
work-study students
2. all ACC students

August 2007 10
The ACC HAZCOM Program:

 Details duties and responsibilities of

employees and students
 Requires reporting of chemical incidents
 Requires each area to maintain an inventory
of hazardous chemicals
 Describes labeling requirements for
containers of hazardous chemicals

August 2007 11
Duties and Responsibilities of ACC Science
Safety Coordinators:
1. Keep records of safety incidents and corrective
actions.
2. Provide to the office of Environmental Health,
Safety and Insurance Office by November 01
of each year:
a. a Work Area Chemical Inventory (WACI) for each
work area;
b. annual notice of training completion for all
employees.
3. Approve the purchase of any chemicals not
already on the WACI.
August 2007 12
Duties and Responsibilities of ACC Science
Safety Coordinators:

4. Retain safety records for at least 5 years.

5. Ensure that MSDSs are available for all
chemicals purchased.
6. Ensure that the requirements of the ACC
HAZCOM Program and area implementation
plan are fulfilled within their departments.
7. Ensure that all employees have received
appropriate training before working with or
working in an area containing hazardous
chemicals.

August 2007 13
 Duties & Responsibilities of ACC
Employees and Students
1. Report ALL incidents (for example spills and
minor injuries) to the Science Safety
Coordinator using the appropriate form
(covered later in this program).
2. Immediately report serious chemical incidents
and incidents requiring outside medical
assistance to the Environmental Health,
Safety and Insurance Office by completing the
appropriate form:
http://accweb.austincc.edu/accforms/forms/HZCM003injuryrep.pdf

August 2007 14
 HAZCOM Training is Required for:

all employees;

all students enrolled in laboratory courses

and courses involving field activities.

August 2007 15
HAZCOM Training is Required:
 prior to beginning work in an area that contains
hazardous chemicals;
 annually;
 whenever new hazards are introduced into the
workplace;
 when new or significant information is received
on the hazards of chemicals;
 when the potential for exposure increases.

August 2007 16
 HAZCOM Training must include:
 how to find and interpret MSDSs;
 how to interpret hazard labels (type and level of
hazard);
 location of hazardous chemicals the employee or
student will handle;
 how to safely handle and store hazardous
chemicals;
 how to find, select, use and care for appropriate PPE;
 first aid treatment for chemicals the employee or
student will use;
 how to clean up spills.
August 2007 17
Using Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)

1. Where do we get MSDSs?

Chemical manufacturers or distributors who

supply hazardous chemicals to ACC must:
provide a MSDS with the initial shipment
provide a new MSDS with first shipment after
an MSDS is updated

August 2007 18
Using Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)

2. What is on a MSDS?
•Company Info •Reactivity Data
•Hazardous •Spill and Leak
Ingredients Procedures
•Physical Data •Special Protection
•Fire and Explosion Information
Data •Special
•Health Hazard Data Precautions

August 2007 19
Hazard Communications
Material Safety Data Sheet
MSDS Information Sections
Section 1. Chemical product and
company identification
Section 2. Composition/ information
on ingredients
Section 3. Hazards identification,
including emergency overview
Section 4. First aid measures
Section 5. Fire fighting measures
Section 6. Accidental release
measures
Section 7. Handling and storage
Section 8. Exposure controls/
personal protection
August 2007
Section 9. Physical and chemical
properties
Section 10. Stability and reactivity
Section 11. Toxicological information
Section 12. Ecological information
Section 13. Disposal considerations
Section 14. Transport information
Section 15. Regulatory information
Section 16. Other information
22
Work Area Chemical Inventory (WACI)

 Each work area will maintain an inventory list

(WACI) of all chemicals present in the work
area regardless of quantity
 WACIs will be updated by the designated person
annually and when new chemicals are added
 WACIs will be provided to the Science Safety
Coordinator annually and when updated

August 2007 23
The WACI contains this information:
 name and phone number of the person responsible
for the work area and the name and signature of the
person responsible for compiling the inventory
 area name
 location of the hazardous chemicals (building and
room)
 chemical name or the common name of the product
and its ingredients
 CAS numbers
 container types
 hazards associated with the chemical
 maximum quantity that would be on hand at any time
August 2007 24
Categories of Hazardous Chemicals

 physical hazards - produce dangerous

situations such as fires and explosions

 health hazards - harm your body from the

inside

August 2007 25
Types of physical hazards:

combustible liquids
compressed gases
explosives
flammables
organic peroxides

August 2007 26
Types of health hazards:

carcinogens
toxins
irritants
sensitizers
target organ effects

Health hazards can have either acute

(immediate) or chronic effects (occurring over
a period of time).

August 2007 27
Health hazards can enter your body
through these routes:

absorption through skin or mucous

membranes
ingestion by eating or drinking
inhaling / breathing in
puncture / injection

August 2007 28
 Evaluating and Controlling the Risk of
Chemical Exposures

The chemicals we use have been tested (on

animals) to establish estimates of how much of
the chemical we can be exposed to OR how
long we can be exposed to it before it has
deleterious effects on us.

There are many terms used to describe these

limits: TLV, PEL, TWA, STEL, and ceiling limits

August 2007 29
Threshold limit value (TLV)

is the airborne concentration limit of a substance

under which nearly all workers may be
repeatedly exposed without adverse effect.

August 2007 30
Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
is the maximum amount or concentration of a
chemical that a worker can be exposed to.
PELs are measured in different ways:
1. Ceiling limits are amounts or concentrations of a
chemical that should never be exceeded even for
very brief periods of time.
2. A time weighted average (TWA) is the upper limit of
exposure for a normal 8-hour work day.
3. A short term exposure limit (STEL) is the
concentration of a chemical that a worker can be
exposed to for a short period of time without suffering
irritation, chronic or irreversible tissue damage.
August 2007 31
Guidelines for Labeling Hazardous
Chemicals
1. Primary container labels should contain:
• identity of chemicals
• physical and health hazards, including target organs
• manufacturer’s name and address
2. Secondary container labels must contain all of the
above except the manufacturer’s information.
3. Replace labels if they don’t meet standards or are
illegible.
4. NEVER have any unlabeled, unattended containers in
your work area.

August 2007 32
Container
Chemical
Label name

Hazard warnings

Manufacturer
HAZCOM Labeling and Marking Systems

NFPA Diamonds

HMIS Labels

August 2007 34
NFPA Diamonds

•color coded, numerical

rating system
•located near main
entrances, fire alarm
panels, on outside
entrance doors or
cabinets
•provide at-a-glance hazard
information

August 2007 35
Color Coding for NFPA Labels

Red = Flammability
Blue = Health/Toxicity
Yellow = reactivity/stability
White = special hazard
information (NFPA)

August 2007 36
Number Coding for NFPA Labels

4= Deadly Hazard
3= Severe Hazard
2= Moderate Hazard
1= Slight Hazard
0= No Hazard

August 2007 37
HMIS Labels
•designed to go on
individual containers of
products that don’t have
manufacturer’s labels
•same color code/numerical
rating system as the NFPA
diamonds with one
exception
•white = personal protective
equipment or special
protection information

August 2007 38
Storing Chemicals Safely

 all chemicals are

stored according to
hazard categories

 incompatible chemicals
are stored separately

This is an example of
improperly stored
chemicals!
August 2007 39
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The most important thing to

remember about PPE is that it only
protects you if you wear it!

August 2007 40
Instructors must:

 Wear the required PPE for the lab activity

 Ensure that students wear the required PPE
 Ensure that the PPE is worn by all students
during the entire lab activity

August 2007 41
PPE: Conditions Requiring Safety Eyewear

Eye protection must be worn when any of these is

present:
 chemicals
 physical hazards
 biohazards

August 2007 42
PPE: Types of Safety Eyewear

There are two categories of safety eyewear:

1) Safety glasses – must have permanently
attached side shields.
2) Goggles
Both types must meet the Z87 standard.

August 2007 43
PPE: Choosing Safety Eyewear

• Goggles provide the best all around protection.

• If it is necessary to wear contact lenses in the

lab, wear protective goggles rather than
safety glasses.

• Regular eyeglasses do not provide adequate

protection when working with chemical or
physical hazards

August 2007 44
PPE: Choosing Gloves

• any glove can be permeated by chemicals

• nitrile gloves are more resistant to most

chemicals than latex gloves

• special gloves must be worn when handling

materials that are hot, very cold, or sharp

August 2007 45
PPE: Using and Changing Gloves

 check gloves for cracks, tears and holes

before use
 to remove gloves:
1) grasp outside of one glove and pull it off
2) hold that glove with your gloved hand
3) insert your fingers under the cuff of the other
glove
4) turn that glove inside out over the first glove

August 2007 46
PPE: Other Protective Clothing

 Lab coat: primary purpose is to protect against splashes

and spills; they should be non-flammable and easily
removed.
 Rubber-coated apron: can be worn to protect against
chemical splashes and be worn over a lab coat for
additional protection.
 Shoes: must fully cover the feet and should always be
worn when chemicals are in use.
 Hard hat: must be worn when there is a hazard from
falling rock debris.

August 2007 47
First Aid

• Only minor injuries will be treated in the lab.

• Do not give or recommend oral medications to
students.
• Note use of supplies on form in first aid kit.

August 2007 48
Universal Precautions

are designed to prevent transmission of human

immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus
(HBV), and other blood borne pathogens
 Assume that all body fluids are infectious.
 Do not come into contact with anyone’s body fluids.
 For cleanup of body fluids (blood, vomit), contact the
campus administration office for assistance.

August 2007 49
Chemical Spill Procedure

ACC’s written chemical spill procedures can be

found at:

http://www.austincc.edu/ehs/pdf/Hazardous_Ma
terials_Spill_Procedure.pdf

August 2007 50
 CHEMICAL SPILLS

NO UNKNOWN
CHEMICAL?
YES
SECTION I OF
SPILL PROCEDURE
HAZARD RATING
NO = /> 2 IN ANY YES
SECTION?

OVER 1 YES CONTACT

LITER ? SUPERVISOR

NO
NO
HAVE YOU
BEEN
TRAINED? NO
DO YOU SECTION 2 OF
YES YES SPILL
HAVE
RIGHT PROCEDURE
PPE?

August 2007 51
Follow the directions in Section One of the
Chemical Spill Procedure if ANY of
these conditions exists:

• the spill volume is over one liter (~quart)

• it contains chemicals that have a hazard rating
of 2 or above
• it contains any UNKNOWN chemical/material
• you are the only person present and you have
not been trained
• you do not have adequate PPE

August 2007 52
What you need to do for a Section 1 Spill:
 evacuate the immediate area
 close doors to area of spill
 restrict access to area of spill
 contact ACC Police at 222 or 223-7999 and
report this information:
1. identity and quantity of chemical spilled
2. exact location of spill
3. hazard ratings for chemicals spilled (from container label
or MSDS; either HMIS or NFPA is OK)
4. any injuries or exposure to employees or students
Campus Police will contact EHS to make a clean up
assessment.
August 2007 53
Follow the directions in Section Two of the
Chemical Spill Procedure if ALL of
these conditions exists:

• the spill volume is less than one liter (~quart)

• it contains chemicals that have a hazard rating
below 2 in all hazard categories
• you have been trained in spill clean up
procedures
• you have adequate PPE

August 2007 54
 What you need to do for a Section 2 Spill:
 restrict access to area of spill
 immediately notify your supervisor and others in area of
the spill
 mark the area to prevent others from coming in contact
with the spill
 obtain the MSDSs and refer to the spill clean up
instructions
 report the spill to EHS (M-F 8am to 5 pm) or Campus
Police (any other time)
1. identity and quantity of chemical spilled
2. exact location of spill
Campus Police will contact EHS.
August 2007 55
Reporting Incidents
All lab incidents need to be reported so that if a
problem in equipment or procedures exists, it
can be fixed to prevent further problems.
Incidents are categorized as
• non-injury
• injury (to an employee or student)
 minor - treated by using materials from the first aid kit)
 major – eye injuries, head injuries or anything
requiring treatment by EMS or a physician

Follow these procedures to report incidents

August 2007 56
 In ju ry occu rs on
A C C cam p u s

M a jor M in o r

C a ll S tu d e n t S u p e r v is o r 's
A C C C am pus In su ran ce R e p o rt to
P o lic e C la im / H I P P A S c ie n c e S a fe ty
D is p a tch (2 2 2 ) F orm s C o o r d in a to r

N o tify y o u r S u p e r v is o r 's
S c ie n c e R e p o rt to
S a fe ty S c ie n c e S a fe ty
C o o r d in a to r C o o r d in a to r

August 2007 57
 N o n -I n ju r y I n c id e n t R e p o r tin g F o r m
c o m p le te d a n d g iv e n to
L a b A s s is t a n t

S p ill N o S p ill

C h e m ic a l B io h a z a rd S a fe ty N o S a fe ty
R e la te d C on cern

F o llo w A C C I n d iv id u a l L a b A sst. sen d s L a b A s s t. r e s o lv e s

S p ill P la n c le a n s u p t h e ir sen d s cop y of p r o b le m o r
in S c ie n c e o w n flu id s fo r m to S a fe ty co n ta cts L ab
S a fety M a n u al O R C o o r d in a to r C o o r d in a to r

C a ll C a m p u s L a b A s s t. r e s o lv es
A d m in . O ffic e p r o b le m o r
fo r c le a n -u p co n ta cts L a b
b y c u s to d ia n C o o r d in a to r

S en d copy of
fin a l fo r m
to S a fe ty
C o o r d in a to r

August 2007 58
ACC Safety Web Sites:
Science Safety: www.austincc.edu/sci_safe

Environmental Health, Safety and Insurance: http://

www.austincc.edu/ehs/

Environmental Health and Safety Task Force: http://

www.austincc.edu/ehs/EHSTF/EHSTF_index.html

August 2007 59