Page 72 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2018

GHS/SDS TRAINING
Using Chemical Management Software to Improve Communications and Prevent Incidents
Knowing exactly what employees are assigned to do can help break down any communication barriers. BY JOHN KINCAID
66 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY 2018
www.ohsonline.com
Job safety is a crucial factor for employees in any industry—particularly for those who work in high-risk activities. For many who work with hazardous materials, safety is something that can’t be taken for granted. In a field such as chemical management, communication is important to main- tain a safe, healthy, and sustainable workplace envi- ronment. And communication isn’t limited to just verbal interactions; properly training employees and affirming your workers understand legal guidelines is just as vital.
These guidelines include those developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Creating a set of standards with the Hazard
Communication Standard in 2013, OSHA enacted guidelines to make information not only more widely available, but also homogenous. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) were standardized to a single format, while new pictures and labels were also made mandatory for chemical specification.
Hazard Communication, or HazCom, has also been keeping workers safe through the process of simple and easily understood communications. This means that chemicals are to be labeled with appropri- ate safety warnings, as well as information regarding their contents and potential danger.
Yet, even with these guidelines to keep workers safe, communication still proves to be an issue in
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