HazCom training

Under the standard, employers must provide effective training to workers when they are first assigned to a job involving hazardous chemicals and again when a new hazard is introduced. The key word is effective. Handing out a handbook is not enough if workers cannot explain what a label or pictogram means.

The training covers several areas. Workers should know the requirements of the standard, where hazardous chemicals are in their area, and where the written program and SDSs are kept. They should understand how to detect a release, such as by smell or visual cues, and the physical and health hazards of the chemicals they use.

Workers also learn the protective measures, including work practices, personal protective equipment and emergency procedures. The training explains the label elements, including signal words, pictograms and hazard statements, and how the sections of the SDS are organised.

Training should fit the audience. A warehouse worker, a lab technician and a janitor face different chemicals and need different examples. Training in a language workers understand makes it more effective. Records are good practice even where the rule does not demand a specific format.

Supervisors and managers need the same information to decide on controls and to answer questions. Retraining is wise when procedures change, when an incident shows a gap, or when workers show they have forgotten key points.