Everyday Hazmat User’s Training Guide
Introduction (continued)
Determining Whether a Product Is Hazardous
Determining whether a product is hazardous is the first step in protecting yourself and managing hazardous materials. Products that are used as a part of routine activities are often taken for granted. The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has addressed this concern in two ways. First, facilities that use hazardous materials are required to develop and maintain an active Hazard Communication (HazCom) program. This program ensures that employees are trained to deal with hazardous materials, use proper personal protective equipment (PPE), and identify hazardous materials through Material Safety Data Sheets, which are to be made readily available to employees in every work area where hazardous materials are stored or used.
Every product that contains regulated chemicals must have an MSDS that presents a range of information about the steps that must be taken to ensure personal safety. Additionally, OSHA requires every manufacturer of a hazardous product to label those products with health warnings so a worker can quickly determine the nature of dangers that are being encountered.
The facility’s HazCom program, the manufacturer’s MSDS, and the product labeling help you determine the chemicals in the product you are using, what you must do to protect yourself, and what workers and facility managers must do to ensure proper storage and disposal. You will need the facility’s HazCom program, the manufacturer’s MSDS, and the product labeling in addition to the Everyday Hazmat User’s Training Guide.
Labels on products are your first source of safety information. Look closely at the label for words like highly flammable, flammable, combustible, poison, and acid. If you find these words, you will know that you must use caution when dealing with the product, and that the product probably will require special handling, storage, and disposal. If you dispense materials from a container that has been labeled by the manufacturer into another container, the new container must have a label with at least this much information:
- Product name
- Hazard warning
- Emergency contact
A product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is the second most important source of information on every product you use. The MSDS contains a listing of chemical constituents in the product, the product’s physical characteristics, and much more. This information is critical to ensuring safety for personnel and facilities, and for protecting the environment through careful handling, storage, and disposal. Manufacturers may organize their MSDS differently than the one shown, but every MSDS must contain the same information.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
Check in MSDS section I to make sure you have the right MSDS for the product you are going to use. Call the manufacturer to get the proper MSDS or find the most recent release.
Check in MSDS section II to see if any chemicals are listed. If so, this product probably has environmental and health concerns. If any chemicals are listed in this section, the product will become a hazardous waste only if it is declared a waste. If it is used for its intended purpose, it is not a hazardous waste.
MSDS section III will tell you the specific gravity (multiply the specific gravity by 8.34 pounds and get the weight of the product per gallon); if specific gravity is less than 1.0, the product will float on water. The boiling point is used to determine the class of a flammable product. If vapor density is greater than 1.0, the vapor will settle on the floor or ground. If a pH is listed and it is lower than 2.5 or higher than 12.5, the product will become a hazardous waste only if it is declared a waste; if it is used up for its intended purpose, it is not a hazardous waste.
Check in MSDS section IV to find the product’s flashpoint to determine if the product is flammable or combustible. If the flashpoint is less than 140°F, the product will become a hazardous waste only if it is declared a waste; if it is used up for its intended purpose, it is not a hazardous waste.
Check in MSDS section V to see if this product is reactive; if so, the product will be a reactive hazardous waste if it becomes a waste.
Check in MSDS section VI to learn of the nature of any health effects, how they may appear, and what to do if they appear.
Check in MSDS section VII to determine how you are supposed to handle, use, and dispose of this product.
Check in MSDS section VIII to find the steps you need to take to protect yourself when using this product.
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