The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards contains information on several hundred chemicals commonly used in the workplace. The Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory lists information on more than 62,000 chemicals or chemicals. EPA`s ChemView provides information on test data and evaluations; Some libraries maintain safety data sheets (MSDSs) for more than 100,000 substances. The goal of the Texas Hazardous Substances Act (HSA), codified as Section 501 of the Health and Safety Code, is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Texas by reducing the risk of illness, injury, or death from the handling or use of hazardous consumer products. The HSA requires manufacturers, importers, repackagers, and private label retailers of hazardous consumer products to submit a registration form and registration fee to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and ensure that regulated products are properly labeled and packaged before being distributed or sold in Texas. Consumer products regulated under this Act are those that meet the definition of a “hazardous substance” under the HSA. These products can be divided into the following categories: This page contains basic information about chemical hazards and toxic substances in the workplace. While not all hazards associated with all chemical and toxic substances are addressed here, we provide relevant links to other sites with additional information on hazards and methods of controlling exposure in the workplace. Employees must keep abreast of risk management training and information and perform tasks related to risk prevention.
You must use all the control equipment provided, such as PPE, if necessary, and you must be responsible for keeping the workplace clean and germ-free. In addition to their own safety, employees can also help their colleagues and contractors stay safe when working with hazardous substances. For more information on hazardous substances requirements, contact the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Preventing or at least reducing exposure to hazardous substances is one of COSHH`s key requirements. Controlling exposure to hazardous substances can make your workplace safer and prevent work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses. As an employer, you are responsible for taking control measures to prevent or reduce your employees` exposure to hazards. Here are some of the steps you need to take to avoid exposure: Each of the above hazards has a specific definition in the FHSA. Where applicable, regulations published under the Act specify the tests that must be performed in order to assess a product for a specific hazard. The definitions and citations of the corresponding tests are below. All references are available on the Commission`s website at www.cpsc.gov.
under the Company icon. When evaluating a product, you need to make sure that you consider the finished product that consumers will use, rather than its individual ingredients. 1. A product is toxic if, if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, it is likely to cause bodily harm or disease to humans. 16 CFR 1500.3(c)(1) and (2) contain certain animal tests ∗ determine whether a product can cause immediate injury. In addition, a product is toxic if it can cause long-term chronic effects such as cancer, birth defects or neurotoxicity. 16 CFR 1500.3(c)(2)(ii) and 1500.135 show you how to evaluate products for chronic hazards. (2) A product is corrosive if it destroys living tissue such as the skin or eyes by chemical action. Corrosivity tests* are 16 CFR 1500.41.
(3) A product is irritating if it is not corrosive and significantly damages the area of the body with which it comes into contact. Irritation may occur after immediate, prolonged or repeated contact. The tests* for skin and eye irritation are 16 CFR 1500.41 and 1500.42, respectively. (4) A strong sensitiser is a product considered by the Commission to have a significant potential for hypersensitivity within the meaning of the Regulation. This hypersensitivity does not occur when a person first comes into contact with the product and only becomes apparent after the person has been exposed to the product a second time.
