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601 Essentials of Occupational Safety and Health
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Hazard Communications Training

Employers must provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area:

  • at the time of their initial assignment,
  • whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into their work area, and
GHS Training with a room full of people sitting at desks and a trainer at the front of the room.
Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards or specific chemicals.
  • when employees change jobs which exposes them to new hazards.

Information and training may be designed to cover categories of hazards (e.g., flammability, carcinogenicity) or specific chemicals. Chemical-specific information must always be available through labels and SDSs.

While training is not required to be repeated on a regular basis, employers may want to consider doing that to be sure that workers remember what they have learned. It is also a good opportunity to review the hazard communication program and make sure that it is still working effectively.

The Hazard Communication training program should provide workers with the following information:

  • requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard;
  • operations in the work area where hazardous chemicals are present; and
  • location and availability of the written hazard communication program.

In addition to providing this information to workers, they must be trained on the following:

  • methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area;
  • physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area;
  • measures workers can take to protect themselves from these hazards; and
  • details of the hazard communication program developed by the employer.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-9. When must employers provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area?