StepsforTransitioning safer chemicals
From steel mills to hospitals, from construction sites to nail salons, hazardous chemical exposure is a serious concern for countless employers and workers in many, many industries, in every part of this nation.
American workers use thousands of chemicals every day. And every year, tens of thousands of workers are made sick or die from occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals. Many people think that the workplace exposure standards set by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration protect workers from the more hazardous of these chemicals, but the truth is that, for many of these chemicals, OSHA’s standards are out-of-date or inadequately protective. Even more, many chemicals are not covered by a specific OSHA regulation. We recognize this and are developing new ways to approach the problem of workplace exposure to hazardous substances. To help keep workers safe, OSHA recently launched two new chemical safety resources. The Transitioning to Safer Chemicals Online Toolkit provides employers and workers with information, methods, tools and guidance in eliminating hazardous chemicals or using safer chemical substitutions in the workplace. We know that the most efficient and effective way to protect workers from hazardous chemicals is by eliminating or replacing these chemicals with safer alternatives, and this should be done whenever possible. The online toolkit is a convenient, step-by-step... |
