The Hazard Communication Standard requires employers in the United States to disclose toxic and hazardous substances in workplaces. This is related to the Worker Protection Standard. Specifically, this requires unrestricted employee access to the

Material Safety Data Sheet A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widel ...

or equivalent, and appropriate training needed to understand health and safety risks.

History

Workplace safety in the USA began long before Dr. Alice Hamilton in Chicago, who began working for the state of Illinois in 1910 to deal with workplace safety. The

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agenc ...

was established in 1970 to standardize safety for nearly all workers in the United States, and hazard communication for toxic substance exposure was included during the 1980s. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) is currently being pursued to standardize workplace hazard protection internationally. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) was first adopted in 1983 in the United States with limited scope (48 FR 53280; November 25, 1983). In 1987, scope was expanded to cover all industries where employees are potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals (52 FR 31852; August 24, 1987). This is managed by the

This is managed by states that have an approved plan
The standard is identified i
29 C.F.R. 1910.1200
The summary is as follows. ''Employers shall maintain copies of any material safety data sheets ... and shall ensure that the material safety data sheets are readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their work area(s); and Employers shall ensure that employees are provided with information and training ... to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area ... the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area ...'' The United States Department of Defense does not manage hazards in accordance with public law. * DoD and the right to know

Purpose

Employees access to hazard information is one of the prerequisites required for access to competent medical diagnosis and treatment. Environmental illness share characteristics with common diseases.

Cyanide Cyanide is a naturally occurring, rapidly acting, toxic chemical that can exist in many different forms. In chemistry, a cyanide () is a chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of ...

exposure symptoms include weakness, headache, nausea, confusion, dizziness, seizures, cardiac arrest, and unconsciousness.

Influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...

and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

include the same symptoms. Failure to obtain proper disclosure is likely to lead to improper or ineffective medical diagnosis and treatment. The Hazard Communication Standard requires the

Safety Data Sheet A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widel ...

to be made readily available for workplace exposure in the United States, because this information is required by physicians so they can do their job. Physicians also require epidemiological data maintained by local government agencies responsible for maintaining pesticide application data for use outside buildings (environmental exposure). This is part of the

Right to know Right to know is a human right enshrined in law in several countries. UNESCO defines it as the right for people to "participate in an informed way in decisions that affect them, while also holding governments and others accountable". It pursues ...

References

{{Reflist Industrial hygiene Safety engineering Environmental law in the United States