Hazard-Communication
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Jobs at sea or
ashore may require
us to come in contact
with hazardous chemicals
and materials.
It is our right to understand
about the risks that accompany
any hazardous substances
we might handle,
as well as the preventive
measures necessary to secure
ourselves from harm.
When working with
chemicals, first of all
you need to be properly trained
and understand the procedures,
both with your company and with
the local regulatory bodies.
The Hazard Communication
Standard or Hazcom,
educates crew and personnel
about the potential dangers
of chemicals and substances
used in the workplace
through easy to understand
symbols and product information
sheets.
While many port states have
had their own HazCom standards
for many years,
the United Nations
adopted the Globally
Harmonized System, or GHS,
in 2003, which creates
a worldwide model
standard for chemical
identification and safety
documentation.
It officially went into
effect in October of 2013,
and has been adopted
by 70 countries.
In this video, we'll learn
about the different kind
of hazards workplace
chemicals can present,
as well as protective
measures to avoid harm.
We'll go over the updated
HazCom 2012 standard,
incorporating Globally
Harmonized System
criteria for warning labels,
as well as the various warning
label standards used
in the United States.
We'll see how the GHS aligned
safety data sheets differ
from the previous material
safety data sheets,
and we'll also take a look
at personal protection
from materials and substances,
either through safe practices
and/or use of personal
protective equipment.
A chemical hazard is any
substance that can cause harm.
These are typically divided into
three categories-- physical,
health, and hazard not
otherwise classified.
Examples of physical
hazards include
flammable substances or
gases, corrosives, and gases
under pressure.
Flammables are considered
to be materials
that will burn or ignite,
causing fire or combustion.
A flammable chemical
has a low flash point
and will ignite easily.
A combustible will
burn, but requires
a steady source of flame
and has a higher flashpoint.
Acetone and diesel
fuel are examples
of flammables and combustibles.
Corrosives are chemicals
that can damage or destroy
living tissue, along with
metals and other substances.
Examples of corrosives
include hydrochloric acid
and sodium hydroxide.
Materials that burn
or explode when
exposed to air, water,
or other chemicals
are considered to be reactive.
Chemicals that spontaneously
ignite when exposed to air
are called pyrophoric.
Examples of pyrophorics rics
include white phosphorus
and metallic sodium
and potassium.
Examples of health
hazards include
chemicals that can
cause skin irritation
or damage, serious eye
damage, respiratory damage,
or acute toxicity.
Chemicals that cause harm to the
body and other living organisms
are labeled toxic.
Some of these substances
can be further identified
as carcinogens, or cancer
causing, while others
are considered to be
poisonous, which can cause
severe injury or even death.
Hazards not otherwise
classified is a category
reserved for
substances or compounds
that can cause adverse
health effects,
but aren't specifically
covered under physical
or health hazards.
Examples include
dusts, gases that
can catch fire at elevated
temperature, and asphyxiants.
The first step toward safely
using hazardous materials
is to accurately communicate
the potential risk in handling.
Standardized labels
are an effective method
to accomplish this.
The challenge is to ensure
this is done regardless
of geography and language.
Each port state
has its own method
of labeling and identifying
potential hazards.
In the US, chemicals
are sometimes
labeled with up
to two standards.
The HazCom 2012 standard is the
Occupational Health and Safety
Administration, or
OSHA's, alignment to GHS.
It uses a 1 to 4
rating system, with 1
as the most severe hazard
and 4 the least hazardous.
Any chemical product labeling
used in the United States
must conform to HazCom 2012.
HazCom 2012 warning
labels are required
to contain six specific
pieces of information--
a signal word, a pictogram, the
product name and identifiers,
a hazard statement,
precautionary statements,
and contact information.
Each GHS aligned
warning label will
contain a signal word
in the top left corner,
either "danger" for the
most severe instances,
or "warning" for
those less severe.
Below this, you'll
find pictograms.
These symbols
communicate the type
of hazard found in the
chemical, physical, health,
or environment related.
It is important to know
what each of these symbols
represent.
The health hazards
pictogram, for chemicals
that pose a risk to your
health if used improperly.
Flammables, designated
by a flame pictogram,
which signifies the risk
of fire and caution to be
taken around ignition sources.
The exclamation mark
pictogram, used in combo
with a health hazards pictogram
for particular health risks
that are less severe than
the skull and cross bones
pictogram, which
signals acute toxicity.
Pressurized gases are denoted
by the gas cylinder pictogram,
indicating caution with
the use and storage
of compressed gases.
The corrosives pictogram,
which signals to be aware
of PPE and storage requirements.
Explosives are represented
by a bomb pictogram.
The oxidizers pictogram, found
on warning labels of chemicals
that produce
oxygen. And finally,
the environmental hazards
pictogram, which is not
mandatory, but is used
to signify chemicals
that are hazardous to the
environment if improperly
disposed of.
To the right, you'll find the
product name and the hazard
statement describing the
chemical's nature and effects.
Below that, any necessary
precautions will be listed.
Finally, the manufacturer's
name and contact info
will be provided at the bottom.
Employers are required to label
workplace containers containing
any hazardous chemicals.
There are two options.
They can use the same GHS label
provided by the manufacturer,
or they can use a
number of alternatives
that meet the standards.
The National Fire Protection
Association or NFPA,
uses what's officially
referred to as NFPA 704,
or more commonly called
the fire diamond.
Primarily designed for
emergency first responders
to quickly evaluate risk,
the system also uses a 0 to 4
rating, with 4 describing
the most hazardous materials.
This is the reverse of the
HazCom 2012 rating system.
The blue refers to
health effects, the red
its flammability rating.
Yellow describes whether
the material is stable,
and the white diamond
signals special hazards,
such as whether it's an
oxidizer, reacts in water,
or is highly corrosive.
Use of NFPA 704 is usually
determined by federal, state,
or local regulations.
Safety data sheets, once known
as material safety data sheets,
are now standardized under GHS.
The GHS was actually
adopted by OSHA
to standardize things across the
board as far as material safety
data sheets being converted
to safety data sheets.
A safety data sheet is
broken down into 16 sections.
They include--
the identification
of the substance and the
manufacturer or distributor
name, as well as contact
information and restrictions;
all hazards associated with the
chemical are to be found here,
as well as required
warning label elements;
composition of
ingredients, including
any proprietary claims;
first aid measures
to be taken in the event of
contact, including symptoms,
effects, and required treatment;
firefighting measures,
including extinguishing
techniques and equipment, as
well as possible chemical
reactions from fire;
accidental release measures,
including emergency procedures
and proper methods of
containment and cleanup;
safe handling and storage;
personal protection controls,
which details OSHA's
permissible exposure limits,
threshold limit values,
engineering controls,
and PPE; physical and
chemical properties,
such as the physical state,
odor, appearance,
molecular formula,
boiling and freezing points,
density, pH level, and more;
stability and reactivity,
which includes
the possibility of
hazardous reactions;
toxicological information,
including routes or pathways
of exposure, acute and chronic
effects; environmental impact
data, should the material
be spilled or released;
disposal guidance, including
information about recycling,
if applicable; transport info,
including proper classification
for shipping by road,
air, rail, or sea;
any regulatory information
that is specific to the product
and not indicated elsewhere;
and finally, up to date
info on the preparation
of the SDS at hand,
including any of the
latest revisions.
Proper precautions must be
taken when handling any chemical
or compound.
A substance on its own may
not be especially hazardous,
but when combined
with another chemical,
a dangerous reaction
might occur.
Don't mix substances
without first
checking any necessary warning
labels or safety data sheets.
Your ship's or company's safety
management system, or SMS,
will have detailed
information regarding
the procedures for safe
handling of the chemicals
you're working with.
In addition to
emergency precautions,
always make sure you
have proper ventilation
whenever working
in enclosed spaces.
Vapors may build
up in an area that
is not properly ventilated,
leading to inhalation hazards.
Being able to
detect unsafe levels
of atmospheric components is
critical to safety, especially
in enclosed spaces.
Atmospheric
monitoring devices can
be used to measure if
the permissible exposure
level, or PEL, has been
exceeded, especially
in the case of a spill
or accidental release.
Practice good housekeeping.
Be sure to wash your hands after
handling hazardous materials,
especially if you
are handling food.
Even if you are not, make
sure all traces of chemicals
are taken care of immediately
after completion of the job.
Your ship will have personal
protective equipment on hand
that may be required when
handling certain chemicals.
Labels and safety data sheets
will contain information
on the necessary PPE
for a certain job.
Wearing in the proper personal
protective equipment's
really important
for worker safety.
If you don't wear it, you may
become sick, ill, or get hurt.
Don it properly, wear
it, and make sure
that you protect yourself.
This may include
gloves, eye protection,
respiratory protection,
and hearing protection.
Hearing protection in
a noisy environment
actually may not hurt you
that day, but down the road
it'll affect your hearing.
Certain chemicals, including
toluene and xylene,
can increase the
risk of hearing loss
when exposed to in
a noisy environment,
and may require additional PPE,
such as chemically resistant
gloves and respirators.
Disposing of chemicals can
be a challenge at times also.
You don't want to intermix
chemicals that react.
Remember, good
preventive measures
don't end when a
job is complete.
It's always critical to follow
proper storage and disposal
procedures.
The storage is essential.
Keep it away from hot work.
Make sure it's well ventilated
and away from the work.
Never store flammable chemicals
near an open heat source.
Store chemicals that emit
toxic vapors in areas
that are properly ventilated.
And always dispose of leftover
chemicals and containers
in the proper manner.
Before you use a
chemical, you should
refer to the safety data sheet.
Remember, you will find
the proper procedures
for storage and disposal
in the safety data sheet,
as well as in your
ship's or company's SMS.
Today you've reviewed
four important aspects
of handling chemicals in the
maritime workplace-- material
hazards, including the different
threats chemicals may pose,
whether physical hazards,
health hazards, or hazards
not otherwise classified;
the six standard elements
of warning labels-- signal word,
pictogram, product name, hazard
statement, precautionary
statement, contact info.
We learned about the
16 section safety
data sheets as
standardized under GHS,
and we learned about
personal protection,
including
precautionary measures,
personal protective equipment,
and safe storage and disposal
information.
The number one cause of
accidents with chemicals
is human error.
As always, having the knowledge
and the tools you will need
will make your job
safer and easier.