When I first started writing this article, I was going to talk about common errors that employees make when dealing with hazardous chemicals. But then I paused and remembered something: Chemical safety in the workplace is a joint effort. It requires employees and employers to work together. So I crumpled up the original piece and started over. Now I think I got it right. Let’s look at some of the most common mistakes that occur in the workplace and how to avoid them.

Defining Our Terms
First, a definition: By “hazardous chemicals,” I mean those regulated by WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) in Canada or the OSHA Hazardous Communication Standard (HazCom) in the U.S.

Now, on to the mistakes:

Mistake 1: Relying Heavily on the MSDS Information for Hazard Communication
The Problem: The quality of information in MSDSs (material safety data sheets) is always improving. But there are still too many MSDSs that don’t provide enough relevant information about the chemical. A poor quality MSDS doesn’t help the employee understand the potential hazard. For example, how often have you looked at an MSDS that simply stated “use appropriate gloves & respirators”?

There’s also a tendency for an MSDS to exaggerate the potential hazard and recommend the most protective forms of PPE possible. Such recommendations are not practical and are designed less to protect workers from hazard than to protect the supplier of the chemical from liability.

The Solution: You have a choice. You can:

• Ask the supplier for a more thorough explanation of their MSDS; or
• Select a different manufacturer provides a more thorough MSDS; and/or
• Conduct your own risk assessment on the chemical before buying it.

Mistake 2: Not Reviewing the MSDS before Using the Chemical
The Problem: While it’s not a good idea to rely too heavily on the MSDS, it is essential that the MSDS be consulted before the product is used. But how often have you seen an employee actually reviewing an MSDS for a chemical before using it? Not very often, I bet.

The Solution: Ensure that the MSDSs are accessible. For example, in our facility, we:

• Store our MSDSs in binders at strategic locations around the site;
• Make MSDSs easily accessible electronically from any computer.

Making MSDSs accessible is not just a safety requirement but a legal one. It’s also important to stress to employees the value of the information contained in the MSDS. Through our annual training, we reinforce the importance of understanding the health (e.g., is it absorbed through the skin?) and safety (e.g., is it flammable?) aspects of the chemicals used in our workplace.

Mistake 3: Not Having the Proper PPE for the Chemicals Used in the Workplace
The Problem: MSDSs tend to be pretty generic regarding PPE requirements. Of course, not all forms of PPE are the same. Even if the MSDS is specific, it can raise problems. For instance, if the MSDS specifies that it is a skin absorption hazard and that neoprene gloves must be used, should you stock neoprene gloves?

The Solution: A health and safety person should review the MSDS of each chemical onsite to ensure adequate protection is available. At our workplace, we developed a PPE selection guide that is available to all employees. This guide outlines:

• All of the PPE stocked onsite and the specific hazards they are designed to protect against; and
• Available respirator cartridges/canisters and outlines the specific chemicals onsite that they are appropriate for.

Mistake 4. Overlooking the Importance of Fit-Testing for Respiratory Protection
The Problem: The importance of following the CSA Standard Z94.4-02 “Selection, Use and Care of Respirators” cannot be overlooked when using respiratory protection to reduce exposure to chemical hazards. Quite often there is a temptation to “just throw on a dust mask” without considering: Is the employee fit-tested? Clean-shaven? Medically fit? Trained?

The Solution: When using respiratory protection, follow the CSA standard or ideally use other controls up the hierarchy of control, such as ventilation or substitution to reduce the exposure so that respiratory protection is not required.

Conclusion
Next week, we’ll look at three more common hazardous chemicals errors.

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