PA Worker & Community Right to Know

The Pennsylvania Worker and Community Right to Know Act (Act 159 of 1984) created a system for communicating information about hazardous materials used, produced or stored at work sites within the commonwealth. The Department of Labor & Industry, through the Health & Safety Division, acts as the data collector between employers and the community.

Under this law, all employers have some compliance responsibilities. The law defines an employer as any individual, partnership, corporation or association doing business in the commonwealth. Public sector employers and any other Non-OSHA covered employers must comply with the employees access to chemical information and training provisions applicable to their workplace environment. All employers must comply with the community provisions which provide hazardous chemical information to the public and emergency response agencies.

If an alternate version of a form is needed but not available, please contact the Health & Safety Division at 717-772-1635 or email: RA-LI-BWC-SAFETY@PA.GOV

Non-OSHA covered employers (including public sector employers) are required to:

• Post a Workplace Notice, which lists employee rights under the law. Complete and post a Hazardous Substance Survey Form (HSSF) annually, by April 1 of each year, and provide it to the Department of Labor and Industry, upon request.
  
• Collect and maintain a file of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)/Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). The MSDSs/SDSs give detailed information on each hazardous substance in the workplace. MSDSs/SDSs must be made available to employees without intervention of a supervisor.
  
• Complete an Environmental Hazard Survey Form (EHSF), if requested by the department, and make it available to employees.
  
• Label all containers and ports of pipelines containing hazardous substances or hazardous mixtures in the workplace.
  
• Label workplace containers and ports of pipelines containing any chemical.

Provide copies of the HSSF, EHSF, and MSDSs/SDSs to local emergency response organizations, upon request.

Bureau of Workers' Compensation

Health & Safety Division

651 Boas Street, 8th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17121

Phone: 717-772-1635

Email: RA-LI-BWC-SAFETY@pa.gov

The Health & Safety Division's Online Hazardous Substance Survey Form (HSSF) enables public sector employers to complete the annual survey and meet Pennsylvania’s reporting requirements as defined under Act 1984-159. The Online HSSF allows you to report information about the hazardous substances, special hazardous substances and environmental hazards that are present at your workplace and are regulated by the state Worker and Community Right to Know Act.

The Online HSSF also provides you with access to the PA Hazardous Substance List. This list includes 2,335 substances that have been identified by the department to pose health hazards and/or safety concerns. Of these 2,335 substances, 188 do not have an assigned Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number. For Online HSSF reporting purposes, these 188 substances have been assigned a unique PA number (PA001-00-0 through PA188-00-0). The PA numbers are only listed on the Online HSSF version of the Chemical Abstract List to cross reference a chemical name from a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)/Safety Data Sheet (SDS) with a chemical name on PA’s list of regulated substances, if no CAS number is available. The PA numbers will not be found on the MSDS/SDS but should be entered on the online survey form if any of these substances are in your workplace.

Click on the following link to complete the HSSF manually: LIBC-261

For more information on the completion of either version of the form, contact:

Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Health & Safety Division
651 Boas Street, 8th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17121
Phone: 717-772-1635
RA-LI-BWC-SAFETY@pa.gov