Welcome to the Pennsylvania Worker and Community Right to Know Act training program. This program will cover information on working safely with or around chemicals in the workplace.  This program is not affiliated with the release of information covered by the act with a similar name, Right To Know Act of 2008. All employees must be made aware of their rights and duties under the PA Worker and Community Right to Know Act, regardless of if they use chemicals to perform their job duties. 

This awareness is typically done by employees receiving a copy of the Employee Workplace Notice, which we will review later in this training. However, if your job requires you to handle  hazardous chemicals, your supervisor or other knowledgeable person will provide annual Worker and Community Right to Know training, which will include specifics on the chemicals you may work with. This program provides information that can help you safely handle hazardous substances found in the workplace and avoid serious health consequences related to misuse and overexposure. You may have never thought of it in this way, but chemicals are a part of our everyday lives. Think about your cleaning supplies at home.  Many of them can cause harm if used improperly.  That’s why it is important to read labels and know where to find more information on how to protect yourself. 

After completing this course, you will be able to:

·         Understand what information is available for hazardous substances

·         Understand hazardous substance labeling, Material Safety Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets

·         Contact your agency Worker and Community Right to Know Coordinator for additional information

We will review three resources you can use to find information about hazardous substance safety:  your agency’s hazardous substance survey form (or HSSF for short), product labels, and Material Safety Data Sheets which under new federal requirements will be referred to as Safety Data Sheets. This change in the federal requirement does not change the PA Right to Know Law.

The PA Community and Worker Right to Know Act requires employers to maintain a Hazardous Substance Survey Form, also known as the HSSF.  The HSSF lists hazardous substances and must be updated annually and posted in the workplace.  It is used by employees and emergency personnel in the event of a fire, spill or exposure.  A copy of the Employee Workplace Notice which notifies employees of their rights under the Act must also be posted with the HSSF.  Contact your agency’s Worker and Community Right to Know Coordinator for more information about your agency’s HSSF. The form lists the chemical name and includes five columns which provide additional information related to hazards.  A check mark in the “Fire” column indicates the substance can ignite or burn easily.  For example, if the agency stores or uses gasoline, it would be listed and the “Fire” column would be checked.  A check mark in “Sudden Release of Pressure” column indicates a potential for a rapid pressure increase inside this container which could result in explosion or violent reaction.  For example, if a propane cylinder is exposed to heat, its pressure will increase and possibly cause an explosion. Also, since propane is flammable the “Fire” column would also be checked. A check mark in the “Reactivity” column indicates the substance is likely to catch fire or explode on its own or when exposed to water.  Some chemicals are highly reactive and should not be mixed with water. The “Immediate (acute)” box will be checked if the substance can cause immediate health issues after exposure.  For example, some cleaning agents, such as household ammonia, can cause immediate effects like headache and difficulty in breathing. If the “Delayed (chronic)” column is marked, then the product contains a chemical that can cause symptoms which develop slowly over a period of time.  For example, products containing lead can cause serious long term health effects when they are accidentally inhaled or ingested.

Another resource you can use is the product label.  All hazardous substance containers are required by law to have product labels. 

In accordance with the law, all hazardous substances must have a product label with the following information:  Product name, Manufacturer contact information and Hazard warnings. Labels provide a brief overview of the hazards associated with the contents of the container. Using this information, you can determine which precautions to take when handling the product.

In addition to the mandatory label provided by the manufacturer, other labeling systems, added to the container by the user, use a system of common colors, numbers, or symbols for each hazard category.  The National Fire Protection Association, or NFPA color coding system is as follows: red is fire hazard; blue is health hazard; yellow is reactivity hazard; white is other hazards or personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements. 

Each color category will be assigned a number of zero to four which describes the potential severity of the hazard. In the NFPA rating system, zero means that the product is relatively safe, while a rating of four means that the product is highly hazardous.  The only exception to this NFPA rule is for the white category, which stands for special precautions, which will either be blank or have a symbol or abbreviation in it. 

There is a third type of label that you may encounter that provides the following details. The product identifier specifies the product code or product name and should match the SDS information.  The supplier identification includes the name, address and contact information for the chemical supplier and must include an emergency telephone number.  Precautionary statements describe the suggested measures that should be taken to minimize or prevent adverse effects resulting from exposure to the chemical or improper storage or handling. Hazard pictograms include a symbol on a white background framed within a red border, and represent distinct hazards. The signal word on the label will be either “danger” or “warning.”  Danger is used for more severe hazards and warning for less severe hazards. A hazard statement is assigned to a hazard class and category that describes the nature of the hazard(s) of a chemical, and can include the degree of hazard.  Supplemental information includes directions for use, weights and expirations dates, as needed.

There are nine pictograms with which you should be familiar. It is important to realize the ratings on Safety Data Sheets associated with these pictograms are the reverse of the NFPA ratings.  For example, a category 1 associated with a pictogram means there is a severe hazard, 2; serious, 3; moderate, 4; slight and 5; minimal. 

The flame over the circle means the substance is an oxidizer.

The exploding bomb represents materials that are explosive, self-reactive and/or an organic peroxide. 

The gas cylinder means the substance is a gas under pressure.

The tree and fish represent the environment and means the material is an environmental hazard.

The corrosion pictogram means the hazardous substance can cause skin corrosion/burns, eye damage and/or is corrosive to metals.

The exclamation mark pictogram means the hazardous substance is either an irritant to the skin and eyes, a skin sensitizer, has acute toxicity, narcotic effects, is a respiratory tract irritant and/or is hazardous to the ozone layer.

The health hazard pictogram identifies the product as having characteristics which can be harmful to one’s health.

The flame pictogram means the substance is flammable.

The skull and crossbones pictogram means the hazardous chemical has acute toxicity, which can be either fatal or toxic.

Material Safety Data Sheets, or MSDS for short, and Safety Data Sheets, or SDS for short, provide more detailed information than the label.  Always use the MSDS or SDS when handling highly hazardous substances. Material Safety Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets provide workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular hazardous substance. These include information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid procedures, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures. They are required for all hazardous substances and must be maintained and made available to all employees in the workplace. Safety Data Sheets have a standardized 16-section format with consistent headings and order. The first section of the SDS will always be product identification. The second section is hazard(s) identification. For this SDS on liquefied natural gas, there are 2 pictograms associated with this chemical, indicating the product is flammable and a gas under pressure. This product is a category 1 for flammable gases, meaning there is a severe hazard. Danger is the signal word associated for this gas. Precautionary statements are also shown under Section 2. Section 3 is composition/information on ingredients, 4 first-aid measures, 5 fire-fighting measures. Section 6 of the SDS is accidental release measures, 7 handling and storage information, 8 exposure controls/personal protection, 9 physical and chemical properties, 10 stability and reactivity, 11 toxicology information, 12 ecological information, 13 disposal considerations, 14 transport information, 15 regulatory information, and lastly, heading 16; other information which includes the date of preparation or last revision.

Thank you for completing this program. Please contact your agency’s Hazardous Substance Right to Know Coordinator for additional information. If you don’t know your agency’s Hazardous Substance Right to Know Coordinator, ask your supervisor or contact your agency’s human resources office.

This version of the course is intended for individuals who require an accommodation for a disability. Once you have fully reviewed the information in this training, contact your Human Resources Office to request credit for completing this course.

You will not receive credit for completing this course until you do so.