PURPOSE

This program was created to comply with the “Right to Know” regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

POLICY

Objectives

·         To safeguard employee’s health by providing a guide for compliance.

·         To provide employees with the necessary information concerning health and physical hazards of the chemical materials in use at our workplace and/or job site.

·         To comply with Federal OSHA Regulation 29 CFR (1926 & 1910).

Scope

·         Listing of the chemical materials which will be handled, used, or stored on job site location or city property.

·         Assure that appropriate identifying labels are on containers of hazardous chemicals being used and handled.

·         Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’ s) will be required and procured for all hazardous chemicals which employees of this city will encounter, and the MSDS’s will be available at the city office, and a copy will be available in each shop for those chemicals to which employees could be exposed.

·         Employees will be trained to recognize and interpret labels, warnings, color coding, and signs affixed to containers that they might handle, in order to avoid and/or minimize potential hazards.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

·         Glenda Wodke, Deputy City Clerk, will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining the data sheets system for the city.

·         Departmental Supervisors will review data sheets for new significant health/safety information. This person will see that any new information is passed on to the affected locations.

·         A book must be maintained with copies of MSDS’s for all hazardous chemicals to which employees of the City of Hillsboro may be exposed. The book must be kept in the city office and be accessible to employees during working hours.

·         If employees discover that a MSDS is not available or a new chemical is introduced to his/her area, he/she is to immediately contact the company.

·         City of Hillsboro will rely on the evaluation performed by the chemical manufacturer, distributor or importer for chemicals.

Labeling

All containers of hazardous materials, regardless of size, must be labeled or tagged.

Supervisors shall ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals received is labeled, tagged or marked with the following information:

·         Identity of the hazardous chemical(s).

·         Appropriate hazard warnings including target organ effects. (This could be accomplished by using a code or numbering system.)

·         Name and address of the manufacturer or distributor.

Original labels on containers containing hazardous chemicals shall not be removed.

If transferred into another container, or if a different hazardous material is placed in the container, the label for the hazardous material contents must be changed to reflect the contents of the container. The label should include:

·         Identity of the hazardous chemical(s).

·         Appropriate hazard warnings including target organ effects. (This could be accomplished by using a code or numbering system.)

Exceptions to this rule are made only for containers filled by the person using the material, which must then be used/emptied by that person during the same shift.

Employee Training and Information

Deputy City Clerk will be responsible for the employee training program. Steve Garrett, City Administrator, will insure that all elements specified below are carried out.

Prior to starting work, each employee will attend a health and safety orientation and will receive information and training on the following:

·         An overview of the requirements contained in the Hazard Communications Standard.

·         Any operations in the workplace or jobsite where hazardous chemicals are present; and,

·         The location and availability of the written hazard communication program, including the list of hazardous chemicals, and material safety data sheets.

·         Methods and observations that may be used to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in the work area (such as monitoring, visual appearance or odor of hazardous chemicals when being released).

·         The physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area.

·         The measures employees can take to protect themselves from these hazards, including specific procedures to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment to be used.

·         The details of the hazard communication program, including an explanation of the labeling system and the material data sheets, and how employees can obtain and use the appropriate information.

Transferred Employees

·         It will be the responsibility of the departmental supervisor to train transferred employees prior to their exposure to a new chemical.

·         Deputy City Clerk will be responsible for filling out a completion of training certificate for each employee, keeping a copy in their personnel file.

Hazardous Non-Routine Tasks

Periodically, employees may be required to perform hazardous non-routine tasks. Prior to starting work on such projects, each affected employee will be given information by management concerning hazardous chemicals to which they may be exposed during such activity.

This information will include:

·         Specific chemical hazards and exposures

·         Special protective measures required

·         Measures the city has taken to lessen the hazards including protective equipment, presence of another employee, and emergency procedures.

Informing Contractors

It is the responsibility of departmental supervisors to provide other contractors the following information:

·         Hazardous chemicals to which they may be exposed while on the jobsite.

·         Specific chemical hazard exposures.

·         Precautions the employees may take to lessen the possibility of exposures by usage of appropriate protective measures.

City Administrator will be responsible for contacting sub-contractors before work is started to require MSDS’s, maintain books and disseminate to employees any information concerning chemical hazards that other contractors are bringing into our workplace.

Notifying Local Public Safety Agencies (e.g. local fire department)

It will be the responsibility of departmental supervisors to notify the appropriate public safety agencies, if necessary, of hazardous materials used at this location.

Responsibility

Departmental Supervisors are responsible to implement the Hazard Communication program on each assigned project.

Departmental Supervisors and other designated personnel are responsible to fulfill delegated tasks in relation to this program.

Each employee will accept responsibility for safely performing his/her work in accordance with the established safe work practices and precautions outlined on hazardous materials labels.

Problem Objectives

City of Hillsboro has developed a Hazard Communication Program to comply with Federal OSHA Regulation 29 CFR (1926 or 1910).

The objective of the program is to provide employees with information and training concerning chemicals and processes which they may be exposed to by means of the City of Hillsboro’s Hazard Communication Program.