Employer Duties - Hazard Communication

Maritime employers are responsible under OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, HCS 2012, 29 CFR 1910.1200, to maintain a written hazard communication program. Because many hazardous chemicals are highly flammable, combustible, or explosive, such a communication program is integral to hot work safety. Beginning mid-2015, all containers of hazardous chemicals must have standard labeling that includes a hazard pictogram.

To ensure clarity, OSHA has adopted all of the pictograms mandated by the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. A document called a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is of primary importance in hazard communication. These easy-to-use information sheets present data about hazardous chemicals.

An SDS for each hazardous chemical present in the workplace must be readily available to workers. These documents may be provided digitally or on paper, but they must be maintained as current by the employer. To ensure the effectiveness of hazard communication, workers must be trained regarding those hazardous chemicals that they may be exposed to during work.

The employer must present the information for this training in a manner and language that the worker can understand. The topics that must be covered include detection, effects of exposure, protective measures, recognition of hazard labels, and the use of SDSs.

To learn more about Shipyard Hot Work visit our Shipyard Hot Work Online Training web page.