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The Importance of Labeling Hazardous Containers

Every year, when the statistics are release, it comes as no surprise at all that the top ten safety violations belong to that of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard. With more than 4,000 violations being issued each year, OSHA makes it very clear that having a nearly empty MSDS book that is carefully forgotten is just not enough. OSHA states that in order to meet HCS standard, it is very important for organizations to have a well-written safety plan and to ensure that all their employees are well-trained with regards to the hazards that exist in their workplace. It also states that every organization should keep certain documents open for employees to view in order to protect themselves. One of the biggest rules of the hazard communication standard is that that every company should establish a process of accurately labeling containers. Like the forgotten MSDS book, a container that is also neglected or has some smudged writing on it will not comply with the OSHA standards. This is why

HAZWOPER Training Requirements vary by Area

Depending on the area of expertise and work required, the level of HAZWOPER trainings requ ired to be taken by workers can vary. There are 9 basic levels of trainings, each having its own specific program. OSHA is also responsible for setting the training time for each area. Find out more: General Site Workers are required to undergo an initial training of 40 hours, a 3 day hand-on training session as well as an additional 8 hours of annual refresher training. Workers on Specific Tasks or working under acceptable hazardous conditions are required to take the 24 hours of training and a day of hands-on training. They are also required to complete the annual 8 hour refresher course. Managers and supervisors are required to undergo the same trainings as their workers, but with 8 extra hours required. Storage, treatment and disposal workers who handle hazardous wastes should opt for the 24 hour courses and then go for the annual 8 hour refresher courses. The First Responder Awareness Leve