Chemical Safety: How to Meet the OSHA Standard
Special rules regulate the handling of highly hazardous substances used in construction.
Construction sites can contain a surprising assortment of dangerous chemicals, from fuels and solvents to the explosives used in largescale demolition. OSHA created a standard specifically to help construction companies and other employers prevent accidents in processes involving these volatile substances, and the agency holds those employers responsible for following its recommendations.
OSHA keeps a close watch on chemicals safety in the energy and petrochemical industry, but its standard, Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals, applies to a much wider swath of industries. Any firm handling 10,000 pounds or more of a flammable liquid or gas, or using threshold amounts of any of the more than 130 reactive and toxic chemicals listed in an appendix to the rule, must comply with its detailed provisions. There are some exceptions, including retail stores and unoccupied, remote facilities, which are not required to follow process safety management.
Unfortunately, too many businesses neglect to follow established guidance in processes involving dangerous substances. Employers that fail to adopt rigorous compliance programs in this area are at heightened risk not only of incurring citations and fines, but of accidents that can result in injuries and death, typically coupled with long-term damage to their brands and businesses.
