Your Rights as
an Employee
Texas
Hazard Communications Standard
Background
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-H) recognizes
the importance of your rights as an employee who works with hazardous chemicals.
It is important that you are familiar with these rights so that we can
be assured of a workplace free from chemical hazards for all.
Employee Exposure Determination
The UTHSC-H must measure the employee's exposure periodically to
any substance regulated by a standard which requires monitoring
if there is reason to believe that exposure levels for that substance
routinely exceed the action level (or in the absence of an action
level, the permissible exposure limit (PEL). The employer must notify
the employee of the results within 15 working days after receipt
of the monitoring results.
Chemical Hygiene Plan
Where hazardous chemicals are used a laboratory the UTHSC-H must
develop and carry out the provisions of a written Chemical Hygiene
Plan (CHP). The CHP includes the necessary work practices, procedures
and policies to ensure that employees are protected from all potentially
hazardous chemicals in use in their work area. This plan is available
to employees and all employee representatives by contacting the
Chemical Safety Office at 5832. It can also be found
in the "chemical safety" binders located in the laboratory.
Employee Training and Information
The employer must provide employees with information and training
to ensure that they are aware of the hazards of the chemicals present
in their work area. This information must be provided at the time
of an employee's initial assignment to a work area where hazardous
chemicals are present and prior to assignments involving new exposure
situations.
(see Training)
Employees must be informed of:
- the contents of this standard and its
appendices must be made available to them
- the location and availability
of the employer's Chemical Hygiene Plan
- the permissible
exposure limits for OSHA
- signs and symptoms associated
with exposures to hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory
- the location and availability of known reference material
on the hazards, safe handling, storage and disposal
of hazardous chemicals found in the laboratory including,
but not limited to Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS) received from chemical suppliers.
Employee training must include:
- methods
and observations that may be used to detect the presence
or release of a hazardous chemical
- the physical and health
hazards of chemicals in the work area
- the measures they
can take to protect themselves from these hazards, including
specific procedures the employer has implemented to protect
employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, such as
appropriate work practices, emergency procedures and personal
protective equipment to be used.
The employee must be trained
on the applicable details of the employer's written Chemical
Hygiene Plan (Word document).
Medical Consultation and Examinations
All
employees who work with hazardous chemicals must be given
the opportunity to receive medical attention, including any
follow-up examinations which the examining licensed physician
determines to be necessary under certain circumstances. Medical
examinations and consultants are provided without cost to
the employee, without loss of pay and at a reasonable time
and place.
The UTHSC-H must provide certain information to the physician,
including the identity of the hazardous chemicals, a
description of the conditions under which the exposure
occurred, and a description of the signs and symptoms
of exposure that the employee is experiencing.
(see Injury/Illness)
Hazard Identification Labels
Labels on incoming containers of hazardous chemicals
must not be removed or defaced. MSDSs on incoming hazardous
chemicals must be retained and made available to lab
employees.
Respirator Use
Where the use of respirators is necessary to maintain
exposure below permissible exposure limits, UTHSC-H
must provide, at no cost to the employee, the proper
respirator equipment.
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