OSHA Launches New Online Chemical Database

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched a new online database consisting of chemicals and their respective information. From research and development to pharmaceutical and manufacturing, countless companies use chemicals in their daily operations. If appropriate safeguards are not taken when storing and handling these chemicals, however, it may lead to injury or illness. This is exactly what OSHA is hoping to prevent with its new online database.

Available at https://www.osha.gov/chemicaldata/, the new portal is touted by OSHA as being a "one-stop shop" for informational pertaining to common chemicals used in the workplace. It features chemical data from multiple sources, including both government and private organizations. Here, employers and workers can access information on the different types of chemicals, the properties of those chemicals, permissible exposure limits, sampling information and other resources.

As explained by OSHA, employers are required by law to comply with standards regarding worker exposure to chemical hazards. Among these standards is OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs). OSHA has PELs for more than 400 chemicals. Basically, these PELs state the maximum amount and/or duration of a chemical to which a worker can be exposed. Employers who ignore PELs not only increase the risk of worker illness and injury, but they also leave their business susceptible to fines and corrective action carried out by OSHA.

So, how exactly do you use OSHA's new online chemical database? Upon visiting the portal (click the link mentioned above), you'll see a list of all hazardous and potentially hazardous chemicals at the bottom. The chemicals even include synonyms to assist employers in identifying chemicals.

"Other OSHA standards that generally apply to hazardous substances include the Hazard Communication standard (1910.1200) and the Respiratory Protection standard (1910.134). Employers may also need to provide personal protective clothing (1910.132) where there is a potential hazard from skin contact with chemicals, or eye and face protection to guard against chemical splashes (1910.133)," wrote OSHA on its chemical database portal. If you click the "report" link next to a chemical, it will reveal a plethora of information about that chemical, including its physical description, boiling point, flash point, gravity, weight, vapor pressure, vapor density, ionization potential, NFPA health rating, NFPA reactivity rating and more.