OSHA launches hazard communication initiative.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. agency established (1970) in the Dept. of Labor (see Labor, United States Department of) to develop and enforce regulations for the safety and health of workers in businesses that are engaged in interstate (OSHA OSHA n. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a branch of the US Department of Labor responsible for establishing and enforcing safety and health standards in the workplace. ) announced a new initiative to focus attention on hazard hazard a risk. hazard analysis critical control points a systematic procedure used to identify specific hazards (for example in food production) and establish control systems that focus on preventive measures rather than rely on communication in the workplace, following an Agency review of current issues. Consisting of compliance assistance and enforcement components, it is aimed at improving the quality of hazard communication and helping employers and employees comply with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS HCS - Heterogeneous Computer System A distributed system project. ). The HCS, adopted 20 years ago, covers some 650,000 hazardous chemical products and more than 30 million American American, river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of workers. There are two components to OSHA's hazard communication initiative: compliance assistance and enforcement. Both are targeted at improving the quality of hazard communication in the nation's workplaces. Compliance Assistance. Compliance assistance is the way to help employers develop better and more accurate hazard communication programs. OSHA believes further efforts are necessary to enhance the quality of hazard information provided to employers and employees. The Agency is providing substantive Substantive may refer to: In grammar:
Enforcement. The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) remains a focus of OSHA enforcement efforts. In fiscal year 2003, over 7,000 citations were issued by the Agency for violations of the HCS, making it the second most frequently cited OSHA standard. Over $1.3 million in penalties were assessed. OSHA is developing an enforcement initiative for compliance officers to review and evaluate the adequacy of MSDSs. Hazard Communication is one of the three components that comprise the CMAA-OSHA Alliance that was signed in September September: see month. . Be on the look out for more information on hazard communication related to private clubs, and for more information on OSHA and it initiatives, visit CMAA's OSHA section of ClubNet. |
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