What Your Cleaning Company Needs to Know About the Hazard Communication Law

As a cleaning company, it's routine to use different chemicals in daily operations. Products like floor finish, disinfectants, carpet spotters, toilet bowl cleaners, and all-purpose cleaners comprise diverse ingredients that can pose hazards to employees' health and well-being. A simple everyday task of cleaning the bathroom can turn into a nightmare if any employees get hurt or injured due to improper use of chemicals. No business wants to be overburdened with federal and state regulations. However, to ensure your employees' safety and well-being, it's crucial for your cleaning company to adhere to OSHA's (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Hazard Communication Standard.

This standard is also known as the Right-To-Know Law or Hazcom - citation number 29CFR1910.1200. The overall goal of this law is to protect employees from physical and health hazards that they may be exposed to while on the job. Employees need to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they can potentially be exposed to while doing their job. Your cleaning employees also need to know what protective measures are available to prevent exposure to chemicals or potential injuries that could be caused by chemicals. Besides being a law, failure to comply with the requirements of this regulation means that you are putting your employees at risk.

As an employer you are responsible for the following:

• Notification. As an employer you must tell your employees that they have the right to information about the products they are using in the workplace. This information includes possible health affects and hazards caused by the chemicals they use while working.
• Providing Information. You must respond to any employee who requests information about the products they are using, and you must provide this information in a timely manner. You must also let your employees know where they can find the SDS (Safety Data Sheets) for the products they are using and this information must be easily accessible by employees. SDS sheets are usually kept at the work location in the janitor closet or transport vehicle in a 3-ring binder labeled SDS sheets.
• Training. Employers must train employees on how to properly use chemicals including what personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, respirator), they need to wear when using the product.
• Record Keeping. You are required to keep records of any employee that is exposed to hazardous substances. You should also consider keeping a training log of when and what types of training you provide to your employees.

What products should you consider as hazardous? Products that contain chemicals that pose fire hazards, are reactive, explosive or corrosive, or chemicals that cause skin irritation or are potentially toxic are the types of chemicals that will fall under the Right to Know guidelines. However, even if a product is not deemed hazardous by OSHA it is important that you train your employees on the proper use of the chemical. Products improperly used may not be as effective as they should be. In addition, if your employees do not dilute chemicals properly or mix chemicals together that should not be mixed, they can cause problems to your employee's health or may damage the surfaces that are being cleaned.

Always ask for the product's SDS sheet when buying cleaning chemicals. If you are buying your cleaning products through a janitorial distributor they should have the SDS information for you. If you buying products at a retail store you may have to contact the manufacturer directly or go on-line to find the product's SDS.

Making sure you train your employees on the use of chemicals is no guarantee that an incident will never happen. However, a small investment of your time in properly training your employees and keeping the required paperwork can keep your cleaning company out of hot water if an incident does happen.