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Hazard Communication Program
Texas State University - San Marcos has a written program (Texas State University - San Marcos Hazard Communication Program) that complies with OSHA standards and the Texas Hazard Communication Act for hazardous chemicals. This program is available from the Risk Management & Safety Office. It requires the following:
- Employee training (including recognition of signs of exposure)
- Labeling procedures
- MSDSs for chemicals at each workplace
- Instructions on how to read and interpret MSDSs
- Chemical inventory reporting procedures
- Record keeping requirements
- Emergency response procedures
Refer to the Texas State University - San Marcos Hazard Communication Program and other sections in this manual for detailed information on these topics.
An integral part of hazard communication is hazard identification. Everyone who works with hazardous chemicals should know how to read and interpret hazard information. Signs, like the NFPA diamond in the illustration below, alert employees to the known hazards in a particular location.
The following is a detailed explanation of the NFPA hazard classification codes:
| Health (Blue) | Flammability (Red) | Reactivity (Yellow) | Specific Hazard (White) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Can cause death or major injury despite medical treatment | 4 Very flammable gases or liquids | 4 Readily detonates or explodes |
OX - Oxidizer ACID - Acid Alkali - ALK COR - Corrosive
|
| 3 Can cause serious injury despite medical treatment | 3 Can ignite at normal temperatures | 3 May detonate or explode with strong initiating force or heat under confinement | |
| 2 Can cause injury. Requires prompt medical treatment | 2 Ignites with moderate heat | 2 Normally unstable, but will not detonate | |
| 1 Can cause irritation if not treated | 1 Ignites with considerable preheating | 1 Normally stable. Unstable at high temperature and pressure | |
| 0 No hazard | 0 Will not burn | 0 Normally stable and not reactive with water |
- Radioactive