Susan Harwood grant to fund training in Hazard Communication Standard 2012

OSHA Training Institute Southwest Education Center has received a $120,000 Susan Harwood Training Grant from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to provide training about changes to the Hazard Communication Standard 2012.

The funding will allow TEEX to offer a 4-hour training course for workers in high-hazards industries with high-fatality rates. The training will help employers comply with the revised standard, which adopts the GHS (Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals). The new standard requires workers exposed to hazardous chemicals to be trained by Dec. 1, 2013, on “the new labels elements and safety data sheets format to facilitate recognition and understanding.”

The Hazard Communication Standard revision, which went into effect earlier this year, is expected to improve the quality and consistency of hazard information in the workplace, making it safer for workers by providing easily understandable information on appropriate handling and safe use of hazardous chemicals. OSHA reports that 43 million U.S. workers produce or handle hazardous chemicals in more than 5 million workplaces. The revised Hazard Communication Standard is expected to prevent an estimated 500 workplace injuries and illnesses and 43 deaths and result in an estimated $475.2 million in enhanced productivity for U.S. businesses each year, according to the OSHA website.

“We are honored to have received a Susan Harwood Grant that will allow us to provide awareness training regarding the mandated change to the GHS Hazard Communication,” said ITSI Program Director Bill Stansbury. “This was made possible by the diligent efforts of Quenya Evans, Phyllis Hughes and JB Gregory.”

View OSHA news release about the Susan Harwood training grants.