What Counts as a Hazardous Substance

People picture a hazardous substance as something with a skull on the label. Plenty of them look harmless. Portland cement is caustic enough to burn skin. Diesel exhaust is a carcinogen. Concrete dust carries silica. A five-gallon pail of construction adhesive gives off vapor that can drop you in a closed room.

The hazard shows up as one or more of these:

• Health hazards — cancer, organ damage, lung disease, skin and eye burns, allergic reactions, reproductive harm.
• Physical hazards — flammable, explosive, oxidizer, compressed gas, reactive with water or other chemicals.
• Simple asphyxiants — gases that push out the oxygen in a tank, vault, or vessel (that's a confined-space kill).

Under 1910.1200 your employer must have a written hazard communication program, a labeled container for every hazardous chemical, a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) you can get to, and training on the hazards you face. That's your right to know — nobody should be working with a chemical they can't get information on.

A few things fall outside HazCom because other rules already cover them — hazardous waste, tobacco, food, and consumer products used the same way a shopper would. When in doubt, ask your supervisor and check the SDS.