We all know the story: construction is one of the toughest industries on worker safety.

But usually when we think about worker safety on the construction site, we think about issues like falls from height or hearing protection. As a result, hazardous chemicals could fall lower on the list of priorities. But that’s a mistake. After all, a construction job can require hundreds or even thousands of chemicals. For instance:

• Caulks, sealants and solvents
• Gypsum, roof tiles and sidings
• Cadmium, carbon monoxide, hexavalent chromium
• Epoxy coatings and urethanes
• Paints and cleaning solutions
• Waterproofing and dam proofing
• Fuels

In fact, hazard communication (around proper use and storage of chemicals) was one of the top 10 hazards found on the construction worksite, according to a 2014 OSHA report.

Protect Your Workers from Hazardous Chemicals

Therefore, establishing—and training your workers to follow—proper chemical use and storage policies and procedures will go a long way toward helping them stay safe on the job site.

Get started:

• Maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical at the site.
• Follow manufacturer’s MSDS instructions for handling hazardous chemicals.
• Train employees how to read and use the MSDS.
• Train employees about the risks of each hazardous chemical being used.
• Provide spill clean-up kits in areas where chemicals are stored.
• Have a written spill control plan.
• Train employees to clean up spills, protect themselves, and properly dispose of used materials.
• Provide proper personal protective equipment and enforce its use.
• Store chemicals safely and securely: in their original containers, and in locations where those containers (and the labels upon them) will not deteriorate.
• Ensure that all hazardous chemicals are stored appropriately. Some chemicals should not be stored together because of the way they react to each other (forming hazardous gases or combusting, for instance).
• Provide and train workers in the correct use of personal protective equipment when handling these hazardous materials.
• If the job site includes an emergency shower and/or eyewash, make sure employees are trained how to use it properly to mitigate burns and eye damage from exposure to chemicals.

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