Union Approach to Health and Safety: - United Steelworkers

Access to Exposure and Medical Records (1910.1020): employers must provide
workers and union representatives with results of exposure testing and workers’
medical records.
Recordkeeping, 300 Log – Record of Injuries and Illnesses (1904): employers must
keep certain records on worker injuries and illnesses and make these records available
to workers and union representatives.
These standards (as well as all other OSHA standards) can be found in Volume 29 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). For example, the Hazard Communication Standard
can be found at “29 CFR 1910.1200” (meaning the regulation starts at section 1910.200).
However, the best way to get the standards is to get them from OSHA, either in hard
copy or from the OSHA website (www.osha.gov).
Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)
This standard, also known as HAZCOM, requires that employers provide information
and training to workers who may be exposed to toxic or hazardous chemicals at work.
The standard requires employers to communicate with employees about hazardous
substances in four ways:
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): Employers must keep information sheets
called “Material Safety Data Sheets” on each hazardous chemical used or stored at
the worksite.
MSDSs must be available in the work area on all shifts for the hazardous
materials used in the area.
Employers must make these chemical fact sheets immediately available to
workers on request. Employers must provide a union (and other worker
representatives such as doctors and lawyers) with a requested MSDS within
fifteen working days from the date of the request.
A MSDS is usually provided to the employer by the manufacturer of the
chemical.
A MSDS should be current.
OSHA only requires that MSDSs be in English.
Unfortunately, many MSDSs have incomplete information, especially in the
section on long-term health effects. It is important to get additional
information when investigating chemical hazards.