OSHA Releases Toolkit for Transitioning to Safer Chemicals

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Many of the thousands of chemicals used in workplaces are suspected to be harmful, but only some are regulated. OSHA says workers suffer more than 190,000 illnesses and 50,000 deaths annually related to chemical exposures. Workplace chemical exposures have been linked to cancers, and other lung, kidney, skin, heart, stomach, brain, nerve and reproductive diseases.

OSHA notes that basic regulatory compliance is not the best way to prevent chemical exposures. Instead, it recommends substituting hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives. The agency offers a toolkit to give employers and workers methods, tools and guidance on using informed substitution in the workplace.

Beyond keeping workers safe, OSHA says implementing alternative chemicals can reduce costs, keep companies in compliance and create safer products for consumers and the environment.

Find the guide here.