ABSTRACT
An increasing number of regulations address the control of hazardous materials and the protection of the environment. In order to protect the health and safety of employees working with hazardous materials, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued standards on communicating the hazards of chemicals in the workplace. This law is known as the Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) or employee "Right-to-Know." In addition, OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have collaborated to issue standards to protect employees during emergency response to chemical spills and hazardous waste cleanup operations. These standards are known as Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER).
In order to meet these standards, businesses must develop programs to communicate to employees hazards in the workplace, how to protect themselves from these hazards, and how to react in emergency situations. These programs can be developed in house or contracted through training consultants, or both. This paper reviews the HAZCOM and HAZWOPER regulations and describes their application to the oil and gas industry. This customized communication and training program which meets the requirements of OSHA and EPA describes incident prevention, emergency response, and crisis management.
