Workplaces with hazardous chemicals can run into accidents if safety steps aren’t followed.
If you work with cleaners, fuels, gases, or other chemicals, safety is already part of your business. It is important to protect your people, maintain productivity, and follow the law.
In this article, you’ll learn what a chemical safety program includes, the latest U.S. OSHA rules, and why chemical safety is important.
What “chemical safety” means for your business
Chemical safety means planning, handling, storing, and disposing of chemicals. This protects workers, communities, and the environment from production to use and disposal.
A substance can be hazardous, yet the risk depends on how much, how long, and through which route people are exposed. This makes the decision-making for controls and PPE easier.
Effect of chemical safety on workers, business uptime & cost control
1) Prevent injuries and fatalities
In 2023, 820 U.S. work fatalities were attributed to exposure to harmful substances or environments (a category that includes chemical inhalation, oxygen deficiency, heat, electricity, and overdoses).
Within that, 44 deaths were coded as inhalation of a harmful substance. Data like this highlights the stakes for prevention.
2) Lower total cost of risk
OSHA’s Safety Pays estimator shows how a single preventable incident can consume huge sales just to offset direct and indirect costs. Prevention protects your margin and reputation.
3) Stronger morale and productivity
NIOSH emphasizes engineering controls and effective PPE programs to reduce exposures, which translates to fewer disruptions and better worker confidence.
What makes a chemical safety program effective
1) Set up and maintain a live chemical inventory and SDS library
- Keep a real-time inventory by location and container.
- Link each item to the current GHS-aligned SDS, and track responsible owners.
- Keep a centralized, digital SDS system with version control and mobile access.
This is foundational for training, labeling, storage, and emergency response under HazCom.
2) Labeling that workers can act on fast
- Apply GHS labels with product identifiers, signal words, hazard and precautionary statements, and supplier details.
- Properly labeling all chemical containers, especially secondary ones like spray bottles or tanks, is key to preventing confusion during both daily tasks and emergency situations.
3) Apply the Hierarchy of Controls before PPE
Follow the Hierarchy of Controls in this order: elimination → substitution → engineering → administrative → PPE.
OSHA and NIOSH both emphasize engineering and work-practice controls as primary, with PPE as the last line.
Examples: switch to a less volatile solvent, enclose processes, add local exhaust, then train and fit-test respirators.
4) Storage and segregation that prevent reactions and fires
Segregate incompatibles (acids/bases, oxidizers/organics), ventilate flammable cabinets, and use rated rooms for bulk storage.
Good housekeeping cuts secondary incidents, a best practice highlighted across industry guides.
5) Training Your Team on Chemical Hazards
Train workers on hazards, labels, SDSs, and task-specific procedures.
HazCom training is mandatory where hazardous chemicals are present; refresh when chemicals or processes change. To make training effective, combine formal instruction with practical drills to ensure every employee knows precisely how to respond during an incident.
6) Exposure monitoring and medical surveillance when required
- Use air sampling and biological monitoring when standards apply, compare it to OSHA PELs and industry TLVs, and tighten controls if results trend high.
- Maintain records that demonstrate due diligence during inspections.
7) Emergency planning, spill response, and reporting
Tie site-specific spill response to SDS guidance. Where RMP or PSM applies, align with prevention programs, community notifications, and post-incident reviews. Drills with local responders reduce response time when seconds matter.
8) Continuous improvement: audits, near-misses, and metrics
Review near-misses, incident investigations, and sampling data. Track leading indicators like SDS updates completed, training completion, and closed corrective actions to show progress and ROI. NIOSH emphasizes the importance of having a structured safety program in place and consistently evaluating how well it's performing.
U.S. rules you must track in 2024–2025
OSHA Hazard Communication (HCS) 2024 update
OSHA recently updated its Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard to bring it in line with Revision 7 of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), and also incorporated a few key elements from Revision 8.
The final rule has been in effect since July 19, 2024, following its publication on May 20, 2024. That means SDSs, labels, and classifications must be updated per new criteria and clarifications.
EPA Risk Management Program (RMP) 2024 rule and 2025 legal posture
EPA finalized the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention (SCCAP) amendments in March 2024, adding requirements like safer technology and alternatives analysis and stronger preparedness.
In 2025, EPA received a petition and has paused aspects of the rule pending reconsideration, so watch timelines while continuing to strengthen prevention and emergency planning.
Exposure limits and what goes on your SDS
OSHA notes that American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) are widely recognized and must be included on SDSs under HazCom, alongside OSHA PELs and other classifications. This ensures downstream users see consistent exposure information.
Final Thoughts
The importance of chemical safety is practical: fewer injuries, fewer shutdowns, and easier audits. Build from your inventory and SDSs, label clearly, design controls that reduce exposure, and keep training short and frequent.
Align your program with OSHA’s 2024 HazCom updates and keep an eye on EPA RMP timelines while continuing prevention work.
Managing many sites or thousands of SDSs can be time consuming. A dedicated SDS management platform can cut admin time and help your teams act faster during routine work and emergencies.
FAQs
1) What does OSHA’s 2024 HazCom update change for me?
It aligns with GHS Rev 7 (plus selected Rev 8 elements), clarifies classifications, and updates label/SDS expectations. Review suppliers’ SDSs and your in-house labels against the new criteria.
2) Do I still need PPE if we install local exhaust?
Often yes, but PPE should not be the primary control. Start with elimination or substitution, then engineering and administrative controls, and use PPE as the final layer.
3) Which exposure limits should we follow on task assessments?
Use OSHA PELs for compliance and consider ACGIH TLVs as more protective guidelines. HazCom requires listing TLVs on SDSs to inform users.
4) How do the 2024 EPA RMP changes affect local planning?
The SCCAP rule strengthened prevention and emergency planning, although parts are now paused for reconsideration in 2025. Keep advancing prevention and coordination with local responders while tracking updates.
5) What’s the simplest way to show ROI from chemical safety?
Track leading indicators: SDS updates completed, training completion rates, exposure trend lines, and time-to-close corrective actions. Compare against OSHA Safety Pays estimates to translate avoided incidents into dollars.