Every day at workplaces throughout California, employees can be exposed to hazardous chemicals. These include commonly overlooked substances such as cleaners, disinfectants, paints, pesticides, and petroleum products. Exposure to hazardous chemicals can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease, other short-and long-term illnesses, and even death.

Requirements and training

All employers in California with employees working with or exposed to hazardous chemicals are required to have an effective Hazard Communication (HazCom) Program. Your HazCom Program must be in writing and address each of the specific hazardous chemicals in your workplace. Employees must be trained on the details of this program. And, training should take place at the time of initial assignment, whenever a new hazard is introduced into the workplace, and when employees may be exposed to other employers’ workplace chemical hazards. Employee training on new or revised safety data sheet (SDS) information must be provided within 30 days of the employer receiving that information.

Other parts of the training include:

  • Requirements of the HazCom Program regulation
  • Location of the written HazCom program, including a list of the hazardous chemicals present and the SDS for each
  • An explanation of your workplace hazard labeling system, and the SDS
  • Proper notification to employees of any operation in the work area where hazardous chemicals are present
  • How to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals

Building the program

The person responsible for implementing, developing, and maintaining your company’s HazCom Program should carefully review all of the elements of the Cal/OSHA regulation and then customize the program to your specific workplace and the chemical hazards.

Key elements of an effective HazCom Program include:

  • Identifying all hazardous chemicals at the workplace
  • Developing and maintaining a list of the hazardous chemicals identified at your workplace
  • Labeling of both primary and secondary hazardous chemical containers
  • Reviewing the SDS for each hazardous chemical
  • Eliminating or reducing exposures when possible
  • Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Effectively training your employees
  • Being prepared to respond to medical emergencies

Protect your employees who are exposed to hazardous chemicals. Make sure they understand what is present at your workplace, receive the proper training, and take the appropriate steps to work safely. You can use Cal/OSHA’s sample program as a template to build or update your HazCom Program.

(Rev. 12/2023)