Prior to the adoption of 2-8 on 07/26/2005, Policy 2-8 read as follows.

PURPOSE: To identify and properly label hazardous substances used or otherwise present in the workplace of City employees, to provide information to and educate employees on the chemicals that they are or may be exposed to while on the job, and to record and make available to employees a summary of the exposure they have had to specific hazardous substances in the workplace.

BACKGROUND: City employees are exposed to a variety of hazardous substances in the workplace. To minimize the adverse health affects of these chemicals, employee education and prescribed protective procedures and equipment are required. In 1985 the Oklahoma Hazard Communication Standard was enacted as law under the authority of Title 40 O.S. and is enforced by the Oklahoma Department of Labor (ODOL). ODOL basically adopted the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard applying to private industry, extended it to cover public employees, and added provisions recognizing the unique requirements for firefighters and other public safety employees.

2. Chemical Name - The scientific designation of a substance in accordance with the nomenclature system developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or the Chemical Abstract Service or an alternate name found in the NIOSH Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances or a prescription generic drug.

6. Employee Exposure Report - A report that must be generated on the appropriate form when an employee's contact with a known hazardous substance has occurred or has been discovered to have occurred by any method of entry and which may result or does result in injury to the employee.

7. Employee Potential Exposure Report - A report that must be generated on the appropriate form when an employee may have been exposed to a known hazardous substance which may result in the employee sustaining an injury from contact with the known hazardous substance.

9. Health Hazard - Any chemical, biological substance or agent which is listed in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administrations list of Toxic and Hazardous Substances, 29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart "Z" and any other substance including but not limited to chemicals which are carcinogens, toxic agents, reproductive toxins, irritants, corrosives, sensitizers, toxins affecting liver function, and agents which damage the lungs, skin, eyes or mucous membranes, and any substance for which a Material Safety Data Sheet has been provided by the manufacturer, as a hazardous material, or such substances deemed by the Oklahoma Department of Labor Commissioner, based on documented scientific evidence, that poses a threat to the health of an employee.

10. Material Safety Data Sheet ( MSDS) - A document provided by the manufacturer, importer, or distributor of a chemical product which identifies and describes the characteristics and hazards of the product and its ingredients, instructions on how to handle and use the product safely, and instructions on what to do in case of emergency such as leak or spill of the product or over-exposure to the product by employees.

11. Physical Hazard - A chemical which is a compressed gas, explosive, flammable, an organic peroxide, and oxidizer, pyrogoric, unstable or water-reactive, and which is contained in OSHA's list of Hazardous Materials and any substance for which a Material Safety Data Sheet has been provided by the manufacturer as a hazardous material, or such substances deemed by the Oklahoma Department of Labor Commissioner, based on documented scientific evidence that poses a threat to the safety of an employee.

12. Proprietor - The owner, manager, or other person or organization which has control over any location where hazardous substances are present, and which is subject to the jurisdiction of employers subject to the provisions of these rules.

13. Specific Hazard - A hazard of a chemical substance not adequately described in degrees of health hazards, flammability, or reactivity. It may describe important factors to be considered in a fire emergency; such as, the chemical's reactivity with water, whether or not the chemical is radioactive, proper fire extinguishing agents, protective equipment required, or whether the chemical is an oxidizer, corrosive, acid, alkali, etc. In the NFPA 704 Placarding system, the specific hazard is indicated by a symbol in the white diamond.

Substances which are or contain hazardous chemicals as indicated in their Material Safety Data Sheets fall under the provisions of this program. Material Safety Data Sheets will be obtained for all products used or present in the workplace that list a warning or hazard alert on their labels.

This policy does not apply to foods, drugs, cosmetics, or tobacco products intended for personal consumption by employees while in the workplace. Additionally, this policy does not apply to any consumer products and food stuffs packaged for distribution to, and intended for use by, the general public unless these consumer products are purchased by the employer for the required use of the employee.

A. Program Coordinator: The Safety and Risk Officer will function as the City's Hazard Communications Program Coordinator. Should a full time Hazardous Materials Officer be appointed in the future, the person assuming this position will be designated as the program coordinator.

B. HAZCOM Coordinators: This policy establishes the function of Hazard Communications (HAZCOM) Coordinator which will be assumed as an additional duty for employees in various, defined workplaces. The HAZCOM Coordinator must be knowledgeable of the chemicals and job tasks performed in the work unit he represents. Department heads shall appoint HAZCOM Coordinators for their assigned department/divisions as appropriate.

b. Field Utilities, Street (including Electronic Maintenance), Solid Waste, Wastewater Treatment, Water Treatment, Equipment Maintenance, Buildings and Grounds, Museum, Lakes and Land, and Sports and Aquatics (Leisure Services) Divisions.

c. Maintain the Chemical Information List for the division or department. Append supplemental lists to the CIL as new chemicals are added. Re-alphabetize the list annually to include chemicals listed in the addenda.

d. Insure that Material Safety Data Sheets for all chemical substances used or present in the workplace are on file and accessible to the employees. At least once every twelve months, review MSDS file and certify all required MSDS's are on file. Coordinate with the Hazardous Materials Officer or the Safety and Risk Officer in procuring any needed MSDS's.

2. Two master lists (CIL's) of all chemical substances present in any City of Lawton workplace will be maintained and updated annually by the Safety and Risk Officer. One CIL will list the chemical substances by the common names of the substances; the other will list them by trade name. Both must be cross-referenced to the applicable Material Safety Data Sheets. Both lists must be in alphabetical order.

3. Two CIL's of chemicals present will be prepared and maintained in each workplace. These lists will be filed in the binder with the Material Safety Data Sheets for all chemicals used or present in the workplace. One CIL will list substance by common name; the other will list them by trade name. Each will be alphabetized, and will be updated annually.

2. Purchasing Division Buyers will specify that MSDS's must precede or accompany all hazardous substance shipments received by the City. Such shipments will not be accepted unless this requirement is met. Manufacturers and distributors are required by law to provide MSDS's to purchasers of their products.

4. A master file with copies of MSDS's for all chemical substances present in the City of Lawton workplaces will be maintained by the Safety and Risk Officer. Each MSDS will be assigned a unique identifying number which will be referenced in the master CIL's. MSDS's will be filed in loose leaf binders in numerical order by category (i.e. fuels and oils, solvents, paints and coatings, etc.).

c. No less than once every twelve months, the HAZCOM Coordinator for the workplace will re-inventory chemicals in the workplace and check the MSDS file to insure that MSDS's are available for all chemicals on hand. A written record of the inventory and MSDS review will be maintained in the MSDS file (binder).

d. The HAZCOM Coordinator will inform the Safety and Risk Officer of any needed MSDS's. The HAZCOM Coordinator will take action to procure the MSDS's if the MSDS's are not available in the master file.

1. All employees will receive chemical hazard communication training within 30 days of hire and on an annual basis throughout their tenure. This training will include the nature of the hazards of the specific chemicals with which they may be required to work; the precautions, procedures, and equipment that must be used to safely work with the chemical; and emergency and fir-aid procedures to use in case of spill or over-exposure. Prior to receiving this training, employees should be allowed to handle hazardous chemicals only under close, direct supervision of trained personnel.

2. Courses of instruction will be modified accordingly whenever job procedures involving hazardous substances change or whenever different or additional hazardous substances are introduced into the work place. This information will be provided by Superintendents or Department Directors to the HAZCOM Coordinator. Public safety employees will rely on proprietors to provide this information.

b. HAZCOM training for Police personnel will be provided through the Police training section. The initial training will be provided through the Police Academy. The annual training will be provided during in-service training.

(1) The Department/Division Hazard Communications (HAZCOM) Coordinator (See paragraph E) or appropriately training supervisor will conduct HAZCOM training for new employees within 30 days of their hire dates. The coordinator or supervisor will complete a checklist of the items covered during the training; each item will be initialed by the trainer and the trainee.

(2) The HAZCOM coordinator or appropriately trained supervisor will train all affected employees on revised procedures and precautions necessitated by the introduction of a different chemical substance into the work environment.

(3) The HAZCOM coordinator and the Hazardous Materials Officer or Safety and risk Officer will jointly conduct annual HAZCOM training. The Hazardous Materials Officer or the Safety and Risk Officer will provide general HAZCOM program training. The HAZCOM Coordinator will instruct on the specific handling and storage procedures for the particular chemicals used in the workplace of the employees being trained.

c. HAZCOM Coordinators will also file a copy of HAZCOM training records. In addition, each employee trained will sign a statement indicating that he/she has been trained and understood the content of the training course. These statements will be filed and retained by the HAZCOM Coordinator.

Written reports are required whenever an employee is exposed or may have been exposed to hazardous concentrations of a chemical substance. This exposure may be contact by inhalation, ingestion, or on the skin. Of concern are contacts with chemicals that may cause either acute or chronic health problems for the employees.

1. Employee exposure reports are required when an employee is exposed to concentrations of a hazardous chemical known to be above the permissible exposure levels specified in the MSDS for the chemical, or the employee ingests or comes into skin contact with the chemical contrary to MSDS recommendations, or the employee claims a chronic or acute health affect from the exposure (i.e. irritation, dizziness, rash, breathing difficulty, etc.). For each exposure of each employee, a separate form (See Exhibit #1) will be completed. The completed form will be forwarded to the Safety and Risk Officer within 72 hours after the exposure. After recording the exposure, the Safety and Risk Officer will forward the report to the Personnel Department for filing in the employee's personnel file.

2. Employee Potential Exposure reports are required when the employee may have been exposed to concentrations of hazardous chemicals above permissible levels or it is suspected the employee may suffer some ill affect from the exposure at a later date. Each such exposure will be recorded on a separate form (see Exhibit #2) for each employee so exposed. The completed form will be forwarded to the Safety and Risk Officer within two weeks of the potential exposure. After recording the potential exposure, the report will be forwarded to the Personnel Department for filing.

3. When supervisory personnel become aware an employee has received a hazardous or potentially hazardous exposure to any substance or agent covered by this policy, the supervisor will immediately inform the employee and arrange for any necessary medical care.

4. An Employee Exposure Summary will be maintained on each employee indicating the chemicals (hazardous substances) to which the employee has been exposed throughout the period of employment. These summaries will be maintained by the Safety and Risk Officer based on reports of exposure from the affected departments. Once an affected employee terminates employment with the City of Lawton, the exposure summary for the employee will be forwarded to the Personnel Department. It will be placed in the individual's personnel files and will be retained for at least 40 years.

Each Division will prepare written safe operating procedures for job tasks involving use or storage of hazardous substances. A separate safe operating procedure is not required for each item listed the workplace CIL. If the safe handling procedures are the same for two or more chemical substances, then the chemicals may be grouped together and covered by one safe operating procedure. These procedures must be consistent with the MSDS provisions for the substance. A copy of each operating procedure will be provided to the HAZCOM Coordinator for use in training Division personnel. When these procedures are modified (to include use of different chemicals) updated standard safe operating procedures will be prepared and copies provided to the HAZCOM Coordinator. Copies of the Procedures should be filed in the workplace MSDS binder or otherwise be made readily accessible to employees performing the tasks.

1. All containers will be labeled as to content and the hazards of the substances contained therein. If the labels on containers of hazardous substances do not contain the CAS number and chemical name of the substance, the using Division must re-label the containers to include this information. Also, Divisions must insure that labels are protected to maintain readability.

2. Labels are not required for portable containers into which hazardous substances are transferred from labeled containers if they are intended only for the immediate use of the employee. This exemption does not apply to portable containers used to store gasoline and other fuel.

3. Should a labeled container be re-used to contain a substance other than that indicated on the label, the label must be removed or obliterated and replaced with the appropriate label. This includes containers re-used for waste (used oil, trash, etc.). Containers are to be re-used only if MSDS or label for the chemical substance previously contained therein does not warn against re-use of the container.

4. Labels are not required for portable containers into which hazardous substances are transferred from labeled containers if they are intended only for the immediate use of the employee. This exemption does not apply to portable containers used to store gasoline and other fuel.

b. The aggregate of the amount of hazardous chemicals store, placed, or used at the workplace is greater than or equal to fifty-five (55) gallons of liquid, five hundred (500) pounds of non-liquid, or eight hundred (800) cubic feet of compressed gas where the numerical rating of the hazardous chemical based on NFPA 704-1985 system results in:

3. The National Fire Protection Association provides a simple system of readily recognizable and easily understood marking which will give at a glance a general idea of the inherent hazards of any material and the order of severity of these hazards as they relate to fire prevention, exposure, and control: The NFPA 704 Placarding System. This system will be used in marking storage areas where hazard chemicals are stored.

4. Placards will be mounted at the entrance, on door or gate, to all storage areas where significant amounts of hazardous chemicals are stored or in the location(s) specified by the fire Department.

5. The placards will be diamond shaped at least 7 and 1/2 inches on each side. The placards will be in NFPA Standard 704 format, color and number coded to identify the health, flammability, reactivity, and specific hazards of the chemical.

6. Division superintendents will coordinate with the Fire Department Hazardous Materials Officer to determine if placarding is required for a particular storage area and to determine hazard codes to be used on any required placarding.

Employees or designated employee representatives have right of access to Exposure Reports or Exposure summaries maintained on them and to Material Safety Data Sheets for the hazardous substances covered by this policy. Requests for exposure reports or summaries must be made to the Safety and Risk Officer who will provide copies of the documents within 15 days of receipt of the request. MSDS's and Chemical Inventory Lists (CIL's) must be available at the workplace for review by the employees prior to working with the chemicals.

In accordance with state law, each proprietor within the service area of the Lawton Fire Department is required to provide the names and locations of any significant amounts of hazardous substances stored, placed, or used in the proprietor's facility. Further, proprietors are required to properly label containers and provide warning signs at location where such substances are maintained. Actual procedures for the receipt, maintenance, and use of the required information from proprietors and for assuring proprietor compliance will be established by the Fire Department.