Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

(e.g. yourname@email.com)

Forgot Password?

    Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Logo

    VPP Corner: Importance of HAZCOM plan

    VPP Corner: Importance of HAZCOM plan

    Photo By Keith Hayes | Voluntary Protection Plan logo read more read more

    MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

    11.09.2016

    Story by Keith Hayes 

    Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

    A Hazard Communication Plan provides vital information to employees and first responders aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow to help care for someone accidentally exposed to chemicals they use to do their job.

    Latham Woods, a safety specialist and the HAZCOM program manager with the Base Safety Office aboard MCLB Barstow, said every department that uses chemicals has to have a Hazard Communication Plan on file.

    “A HAZCOM plan contains information on how to identify hazardous materials, provides product warning labels for those products and includes Safety Data Sheets,” he said.

    “The HAZCOM plan also outlines what kind of training an employee must go through to be knowledgeable about the proper use of those chemicals and what to do if a person is accidentally exposed,” Woods said.

    “The SDS documents contain all of the information about a chemical that people in the office, first responders and medical personnel need to treat a person who was accidentally exposed to that chemical,” he explained.

    Woods pointed to a recent spill of hydrazine at a warehouse on the Nebo side to explain why the SDS is important.

    “The hydrazine spilled, so someone called 9-1-1. The fire department arrived and the first thing they did was look at the SDS to find out if they needed to respond to the spill in full protective equipment. They suited up and contained the spill.”

    Woods said the SDS replaces the old Material Safety Data Sheets as part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.

    “If anyone has the old MSDS binders they need to get them changed out with the new yellow SDS binders, which are available at the Base Safety Office,” he said.

    Woods said January 2017 is very important to MCLB Barstow because the base comes up for the recertification of its Voluntary Protection Program Star status originally awarded in 2008.

    Part of what the recertification crew will be checking is the maintenance of the SDS folders.

    “Employees have the right to know what they could be exposed to at work. So the purpose of the HAZCOM plan is not just to comply with base and Marine Corps orders, but to provide employees with important information about how to deal with those chemicals,” Woods said.

    LEAVE A COMMENT

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 11.09.2016
    Date Posted: 11.14.2016 13:50
    Story ID: 214570
    Location: MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CA, US

    Web Views: 34
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN