This guide is intended to assist workers in reducing their exposure to hazardous chemicals on the job. It describes a systematic preventive approach to hazardous chemicals that is based on the following steps: determining which chemicals are in use at a particular worksite (techniques for asking the company and steps to take if the company is unwilling to cooperate); identifying the short- and long-term health effects of different chemicals; assessing the seriousness of exposure (solid, liquid, and gaseous chemicals; ways in which chemicals enter the body; ways of determining how much exposure employees are receiving, and ways of identifying patterns of illness); methods of controlling exposure (control methods, personal protective equipment, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] policy on personal protective equipment). Appendixes include a chemical hazard inspection checklist, a table of glove permeability, a form for use in requesting that a company supply information under OSHA, and comments on the degree of protection afforded by OSHA standards. An annotated resource list is also provided. (MN)
