Five Ways Software Helps Strengthen Your Chemical Safety and IH Program
Now is the time to make a compelling and well-rounded business case for implementing IH software in your organization.
- By Phil N. Molé
- Feb 01, 2022
The number of in-house industrial hygiene (IH) professionals has dwindled in recent years, with more and more businesses downsizing or eliminating their in-house IH professionals and relying on EHS generalists and third-party consultants to manage their IH programs. As IH program budgets tighten, it is becoming increasingly critical that IH practitioners can make a strong business case for their IH programs so that they can compete successfully for limited resources.
Fortunately, the number of software options available to help businesses more easily manage their IH needs has increased in response to these challenges. The best solutions available can help you cut through the time and complexity of your most important tasks, enabling you to maintain a world-class program and have real-time visibility and reporting into your most important activities—regardless of how much or how little IH background you already have.
A great example of the ability of software to bolster IH is in the management of chemicals. Proper chemical management is a critical component of a solid IH program, even if many organizations fall short. Hazard Communication has ranked second or third on OSHA’s annual list of its standards with the most frequent violations for more than a decade, pointing to systemic chemical management issues that undermine the effectiveness of IH programs and place workers at risk.
As we enter a new year, now is the time to make a compelling and well-rounded business case for implementing IH software in your organization. Let us look at five ways software can strengthen your IH program, improve chemical management and protect the safety of your workforce.
Chemical Inventory and Ingredients
Tracking
Everything starts with knowing what chemicals you have in the workplace. It is the key to drafting an accurately written HazCom plan, ensuring you have all necessary safety data sheets (SDSs) for the chemicals in your inventory, effectively managing workplace labels, training your employees on chemical hazards and meeting regulatory responsibilities.
Yet, just knowing what chemical products you have is not enough. You also need visibility into the ingredients of those products, along with their specific hazards and regulatory considerations. Take methylene chloride, for example, a common ingredient in aerosol degreasing sprays and paint-removing solvents. Facility managers are often unaware it is present in their facilities because the names of the products don't provide any obvious clues. If you do not know you have methylene chloride, it is unlikely that your IH program includes exposure monitoring for it, which leaves you out of compliance with OSHA’s methylene chloride standard.
This article originally appeared in the February 1, 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.