Minnesota's state requirements regarding hazard communication (HAZCOM) include a substantial amount of regulatory information beyond the federal requirements.
Click the link(s) below to view the federal requirements.
Hazard communication
Citations
Minnesota Statutes:
Minnesota Administrative Rules:
Federal: 29 CFR 1910.1200 and Appendices A through E
A summary of the additional requirements includes the following:
- Minnesota enforces the state's Employee Right-to-Know rule instead of the federal HAZCOM standard. The Minnesota rule covers harmful physical agents (heat, noise, and radiation), specific infectious agents, and specific hazardous substances. It requires employers to develop a written program and provide annual training to employees routinely exposed to those substances and agents.
- Employers must develop and implement a written Employee Right-to-Know program which, at a minimum, describes how the training, availability of information, and labeling requirements will be met for hazardous substances, harmful physical agents, and infectious agents. The program must also contain: a list of the hazardous substances known to be present; the methods to be used to inform employees of the hazards of infrequent tasks that involve exposure to hazardous substances, harmful physical agents, or infectious agents; and the hazards associated with hazardous substances contained in unlabeled pipes in their work areas. Additional provisions must be included for multi-employer workplaces.
- For infectious agents, a written exposure control plan that meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.1030, and covers all infectious agents to which employees may be exposed in the workplace, meets the state requirements.
- Employers may use signs, placards, process sheets, batch tickets, operating procedures, or other such written materials in lieu of affixing labels to individual stationary process containers, as long as the alternative method identifies the containers to which it is applicable and, at a minimum, includes the identity of the hazard and the appropriate hazard warning. The written materials must be readily accessible to the employees in their work area throughout each work shift.
- Employers must ensure that each container of hazardous substances in the workplace that is not labeled in accordance with the state requirements is labeled, tagged, or marked with at least the identity of the hazardous substance and the appropriate hazard warning.
- Equipment or a work area that specifically generates harmful physical agents at a level which may be expected to approximate or exceed the permissible exposure limit or applicable action level must be labeled with the name of the physical agent and the appropriate hazard warning.
- Manufacturers or employers who believe that all or part of the information required under the Employee Right to Know rule is a trade secret may register the information with the Department of Labor and Industry as trade secret information.
- Vent pipe outlets for hazardous substances under pressure, including ammonia and refrigerant compressor systems, must be so located that the discharge is released at a point outside of the building where it will not reenter the building or work area.
- Training updates must be repeated at intervals of not greater than one year. Training updates may be brief summaries of information included in previous training sessions.
- Training records must be retained for three years and a minimum must include: the dates the training was conducted; the name, title, and qualifications of the person who conducted the training; the names and job titles of employees who completed the training; and a brief summary or outline of the information that was included in the training session.
