OSH305-W1A2

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Eastern Kentucky University *

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305

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Feb 20, 2024

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OSH 305 Hazardous Materials Week 1 Assignment 2 (W1 A2) Hazardous Materials/Hazardous Materials Definition(s) (50 points) Directions: Many governmental agencies regulate hazardous materials (EPA, OSHA, NFPA, DOT). The term hazardous materials are not universal defined among governmental agencies. Your assignment is to research how individual governmental agencies define the term hazardous materials compare and contrast the definitions. You are then to take the best parts of each and provide your own definitions based on your research. HINT: Go to the governmental website or the regulation which they enforce to find the definitions. Section 1. (40 points total) Organization(s) (a) Hazardous Material(s) definition (b) Hazardous Substance definition *Provide reference (weblink if appropriate) in this section under the definition: Comments concerning definitions (a) Is it appropriate? Why/why not? (b) Is it lacking information? Why/why not? (30 points total) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a.) A broad term that includes all substances that can be harmful to people or the environment; toxic substances, hazardous materials and other similar terms are subsets of hazardous substances. US EPA Search b.) Any material that poses a threat to public health and/or the environment. Typical hazardous substances are materials that are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive. US EPA Search This is appropriate. These definitions cover multiple aspects of what a hazard could be, and there is overlap between the two definitions. I do not think these lack information from a definition standpoint. The definitions are broad and it may be hard for someone to interpret a specific material, but these definitions cover any possible hazard. Department of Transportation (DOT) a. ) A hazardous material is defined by the Department of Transportation (DOT) as “a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined is capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and has been so designated.” This includes hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, and elevated temperature materials. DOT Hazardous Materials – Understanding the Core Requirements (uscompliance.com) b.) From what I can find, DOT groups hazardous materials and hazardous substances together and as the same definition. I do believe this is appropriate. I think what the DOT seems to do by grouping hazardous substances and hazardous materials together is a good idea when it comes to writing standards or regulations. This takes guesswork out and makes it to where the DOT does not have to worry about two separate categories. I do not think these lack information, for the same reason the EPA’s definitions do not lack information. They cover as much as they can without being too specific, in case anyone tries to work around the definition. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) a. ) (OSHA) defines hazardous materials as “any substance or chemical which is hazardous to people’s health or is physically hazardous.” What Defines a Hazardous Material? | MLI I would say that these are appropriate. I think this is a different approach than the EPA or DOT, but still acceptable and reaches a large amount of materials or substances. I 1

Environmental b.) Hazardous substance means any substance designated or listed under paragraphs (A) through (D) of this definition, exposure to which results or may result in adverse affects on the health or safety of employees: (A) Any substance defined under section 103(14) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 U.S.C. 9601). (B) Any biological agent and other disease-causing agent which after release into the environment and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into any person, either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food chains, will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, physiological malfunctions (including malfunctions in reproduction) or physical deformations in such persons or their offspring; (C) Any substance listed by the U.S. Department of Transportation as hazardous materials under 49 CFR 172.101 and appendices; and (D) Hazardous waste as herein defined. 1910.120 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov) do think these lacking some information. For a hazardous material, “people’s health or is physically hazardous” seems a little controversial, since health is considered a physical or biological hazard, but the definition goes on to say physically hazardous. I think this makes some of the delineation between the two definitions blurry. Comments concerning definitions comparing and contrasting the various definitions (10 points) Compare and contrast the all the organizations provided in the comments section: Both the EPA and DOT seem to relate hazardous materials and hazardous substances as one in the same. I feel like this is ideal as the terms can cover the same materials and is not specific. While being broad can often be seen as something that is not great for a definition, in this case it allows the two agencies to cover multiple forms of hazards. OSHA seems to make a distinction that a hazardous material is something that causes physical harm, and a hazardous substance causes health responses. I think these definitions are not 2

ideal as it makes it important for them to cover each title when writing standards covering specific chemicals, as there are many chemicals that could fall under both categories. Section 2. (10 points) (a) Provide a NEW Hazardous Material(s) definition using your knowledge gained from the information provided above. Using definition(s) provided above or any other found (10 points) A hazardous material is any form of material, substance, or chemical that could possibly cause adverse effects the environment or to a person’s health through physical, biological, or other means. 3

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