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Safety and Health Topics: |
Hazardous and Toxic Substances |
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Hazardous and toxic substances can be defined as those
chemicals present in the workplace which are capable of causing harm. In this
definition, the term chemicals includes dusts, mixtures, and common materials
such as paints, fuels, and solvents. OSHA currently regulates exposure to approximately
400 substances. The OSHA
Chemical Sampling Information file contains listings
for approximately 1500 substances; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA's) Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substances Inventory lists
information on more than 62,000 chemicals or chemical substances; some libraries
maintain files of material safety data sheets (MSDS) for more than 100,000 substances.
It is not possible to address the hazards associated with each of these chemicals,
however, the following questions
link to resources that provide safety and health information relevant
to many hazardous and toxic substances.
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Revised: 15
December 2003 |
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