Important Update on Hazard Communication Standard

"Exposure to hazardous chemicals is one of the most serious threats facing American workers today," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. "Revising OSHA's Hazard Communication standard will improve the quality and consistency of hazard information, making it safer for workers to do their jobs and easier for employers to stay competitive."

Table of Contents

1. OSHA Law and Regulation

2. What are MSDS and SDS?

3. 16 Sections of SDSs' GHS Mandate Specifications

OSHA Law and Regulation 

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) was created to ensure safety in the workplace for all. Under OSHA law and regulation, employers are responsible for providing employees with a workplace safe from potentially hazardous chemicals and substances. Businesses must follow the Hazard Communication Standard and other enforceable standards in their facilities. Employers must follow these OSHA standards to keep their workplaces free from any form of serious recognized hazards from chemicals and substances. 

OSHA also ensures that these standards are communicated in universally understood methods to ensure workplace safety. This is done through education, training programs, and outreach and assistance to employers. 

OSHA's Revised Hazard Communication Standard 

In 2013 OSHA has aligned its Hazard Communication Standard with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). 

These revisions to the Standard brought two important changes: 

1. Use of new labeling elements 
2. Standardized format for Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) 

Formerly the Standard enforced by OSHA was known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). The new revised standard will not only improve workers' understanding of the hazards connected with chemicals in the workplace but will also train them to take various precautions while working with them. OSHA, in order to help companies in implementing the new standards, has been phasing the new standards in since they were first drawn in December, 2013. They hope to have the new standard fully phased in by June 1, 2016. 

What are MSDS and SDS? 

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) are generally the same. They are both documents that accompany hazardous chemicals and substances. These documents provide an outline of the dangers associated with the particular chemical or substance, their composition, the safe way of handling them, and how to safely dispose of them when necessary. 

Differences between MSDS and SDS There is little practical difference between MSDSs and SDSs, as they cover essentially the same information. The most significant difference between the two safety data sheet types is this: a SDS that is compliant with GHS mandates cannot be a MSDS. 

Earlier, MSDSs were maintained in three-ring binders. With the advent of the Internet OSHA's HCS mandates these data sheets must be kept in electronic format. If the company continues to use merely the old binders, then they are considered as noncompliant with OSHA regulations. 

16 Sections of SDSs' GHS Mandate Specifications 

The SDS had to be created and formatted in such a way that it conforms to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The GHS mandates makes 16 standardized sections compulsory, and they must be arranged in a specific order. The GHS mandates are being globally implemented to ensure a standard communication of chemical and substance hazards across international borders. 

The 16 sections of SDS should be provided in the fixed order to comply with Hazcom Standard. 

Section 1: Identification (Product name, Manufacturer name, address or contact details) 

Section 2: Hazard(s) (Chemical label elements) 

Section 3: Composition/information on ingredients 

Section 4: First-aid measures 

Section 5: Fire-fighting measures 

Section 6: Accidental release measures 

Section 7: Handling and storage 

Section 8: Exposure controls/personal protection 

Section 9: Physical and chemical properties 

Section 10: Stability and reactivity 

Section 11: Toxicological information 

Section 12: Ecological information* 

Section 13: Disposal considerations* 

Section 14: Transport information* 

Section 15: Regulatory information* 

Section 16: Other information including additional details. 

* SDS compliance by regulatory authority of other agencies 

Violation of the OSHA HCS regulations can lead to expensive penalties, fines and litigation expenses. This is why it is essential that companies make sure their Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) conform to the specification of OSHA's new GHS-mandated standards.
MSDS is a topic covered in the Chemical PE Exam specification under the Plant Design and Operation section.

Enjoy the Rollercoaster of Life - PE Exam and Work

An engineer's life in general can be compared to a fine balancing act of walking on a tightrope of choices. In the journey to become a professional engineer, the ability to make tough choice is important. Few of the State Boards have stipulated the need for four years of experience before sitting for the Principles and Practices of Professional Engineer Exam or PE Exam. In the intermittent duration, it is possible that you would have a family of your own with new responsibilities. In such a situation everything boils down to being able to grow socially, professionally and individually in an even pace by making tough personal and career choices.

Table of Contents

1. Translating Happiness for Engineer-Interns

2. Importance of Integrating Over Balancing

3. Some Tips and Tricks for PE Exam Preparation

4. Gain Confidence to Handle Your Work-Life-PE Exam

Translating Happiness for Engineer-Interns

Paul Krassner is an American journalist and satirist who defined 'happiness' as something which has as little separation as possible between your work and your play. The expression 'work-life balance' first came into existence in United Kingdom in the late 1970s and in 1986 this expression found its way into the American society.

Naturally, given the above definition of happiness, finding the right view to what is important and what is not becomes essential. Human being are social being who play various roles when at work, with family or alone. It is simply impossible to remove any of these roles. Sometimes, none of these roles happen in sequence. With the advancement in the communication technology the demarcation of work and life is slowly dissolving. So it becomes all the more important that you are aware of the choices you make for your life and for your career.

Importance of Integrating Over Balancing

The best way to achieve your professional and personal goals is in how stringent a plan and schedule you create for all your commitments as a whole. It might help you, if you began your preparation for taking the PE Exam a year or so earlier. Then you may want to find out how you wish to achieve your ambition to gain a PE Licensure for upscaling your engineering career while maintaining your work-life balance. If you could integrate studying for the PE Exam well in advance then you set a learning pattern for getting familiar with the PE Exam syllabus.

When closer to the exam dates you may choose to study alone or with a fellow engineering friends aspiring to take the PE Exam. You can motivate each other and find creative ways in your exam preparation. You could do this by assigning a particular duration in your day for preparing for the exam. It is important to remain committed to the time that you assign. If your responsibility takes you away from the study time, then make sure you don't miss the next day's schedule.

Since you are your best judge you would be aware of your strengths and weakness. If working alone is not your strength then you may even wish to enlist for a PE Exam Review Course. These course will give you practice time for problems and sample tests while refreshing your engineering topics. Review Course providers generally will give you sample simulation test where you can find out your test timing and pacing issue. This then allows you to fix any issues at the early stages of study.

Some Tips and Tricks for PE Exam Preparation

Indexing and tabbing references allows you to get your reference material organized well. Use colorful indexing methods for individual topics and its related topics. This will help you to quickly find information during the examination.

Take a few practice test or simulated test to familiarize with the exam format. The saying 'practice makes you perfect' is true because this makes you ready to face certain type of trick questions. Answers to some questions might lie in the twisted wording used in them. Use caution when answering these questions.

Gain Confidence to Handle Your Work-Life-PE Exam

As the renowned poetess Maya Angelou says "everything in moderation, but moderation in moderation too." Try to find various ways to integrate preparation for PE Exam as a part of your happiness zone with good planning and scheduling.

Pass FE Exam and Gain a Career

We have all had dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, firemen, scientist, and teachers. Our childhood make-believe games used to carry within them our hidden passion for the respective fields. Surprisingly, only few find a way into the engineering stream though all have had fun playing the role in the childhood. So everything begins with a dream and becomes fortified goal for every individual engineer. There are ways to find out if engineering is in your passion zone. Do you harbor an extreme interest for math, logic, problem-solving, and of course, a keen interest in dismantling and assembling things? Rest assured you are down the right rabbit-hole for an exciting engineering a wonderland adventure.

Table of Contents

1. Structuring Your College Life

2. Debt-Free Engineering Career

3. Exploring Engineering without Borders

4. Planning Your FE Exam

5. Success Tip for FE Exam Preparation

6. Integrate Wisely Student Life-FE Exam-Career

Structuring Your College Life

Students joining the engineering college as undergraduates may not be aware of which engineering course best suits them. During those early years of college study, find ways to discover the precise engineering field where your passion and expertise can be best used. Make it a point to be involved in clubs and activities within your parameters that are related tasks that would help your engineering career within your tight course and social commitments schedules. An engineering student needs to prioritize their student life and future growth in an even keel. Sometimes, the field is such that, it requires you to make some sacrifices for long-term gain. Be wise in making the choices in your early stage of study life.

Debt-Free Engineering Career

When you decide to take an engineering program then attempt for a debt-free engineering career too. Among the many conventional financial aids find out if you are eligible for alternate or non-governmental funds. There are many Non-Profit and for Profit Organizations providing scholarship. Find out if you qualify for them and make use of it to reduce your overhead of studying for a professional engineering career.

Exploring Engineering without Borders

Gather as much field knowledge that you can while at Undergraduate level. There are movements to bring in new engineering ideas and solution to under developed countries with limited advancement in technology. Participating in such project chapters like 'Engineering Without Borders' helps you in building on your engineering design strengths and becoming a team player working with limited resources. In such project, you can innovate and thinking out of the box which becomes essential when you want to implement these experiential learning to best use in the future.

Planning Your FE Exam

If you decide to gain recognition for your ABET accredited undergraduate degree by the State Board through a NCEES Exam, then planning to take your FE Exam will be essential. Remember some essential sacrifices would lead to far higher later gains in your career. So make a wise choice even during your third year of under graduation to get ready for the FE Exam. You may decide to prepare on your own or do a group study with your fellow students based on your convenience. Alternately, you can choose to take up a FE Review Course with a review course providers and get exam ready.

Success Tip for FE Exam Preparation

Begin early and stay focused in your goal to become a professional engineer. The best way to tackle the pressures of student life and preparing for the FE Exam is based on making some serious life choices which you don't have to regret later. Start planning around your 3rd year of Undergraduate program. You could then structure your study plan to get the best out of it. Also find extrinsic and intrinsic support to pass the FE Exam which adds value to your ABET Accredited Degree.

Integrate Wisely Student Life-FE Exam-Career

Engineering undergraduate life can be excruciating but it also prepares you for the life ahead as a professional. It might be the great place to discover how you define important and not so important life choices. Find a way to wisely integrate working towards having your degree recognized and follow it up with a PE Exam. Discover and create memorable milestones in your Professional Engineering Career.

Changing trends of Online Learning

During the early days of Internet boom the Distant Learning Program benefited in making their course materials easily available for the students almost at low cost. Online courses could be termed as something that was an extension of the distant learning concept. But it gained its uniqueness as various Internet technologies advanced. The present day online courses are getting dynamic and advanced with their supportive study tools.

Table of Contents

1. Benefits of online courses

2. Online learning survey shows steady growth

3. Changing faces of online course

4. User-experience with School of PE

5. Future of Online Learning

Benefits of online courses

Taking an online course has certain benefits to the student pressed for time as well as for getting ready for qualification certification programs while being actively employed or juggling with the term papers. Some of the common benefits of online courses are:

1. Taking a course at your convenience
2. Flexibility of choosing time, pace and place
3. Savings on transportation cost and travelling
4. Gaining precise skills based on job requirement
5. Recorded class material available for replay
6. Lesser carbon footprints with electronic course materials
7. Involving various social media for interactive learning fields

Online learning survey shows steady growth

Babson Survey Research Group, Pearson and The Sloan Consortium partnered to conduct an online learning survey in 2013 showing a steady growth in online courses. More learners are moving towards this form of educational platform because it provides easier mode of study by defining the learning space and optimizing the learning hour.

Changing faces of online course

One other marked trend that is found in these courses are the usage of various social media platforms and technology to create a learning environment which can be set up almost at any time or at any place. There is a growing trend for more professional output in the engineering fields, thus upscaling the maintenance of stringent quality standards and codes. Licensed Engineers are capable of upholding all the required quality standards in their line of work after the completion of the course. Now online courses are integrating various media to bring about a complete learning experience for students. The market for mobile classroom may not be far away as the online courses move from desktop to portable devices.

User-experience with School of PE

At School of PE, we provide various kinds of courses such as Onsite, Live Online and Ondemand courses. Of these courses, two courses fall under the category of online courses and they are Live Online and Ondemand Review Courses. Currently, these NCEES Exam review courses are provided virtually using advanced and reliable technology. There are various methods in which the students can interact and get personal guidance during the Online course.

Future of Online Learning

Online learning stands to gain strength and add value to the way certifications are provided for experiential education. As more students find themselves learning new skills almost pay half a regular college fee for a professional certification that would upscale their career prospects and increase their take homes.