Texas Hazard Communication Act Worker Right-to-Know Notice

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES	 	
The  Texas  Hazard  Communication  Act,  codified  as  Chapter  502  of  the  Texas  Health  and  Safety  Code, 
requires public employers to provide employees with specific information on the hazards of chemicals to 
which employees may be exposed in 	the workplace. As required by law, your employer must provide you 	
with certain information and training. A brief summary of the law follows.	 HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS  	
Hazardous chemicals are any products or materials 
that  present  any  physical  or 	health  hazards  when 	
used,  unless  they  are  exempted  under  the  law. 
Some  examples  of  more  commonly  used 
hazardous  chemicals  are  fuels,  cleaning  products, 
solvents,  many  types  of  oils,  compressed  gases, 
many  types  of  paints,  pesticides,  herbicides, 
refrigeran	ts,  laboratory  chemicals,  cement, 	
welding rods, etc.	 
WORKPLACE CHEMICAL LIST  	
Employers  must  develop  a  list  of  hazardous 
chemicals  used  or  stored  in  the  workplace  in 
excess of 55 gallons or 500 pounds. This list shall 
be  updated  by  the  employer  as  necessary	,  but  at 	
least  annually,  and  be  made  readily  available  for 
employees and their representatives on request.	   
EMPLOYEE EDUCATION PROGRAM  	
Employers shall provide training to newly assigned 
employees  before  the  employees  work  in  a  work 
area  containing  a 	hazardous  chemical.  Covered 	
employees  shall  receive  training  from  the	 	
employer  on  the  hazards  of  the  chemicals  and  on 
the measures they can take to protect themselves 
from  those  hazards.    This  training  shall  be 
repeated  as  needed,  but  at  least  whenever  new	 	
hazards  are  introduced  into the  workplace  or  new 
information is received on the chemicals which are 
already present.	  SAFETY DATA SHEETS  	
Employees  who  may  be  exposed  to  hazardous 
chemicals shall be informed of the exposure by the 
employer and shall have r	eady access to the most 	
current  Safety  Data  Sheets  (SDSs)  or  Material 
Safety  Data  Sheets  (MSDSs)  if  an  SDS  is  not 
available  yet,  which  detail  physical  and  health 
hazards  and  other  pertinent  information  on  those 
chemicals.	 
LABELS  	
Employees  shall  not  be 	required  to  work  with 	
hazardous  chemicals  from  unlabeled  containers 
except portable containers for immediate use, the 
contents of which are known to the user.	 
EMPLOYEE RIGHTS  	
Employees have rights to:	 	
	acc	ess copies of SDSs (or an MSDS 	if an	
SDS is not av	ailable yet)	
	information on their chemical exposures	
	receive training on chemical hazards	
	receive appropriate protective equipment	
	file complaints, assist inspectors, or testify
against their employer	
Employees may not be discharged or discriminated 
aga	inst  in  any  manner  for  the  exercise  of  any 	
rights  provided  by  this  Act.  A  waiver  of  employee 
rights  is  void;  an  employer’s  request  for  such  a 
waiver is a violation of the Act. Employees may file 
complaints  with  the  Texas  Department  of  State 
Health  Services	 	at  the  telephone  numbers 	
provided below.	 	
EMPLOYERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES AND CIVIL OR CRIMINAL 	
FINES RANGING FROM $50 TO $100,000 FOR EACH VIOLATION OF THIS ACT	 	
Further information may be obtained from:	 

Texas Departmen
t of State  Healt h Services 
Consumer Protection Division 
Environmental  Operations Branch
PO  Box  149347, MC  2835    
Austin,  TX 78714-9347     
 Worker Right-T
o-Know Program 
Publication #  23-14173 
Revised  May 2022
 (512)
 834 -6787

(800)  293-0753  (toll-free)

Fax:  (512) 834 -6614
E-mail: [email protected] 
Website : www.dshs.texas.gov/hazcom