Host Atanu Das interviews Claire Bryant of the National Safety Council about workplace wellbeing and its connection to workplace and roadway safety. Bryant explains NSC’s wellbeing work began in 2012 with the overdose crisis and now includes fatigue, mental distress, psychological safety, workplace violence, and other psychosocial hazards, emphasizing research showing a strong correlation between wellbeing investments and improved safety outcomes. She discusses gaining organizational buy-in by linking wellbeing risks to costs like healthcare utilization, productivity, and turnover, and highlights pressing risks such as overdose on the job (about 8% of workplace fatalities) and over 12,000 EMS responses to potential opioid overdoses at worksites in the last year. The episode covers integrating wellbeing into safety management via risk assessment, EAP and incident data, tools like NIOSH’s Worker WellBQ, standards like ISO 45003, impairment detection technology, and practical steps for small organizations including naloxone and mental health first aid.

Host Atanu Das interviews Ken Sumner of KWS Training, a dangerous goods transportation trainer with 30+ years’ experience, about where OSHA HazCom and DOT transport requirements intersect and frequently conflict. Sumner describes common SDS problems—missing or wrong classifications, mismatch between product form and SDS (powder vs aerosol, solids on ethanol), outdated or un-updated Section 14 entries after reformulation, and confusing or mode-specific exception claims (limited quantity, accepted quantity, consumer commodity ID 8000). He explains his approach: gather exact product/packaging details, compare SDS data (flash point/boiling point/ingredients) to IATA and 49 CFR definitions, and use worst-case assumptions when testing data is absent or trade secrets limit disclosure. They discuss benefits of targeted testing to reduce regulation burdens and shipping costs, packaging system testing for accepted quantities, the limits of “harmonization” across agencies, and the need to “trust but verify” SDSs.
00:00 Show Intro and Resources00:37 Meet Ken Sumner02:09 Why SDS Transport Data Fails05:05 How Ken Verifies Classifications07:57 Hand Sanitizer Case Studies11:11 When Testing Data Is Missing16:01 More Real World SDS Disconnects22:33 Exceptions Limited Quantity Confusion26:04 GHS Pictograms vs DOT EPA29:03 Environmental Hazard Nuances30:00 SDS Catch All Pitfalls31:19 AI Needs Human Judgment31:59 Warehouse Mercury Lesson33:37 Packaging From Section 1436:12 Accepted Quantity Testing38:45 Drop Stack Test Demo42:27 Documenting Your System44:05 Keeping SDS Current47:29 Trade Secrets Controlled Drugs52:43 Where to Include SDS57:48 Trust But Verify Wrap Up

We welcome Angela Oler and Carrie Johnson from AIHA Registry Programs to discuss the SDS and Label Authoring Registry Program (SDSRP), created to address increasing hazard classification complexity and global GHS implementation. They explain how the credential differentiates authors by independently validating technical competency in hazard classification, regulatory interpretation, and defensible SDS/label decisions, strengthening individual careers and organizational hazard communication programs. The guests outline the comprehensive body of knowledge, the two-part four-hour exam (knowledge and practical skills), use of UN GHS Revision 8, pass rates (about 40% for part one and 80% for part two), retake options, and preparation resources. They cover eligibility requirements including one year of SDS authoring, a 20-point application system, employment verification, and remote or in-person proctoring at the SCHC annual meeting.00:00 Show Intro00:34 Meet The Guests02:03 What Is AIHA02:49 Why SDSRP Exists04:19 SCHC Partnership06:05 Experience Vs Credential07:18 Why Credentialing Matters08:38 Body Of Knowledge09:51 Exam Skills Assessment10:58 GHS Revision Basis11:53 Registered Pro Distinction13:47 Five Year Update Process15:30 Career Impact Benefits17:44 Why Companies Should Hire20:02 Strengthening Hazcom Programs21:15 Exam Format Breakdown23:23 Multiple Choice Explained26:14 Study Resources Prep27:00 Eligibility Requirements27:17 Eligibility Points Explained27:51 Training Resources and SCHC29:21 Application Calculator and Docs31:20 If You Don’t Qualify Yet33:18 Exam Proctoring Options35:41 Global Candidates and GHS36:58 Employment Verification Requirements42:21 Exam Difficulty and Pass Rates43:39 Study Strategy and Blueprint45:56 Final Takeaways and Wrap Up

In this Hack Your Hazcom episode kicking off the show’s second year, Atanu invites audience feedback at hackyourhazcom.com and is joined by labeling experts Steve Donze and Nathan Stellman of Empower Label (formerly Brandywine Drum Labels) to discuss how labeling programs become compliance and safety liabilities. They explain common HazCom breakdowns between requirements and field reality, especially with secondary and small containers that go unlabeled or are illegible, as well as issues with outdated SDS information, inconsistent processes across sites, and insufficient employee training. The conversation covers durability failures from UV, rain, abrasion, solvents, and poor printer settings, plus best practices for replacing labels and identifying unknown containers. They also compare thermal transfer, laser, and inkjet options, emphasize a “three-legged stool” of software, labels, and printers, and highlight how strong labeling improves efficiency, audit readiness, and incident response.

00:00 Year Two Kickoff00:56 Meet the Labeling Pros02:23 Where Hazcom Breaks Down05:51 Secondary Container Pitfalls08:42 Small Container Rule Updates10:35 Real World Label Failures12:54 Harsh Environment Best Practices16:35 Choosing Materials and Printers20:49 Managing Multiple Label Systems22:36 Centralized Labeling Systems27:51 Software Labels Printers Trio31:25 Printing Choices and Durability36:04 Choosing Printer Types37:19 Pictograms and Color Limits39:23 Laser and Inkjet Tradeoffs41:01 Bring Key Stakeholders42:40 Fixing Print Failures47:20 Labeling by Container Size52:10 Solvent Exposure Troubleshooting58:04 Efficiency Beyond Compliance01:01:57 Audit Readiness and Safety01:05:31 Common Hazcom Gaps01:08:19 Final Takeaways and Wrap

Atanu joins Rob Mitkus, a PhD toxicologist with 25 years’ experience across pesticides, industrial chemicals, vaccine components, medical devices, and consumer products, to discuss how toxicology underpins Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and HazCom/GHS compliance. Rob defines toxicity as harm under specific conditions and emphasizes SDS content and precautions should be evidence-driven and understandable to downstream users including workers, consumers, and first responders. They discuss reliance on animal “sentinel species,” the rise of new approach methodologies (in vitro, in silico, machine learning), and validation/acceptance via bodies such as OECD and ICCVAM, noting limits for complex endpoints like carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Rob critiques GHS concepts like “intrinsic toxicity,” the definition of sensitization, and hazard-only/binary classifications, stressing dose-response and exposure. He highlights the psychology of threat perception from pictograms and calls for better training and toxicologist involvement in future standards.

The host interviews Adele Abrams, an attorney and safety professional at Littler Mendelson, about legal and practical risks facing OSHA/MSHA regulation and HazCom. Abrams explains the Allstates Refractory nondelegation argument—revived by Justices Thomas and Gorsuch—and a new Fifth Circuit case that could invalidate many OSHA rules issued under general rulemaking authority, potentially shrinking the CFR and affecting MSHA similarly, amid a broader Trump-era deregulatory review. She warns that weakening HazCom could increase tort exposure for manufacturers and employers by removing a key “sophisticated user” defense tied to robust SDS communication and training. The discussion covers outdated PELs, possible general duty clause enforcement (e.g., a styrene case), the importance of integrating SDS Section 8 into PPE assessments, technology/access failures at remote sites, SDS retention for long-latency illness claims, and why HazCom remains a top-cited, life-saving standard.00:00 Meet Adele Abrams01:07 Allstates Refractory Fallout02:41 Nondelegation Challenge Explained05:31 EPA vs OSHA Authority07:50 Congress and Rulemaking Limits10:55 MSHA Parallels and Disasters14:30 Why HazCom Still Matters15:20 Tort Liability Floodgates18:00 SDS Breakdown in Practice24:21 Tech Reliance and Emergencies29:20 Real World Chemical Incidents32:02 GHS Updates and Bottlenecks35:42 Control Banding Fizzles36:25 GHS Building Blocks37:49 Global Standards Pressure39:54 Training Workers Properly41:08 Multi Employer HazCom Duties42:11 Z Tables and General Duty47:19 Silica Rule Delays Fallout55:11 Reputation and Community Trust58:11 SDS Driven PPE Assessments01:03:55 Dusty Binders and Retention01:08:29 HazCom ROI Final Takeaways01:10:55 Closing Thanks and Contact

In this episode we speak with security analyst and bestselling author Robert Siciliano about the “human blind spot” that causes safety and security programs to fail despite strong technology and rules. Robert explains how optimism bias, cognitive ease, fatigue, and reinforced shortcuts drive complacency, making annual check-the-box training feel like white noise and creating “security theater.” He outlines practical ways to make messages stick: shift from lectures to dialogue, use micro-learning and “yes ladder” rapport-building, simplify dense protocols for cognitive fluency with clear icons and prioritized hazards, and treat phishing like a workplace hazard with frictionless one-click reporting. He emphasizes replacing shame-based reactions with empathy and system-focused learning to build a participatory culture where every worker becomes an active sensor, making safety and security a shared reflex and ongoing journey.

In this episode, we discuss the scientific and regulatory definitions of flammability and combustibility. The episode details different categories of flammable and combustible liquids based on their flashpoints and boiling points, and explains the classification systems of OSHA, GHS, and NFPA. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the flashpoint and combustibility of materials in various work environments, the implications of aerosolization, and the potential for spontaneous combustion in oily rags. The discussion covers the relevance of different test methods and standards used in hazard communication and risk assessment in industrial settings.00:00 Introduction and Greetings01:13 Scientific Definition of Vulnerability01:53 OSHA GHS Flashpoint Test04:08 NFPA Classification System09:12 Combustible Liquids and Aerosols13:13 Regulatory Standards and Harmonization18:28 Practical Implications and Worker Safety28:00 Understanding Flashpoints and Their Implications28:44 Technical Committees and Standards29:27 Flammability Tests and Methods32:49 Hazard Communication and Process Safety36:51 Challenges with Dust and Nanoparticles43:04 Regulatory Standards and Compliance50:32 Training and Continuous Improvement54:14 Final Thoughts on Hazard Management