Lessen the possibility of mishandled items by having clear labels

A chemical plant in Waxahachie, Texas has had three incidents in the last two months involving hazardous material spills from chemical truck accidents. The third one was filed last Friday afternoon, according to the local CBS affiliate. In that case, the truck did not overturn, but the truck lost control of part of its cargo and a section of the highway had to be shut down.

David Vance, who lives nearby in Ellis County, told the news source that he has been concerned since the plant burned in October 2011 after employees mishandled chemicals.

“Right now, since March, we’re running on one [accident] a month on average,” he said.

The incident to which Vance is referring involved seven violations cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and a $45,000 fine. Waxahachie Fire Chief David Hudgins told CBS at the time that while he had not seen the OSHA report, he believed the fire to have been caused by the company mixing a far greater amount of chemicals than normal.

Resident Alex Schindler told the news source that he feels the drivers in particular are being reckless and going too fast. With the vehicles frequently traveling through populated neighborhoods it is an even bigger issue, he said.

Whether a company is manufacturing dangerous chemicals or transporting them, it is essential for all employees to understand how to safely handle them. While it is unclear in this case if individuals either did not or could not read the chemical labels, a business can help curb the possibility of an incident by investing in an Epson GP-C831 color label printer. That way, all drums, barrels or other containers can have clear labels that adhere to GHS labeling standards.