TECHNOLOGY SAFETY DATA SHEETS: THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S INNOVATIVE EFFORTS TO MITIGATE OR ELIMINATE HAZARDS DURING DESIGN AND TO INFORM WORKERS ABOUT THE RISKS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

摘要

Technology Safety Data Sheets (TSDSs) are novel instruments for communicating safety and health information about a new environmental remediation technology. As originally conceived, TSDSs would be used by workers who operate and maintain the technology, safety and health professionals charged with protecting personnel on hazardous waste sites, and regulators who must write permits for technologies on state Superfund sites. The instrument uses the familiarity of MSDSs to impart critical information about the risks to workers posed by new technologies. The Operating Engineers National Hazmat Program (OENHP) has created TSDSs for over 60 technologies ranging from robotic asbestos strippers to carbon dioxide floor blasting systems. Other organizations including OSHA, the Navy, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania have created TSDSs. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) promoted the concept with the most creative and comprehensive policy initiatives. All of the technologies that have been funded by the DOE Office of Science and Technology will ultimately have TSDSs created before the technology is deployed. This paper presents the history of this informational tool, how it can be used to protect workers, how it should be formatted, and what future policy initiatives and research are needed.