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The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 15: Instruction on nature and effects of toxic or hazardous substances to employees

Section 15. Employers shall furnish employees with instruction on the nature and effects of those hazardous substances present in the workplace either in written form or in training programs as may be appropriate. Such instruction shall be in nontechnical language but may be generic to the extent appropriate and related to the job. Such instruction shall include the chemical name and any common names, unless withheld from an MSDS as a trade secret, of the toxic or hazardous substance to which an employee may be exposed under normal operating conditions, the location of the substance in the workplace, appropriate first aid treatment and antidotes in the event of improper exposure or overexposure, the proper and safe handling of said substance, the health effects of said substance as described in the relevant MSDS, and the rights and duties of employees as set forth in this chapter. Employers shall provide their current employees with instruction as described herein within ninety days of the effective date of this chapter and annually thereafter, and for employees hired thereafter, within the first month of employment, and annually thereafter.