Hazardous Materials Found in Health Care Facilities
The health care industry uses many hazardous materials. Often no other material will do the job, but in many cases less dangerous alternatives are available. This site offers detailed information on the following types of hazardous materials:
For each material type, the website provides a summary page that describes:
- the properties of the material, with particular emphasis on the properties that are important for the function it serves
- the risks associated with the material
- the compliance requirements that follow from regulations applying to the material
- opportunities that have been identified for eliminating the material or replacing it with less hazardous alternatives
- links to more detailed resources
Information on federal regulations for managing hazardous materials is available on this page.
Health care facilities generally use a hazardous material for one of three reasons:
- It is serving a vital function, and no other material will work.
- There may be less hazardous alternatives, but the trade-offs have been carefully considered and the hazardous material has been provisionally selected because it provides crucial advantages.
- We’ve always done it this way.
The summary pages can help you evaluate your use of hazardous materials and eliminate them wherever possible.
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