Question: “We are an electroforming company that uses hydrochloric acid in some of the tanks. Do we need chlorine safety training?”

Answer: This answer is based on exposure in your work environments; see 1910.1000 TABLE Z-1 = 1 ppm, 3 mg/m³ Ceiling.

So we’re talking about Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), and you need to know how much chlorine in the air, because if it exceeds 1 ppm, 3 mg/m³ ceiling, you’re not compliant and employees are at risk.

So I highly recommend some indoor air quality testing to determine exposure, especially since you also asked about hydrogen sulfide.

Most workers comp insurers can point you to resources to help you settle the exposure question, or set you up with indoor air quality monitoring for free; they’ll contract to have someone come in and run an actual test.

A critical part of this question also relates to OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.1200 - Hazard Communication standard, and how your organization handles identification of and training on hazardous chemical substances in general.

If you need chlorine safety training, we have an online course for the topic that satisfies the training standard, and you can find more information about applicable CFR regulations there, as well.

Learn more about hazard identification.