Oregon Required Hazards

Edited

The federal Tier II form mandates reporting of hazards associated with a chemical based on the physical and health hazards as per the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). However, in OAR 837-085-0040, Oregon expands the definition of "Hazard Classification" to include four additional hazard classes as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT): poisonous material, poisonous gas, radioactive material, and etiologic material.

As a result, facilities operating in Oregon must denote if any of these additional hazards are applicable to a chemical when submitting hazard information in a Tier II report.

Although Oregon's Administrative Rules do not explicitly detail the definitions of these hazards, the USDOT provides the following definitions:

Hazard

Definition

Example Substance

Poisonous Material

A substance that can cause injury or death when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)

Poisonous Gas

Compressed or liquefied gas that, when released, can cause injury or death due to its toxic properties

Chlorine gas (Cl2)

Radioactive Material

Material containing radionuclides with activity concentrations and total activities exceeding specified thresholds

Uranium-235 (U-235)

Etiologic Material

Material containing pathogens that can cause disease in humans or animals

Bacillus anthracis