T U D Y G U I D E

1




B
ASIC

O
RIENTATION

P
LUS

Study Guide









Property of Association of Reciprocal Safety Councils, Inc.
P.O. Box 548
Cleveland, TX 77327 B O P S T U D Y G U I D E

2
T


Goal of this Study Guide




This BOP Study Guide was developed to provide help to trainees taking the BOP course. This
study guide provides written introduction of many of the safety principles that will be presented in
that course. This study guide also introduces numerous safety terms used in the BOP course.
Becoming familiar with these safety terms will promote better understanding of the course material
and the course exam

Introduction of the BOP Study Guide


his study guide introduces the key points that the ARSC BASIC ORIENTATION PLUS training program
covers. This guide cannot cover all of the many safety details that the BOP course provides.
To ensure your safety on-the-job as well as properly prepare you for the course exam, you will need to focus on
the safety principles and practices that are communicated in the BOP classroom course.
How to use this study guide:
Read the information contained in this study guide. If there are terms you are not able to pronounce, ask
someone for assistance if possible. It is likely that you will see these words again in the course material
and the exam. If you dont understand a safety term or some safety principle, write down your question(s) and
ask your BOP instructor at a suitable time.
If you find it difficult reading and understanding the information in this study guide, you will probably have
difficulty reading and understanding your written exam as well. If you have never learned to read, we urge you to
attend an adult learning program. (We can provide you with some local area learning program information upon
request.) You will be required to read in order to pass your written exam. B O P S T U D Y G U I D E

3
A

HAZARD
COMMUNICATIONS


Everyone must help keep each other safe. Employers have the job of
identifying and describing the hazards at your worksiteYou have the
responsibility to learn and follow the safe work practices that you will be
taught.

Introduction


ll employees have the right to know the safety and health hazards of substances they may be



to on the job. This is important to reduce illness and injury.
The information within this section will summarize:
Some general requirements of OSHAs Standard 1910.1200
What makes a chemical hazardous
General requirements of a HAZARD COMMUNICATION PROGRAM
How information of hazardous substances is communicated
Examples of some hazardous chemicals
SECTION
1 B O P S T U D Y G U I D E

This information will help you understand that there may be safety and health hazards at work. It is
your responsibility to protect yourself from these hazards.
SAFETY STANDARD 1910.1200


OSHA is a part of the United States Federal Government that was created to help reduce the injury
and health problems that can occur in industry. OSHAs Safety Standard 1910.1200 is sometimes
called the Right-to-Know law. This standard was given this nickname is because this law says
that employees have the right to know the hazards in their workplace and have the
right to know how to protect themselves.

WHAT MAKES A CHEMICAL HAZARDOUS

This is the definition:
A hazardous substance is any substance which can cause injury
(a physical hazard) or cause illness (a health hazard) in a person.

A hazardous substance can hurt you in one of two ways:
1. If the substance can cause an explosion, fire, or cause a violent reaction, it is called a
physical hazard. Gasoline is an example of a substance that can create a physical
hazard.
2. If a substance that would cause you to get sick or become ill, then it creates a health
hazard.




GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF A
HAZARD COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

The employer must inspect the worksite find out if there are hazardous substances. If there are
hazardous substances, then OSHA requires them to have a written HAZARD COMMUNICATION
PROGRAM. This program will explain how they will make sure you understand about the hazards
at the worksite. Some of the things that they need in this program are
o Lists of chemicals
Note: In chemicals that produce a health hazard, the substance will cause either
chronic health conditions (conditions or symptoms that do not go away) in
the body
or acute health conditions (conditions or symptoms that cause sudden and
often intense reactions, that will go away after a time).
B O P S T U D Y G U I D E



5
o Labels and warning signs, and
o Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
CHEMICAL LISTS
Employers must have a complete list of all hazardous substances at their worksite.
LABELS AND WARNING SIGNS
All containers (from small bottles to big vessels) must be labeled,
tagged, or marked to identify what is in it. The purpose of warning
signs in the workplace is to tell you information about the hazards.
Be sure that you read and understand what the warnings the signs
communicate.


There are two different types of labeling systems that are used on the big vessels and drums
where you work.
1. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) labeling system
2. The Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS).
Although these are different systems, they have much in common. The purpose for warning
signs and the HFPA and the HMIS labels is to give you hazard information.







Look at the pictures of these labels. The HMIS and the NFPA labels are alike in many ways:
They use the same color codes: blue=health, red=flammability, yellow=reactivity.
Other things they have in common is the number warnings used by both systems. The
numbering system ranges from 0 to 4. (Example: On the blue health area, 0 = no health
hazard, 1= slight health hazard, 2= moderate health hazard, 4 = very severe or
deadly health hazard.

If a substance is not marked and you are not sure what a substance is,
ask your supervisor. Sometimes you will need more information
than can be put on a label or a warning sign. If you need more
information, the best place to look is to the chemicals MSDS (Material
Safety Data Sheet).





H M I S
N F P A
B O P S T U D Y G U I D E



6

INFORMATION FOUND IN A MSDS

MSDS means

Material Safety Data Sheet. There must be a MSDS for
each chemical can produce a hazard. This MSDS is full of important
safety information. It was developed by the producer of that chemical. A
MSDS for each substance must be located at each worksite and always
available. They must always be kept current (up-to-date).

What kind of information can be found in an MSDS?

The box below shows some of information that can be
found in a MSDS.













HOW INFORMATION OF HAZARDS IS COMMUNICATED

Another part of the written HAZARD COMMUNICATION PROGRAM will tell how your employer plans to
warn you about the hazards that may exist.
1.) Safe Use & Handling Information
Examples: Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) requirements, and special handling and storage
information
2.) Disposal Information
Examples: Steps for cleaning up spills, and steps for proper disposal of
spills.
3.) Emergency Information
Examples: Fire and Explosion Hazard information and the right steps for
putting out a fire (if the substance is flammable).
Important Note: PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) is the measurement OSHA uses to identify the
maximum amount of substance that a person can safely be exposed to at any one moment in time.
Another measure for exposure limits determines how much of an exposure is allowable within a normal 8-
hour workday. This measurement of exposure is called a TWA meaning Time-Weighted-Average (of 8
hours).
B O P S T U D Y G U I D E



7
Your employer will warn you about the hazards and how to protect yourself. In fact, one of the main goals
of the BOP course is to provide training which covers the general information you need. After this training,
the worksite you go to will train you on the site-specific hazard information that you need to know.
Additionally, the labels and warning signs will serve as another form of hazard communication.
Using the sites MSDS book will also be a way the employer expects you to learn about the hazards of a
specific chemical.
All of these methods of communication work together to make sure you have information you will need to
be safe.


EXAMPLES OF SOME HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

Each work area has different types of hazardous chemicals. It is important to realize that chemical
hazards do not only exist inside containers, but sometimes chemical hazards exist outside the container
as well. Examples of such chemical hazards would be asbestos, lead or radiation.












If you are doing work that may require you to work near such chemicals where there exposure could
present physical harm, then you will receive special training on how to take proper precautions against
exposure.

Asbestos:
Asbestos contains fibers that are very strong and resistant to heat and chemicals. Asbestos was
often used to insulate vessels and piping. Asbestos was used in siding, shingles and floor tiles. Under normal
conditions, these fibers do not pose a health haz