Do shipyard employers need to maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for welders working on vessels?
Any process, including welding, capable of resulting in employee exposure to hazardous chemicals is covered by the Hazard Communication Standard. Welders in shipyards must have access to MSDS for each type of metal and welding rod used, and any other chemical to which they are or may be exposed. Question 40: When temporary workers are procured from a temporary employment agency, what are the shipyard employer’s obligations under the OSH Act? Answer: In general, situations where a temporary employment agency maintains a continuing relationship with its employees, but the shipyard (the client) creates and controls the hazards, there is a shared responsibility for assuring that the temporary workers are protected from the hazards under the Act. Since the shipyard (the client) creates and controls the hazards, the shipyard has the primary responsibility for such protection. These situations are heavily fact-based; much of the interpretation depends upon the specific facts and circumstances
