Is annual training for employees required under the THCA?
A. No. The original THCA required annual training, but this requirement was deleted when the THCA was revised in 1993. Public employers are now required to train employees who use or handle hazardous chemicals on an as needed basis. They are also required to provide additional training “when the potential for exposure to hazardous chemicals in the employee’s work area increases significantly or when the employer receives new and significant information concerning the hazards of a chemical in the employee’s work area.” This requirement means that the employer must consider several factors in determining the frequency of training, including the abilities of the employee to retain training information, the complexity of employee tasks, and the degree of hazardous chemical exposure. New or newly assigned employees must be trained before they work with or in an area containing a hazardous chemical.
