What precautions must a contractor take with hazardous substances?

What precautions must a contractor take with hazardous substances?

• A. Post safety signage in the office
• B. Provide PPE to all workers at all times
• C. Adopt a Code of Safe Practices that relates to work at each job site
• D. Delay safety training until a major incident

Answer: (C)

Handling hazardous substances requires a proactive, systemwide approach that applies on every job site. Adopting a Code of Safe Practices that relates to work at each job site provides written, site-specific procedures for identifying hazards, storing and labeling substances, using appropriate PPE, implementing controls, responding to spills, disposing of waste, and handling emergencies. It also assigns responsibilities and ensures workers are trained before beginning work or when procedures change, creating consistency across all sites and reducing the risk of incidents.

Posting safety signage in the office helps awareness but doesn’t establish on-site practices or site-specific procedures. Providing PPE to all workers at all times isn’t a complete safety plan and won’t address how or when to use it or how to handle substances safely. Delaying safety training until a major incident is unsafe and inefficient. A Code of Safe Practices at each job site solves these gaps by laying out concrete, actionable steps tailored to the actual hazards encountered.