Right-to-Know Laws and Evaluation of Toxicologic Data

Excerpt

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's hazard communication standard and the related state "right-to-know" laws have focused attention on workers exposed to potentially hazardous chemicals. These new regulations will require employers to communicate information to workers on the potential health effects of chemicals. Interpreting these data and estimating potential risks will be a new challenge for physicians.The concept of informing workers about the risk of their occupation has long been recognized by the judiciary. Since the late nineteenth century, state common- law courts have found that employers have a duty to warn workers of hidden hazards in the workplace,