Right-to-Know Laws* or Hazard Communication Standards

There is some confusion about the use of hazardous chemicals in schools and about how the relevant “Right-to-Know” laws apply to schools. Let’s set the record straight for public schools. The U.S. government has passed the Hazard Communication Standard (usually referred to as the “Right-to-Know” law) and the Laboratory Standard, but these laws do not extend coverage to state and local governments. However, almost all state governments have either passed their own version of the Hazard Communication Standard or put their stamp of approval on the federal laws and extended their jurisdiction to cover local and state governmental bodies—including public schools. Federal jurisdiction does apply to all private schools. The purpose of these laws is to inform employees about any  hazards associated with an employee’s work. Employees have the “Right-to-Know” about all the hazards they might deal with in the workplace.