This course provides a general awareness of the risks and the regulatory requirements for protecting employees who work in the manufacture, reaction, packaging, repackaging, storage, handling, or use of vinyl chloride, as required by OSHA.

Who Should Take This Course?

 

Vinyl Chloride is a colorless gas with a mild, sweet odor that burns easily. It does not occur naturally and must be produced industrially for its commercial uses. It ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume with about 13 billion kilograms produced annually, the U.S. being the world’s largest manufacturer of the chemical. It is used primarily to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a familiar substance with many uses. Vinyl chloride is highly toxic, flammable, and carcinogenic. Vinyl chloride that is released by industry, or formed by the breakdown of other chlorinated chemicals, can enter the air and drinking water supplies, and is a common contaminant found near landfills; vinyl chloride has been found in more than one third of the most hazardous waste sites identified by the EPA and targeted for long-term federal clean up activities. It is also produced as a combustion product in tobacco smoke.

Vinyl Chloride is highly toxic. It is a human carcinogen with consistent evidence for liver cancer in all studies. Vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer, as well as brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia. Chronic exposure causes symptoms such as a narcotic effect and depression, decreased male libido, cardiac arrhythmias, and can lead to fatal respiratory failure and focused liver toxicity, as well as spontaneous abortion and birth defects. Vinyl chloride is also a mutagen, affecting the chromosomal structure of lymphocytes.

Objectives

The objective of this Vinyl Chloride Awareness course is to provide a general awareness of the risks and the regulatory requirements for protecting employees who work in the manufacture, reaction, packaging, repackaging, storage, handling, or use of vinyl chloride, as required by OSHA.

The course will also introduce students to the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Vinyl Chloride, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances - 29 CFR 1910.1017

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Explain what vinyl chloride is;
  • Describe where workers may encounter vinyl chloride;
  • Understand the definitions and the hazards associated with vinyl chloride and exposure to it;
  • Describe sources of non-occupational exposure to vinyl chloride;
  • Describe the health effects of vinyl chloride exposure;
  • Understanding the essentials of OSHA’s Vinyl Chloride Standard; and
  • Identify and describe OSHA methods of conformance to prevent vinyl chloride exposure.

Syllabus

This course consists of 1 module broken down into 3 sections. Students are required to take each section in sequential order as listed below.

Exams

This course has one final exam based upon the material in the 3 course sections.

The exam consists of 10 questions selected at random from a larger pool of questions. A score of 70% or better is required to pass each exam. If a student does not pass the exam the first time, they may retake the exam as many times as necessary in order to pass.

Required Training

 

Each employee covered by the Vinyl Chloride Standard must be trained to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least the following:

  • The nature of the health hazards from chronic exposure to vinyl chloride, including, specifically, the carcinogenic hazard;
  • The specific nature of operations which could result in exposure to vinyl chloride in excess of the permissible limit and necessary protective steps;
  • The purpose for, proper use, and limitations of respiratory protective devices;
  • The fire hazard and acute toxicity of vinyl chloride, as well as the necessary protective steps against these hazards;
  • The purpose for, and a description of, the monitoring program;
  • Emergency procedures;
  • Specific information to aid the employee in recognition of conditions which may result in the release of vinyl chloride; and
  • A review of the Standard at the employee’s first training program and annually thereafter.

Additionally, workers must receive training, when required by OSHA standards, on the specific hazards of their job. Training Providers should be used to ensure credibility and augment a company’s training program. Therefore, in addition to the training provided by an outside party, a student should receive site-specific training supplied by their employer. This training should target the company’s unique approach to hazard prevention, including the use of site-specific equipment, health and safety policies, and emergency procedures. As a rule, this company-specific training should be well documented.

Mobile Version

We're excited to announce that this course is available in HTML 5, making it more compatible with the browser on your mobile device (e.g., smartphone or tablet).

This course requires only the most recent version of your mobile device's web browser.

Mobile Pros and Cons

Mobile versions of this sort of training are new, but below are some Pros and Cons that we have noticed during our extensive testing.

Pros

  • No computer needed
  • Tablet mobility
  • Tablet screen graphics

Cons

  • Smartphone screens can be too small to see
  • Mobile browsers react differently than computer browsers
  • Phone calls can interrupt training

During our testing we noticed that tablets work much better than smartphones, simply due to their screen size. The newer the device, the better the result. We are also aware that the course will not work on the first generation iPad, nor older Android Tablets.


Test the functionality of your browser using HTML5 and compare it to the performance of other browsers. If you find other browsers are more compatible than your own, you may want to make the switch.

FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions specific to this course.

Q - How long will this course take to complete?

Our courses are set up to take a specific amount of time. Some students may get through the training more quickly, while others may actually take longer to complete their training. Remember, this training should be used as an intricate tool in the context of an overall training program; it can be combined with other training throughout the year in order to meet any hour requirements needed.


Q - How long do I have to start a course once enrolled?

Students have 12 months to start their training from the time they enroll in an online course.


Q - How long do I have to complete a course once started?

Take up to 12 months to complete your online training, at your own pace and schedule.


Q - Do I have to finish the course in one sitting?

No, our courses are designed so you can start and stop as needed, allowing you to break the training up over a longer period of time. Our system will keep track of your progress, enabling you to resume where you left off upon your next login. It is important that once you start a section, you complete that section or you will need to start that section over from the beginning upon your return.


Q - Can I take the course from more than one computer?

Yes, you can take the online portion by signing in with your username and password from any location and computer with high-speed internet access. However, each computer does need to meet our basic system requirements for viewing our online courses.


Q - Will I receive a certificate for this course?

Yes, once you have completed a course, you are able to download, save or print a certificate of completion from your student account. Certificates are created in a pdf format. Users must have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader before attempting to download the completion certificate.