The Right to Know about Toxic Exposures

Abstract

PHYSICIANS and patients concerned about the health effects of toxic exposures need to know the chemical names of ambient substances in the work place and community. In the past, many industrial chemicals were identified only by trade names or codes, making identification and evaluation of hazardous substances difficult. In the early 1970s, labor, community, environmental, and public health groups began to claim a right to know the chemical names of such substances as a necessary first step in preventive efforts. After years of controversy, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed the Hazards Identification Rule¹ in January 1981, . . .