Editor’s Observe: This story initially appeared on Trace One.
Tens of millions of U.S. employees deal with, retailer, or work close to hazardous chemical substances day-after-day—from cleansing solvents and industrial adhesives to flammable gases and corrosive substances.
With out correct coaching, clear labeling, and accessible security knowledge sheets, staff could not totally perceive the well being dangers they face, together with respiratory sickness, chemical burns, or hearth and explosion hazards.
Federal regulators and occupational well being specialists broadly view hazard communication as a foundational element of office security as a result of it determines whether or not employees have the knowledge wanted to guard themselves.
To deal with these dangers, the Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA) established the Hazard Communication Commonplace (HazCom) in 1983. Also known as the “right-to-know” rule, the usual requires employers to categorise chemical hazards, label containers, keep security knowledge sheets, and prepare employees on protected dealing with procedures.
But greater than 4 many years after its adoption, HazCom stays one in every of OSHA’s most steadily cited office security requirements, indicating persistent compliance gaps throughout industries and areas.
To establish the place U.S. employers are failing to warn employees about chemical risks, researchers at Trace One analyzed OSHA enforcement knowledge from 2021 by way of 2025. Be taught extra concerning the methodology on the finish.
Listed below are the states with essentially the most HazCom violations.
10. Vermont
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 11.2
- Whole HazCom violations: 141
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 10.6%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $164,855
- Most typical HazCom violation: No written security plan
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Manufacturing
9. Kansas
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 13.9
- Whole HazCom violations: 817
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 11.5%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $1,373,306
- Most typical HazCom violation: No written security plan
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Development
8. Maine
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 14.7
- Whole HazCom violations: 402
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 12.9%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $691,072
- Most typical HazCom violation: No written security plan
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Manufacturing
7. Hawaii
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 18.4
- Whole HazCom violations: 463
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 10.2%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $264,985
- Most typical HazCom violation: Inaccessible Security Knowledge Sheets
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Lodging and Meals Providers
6. Connecticut
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 19.2
- Whole HazCom violations: 1,393
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 13.4%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $482,962
- Most typical HazCom violation: Lacking chemical security coaching
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Development
5. Oregon
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 21.5
- Whole HazCom violations: 1,782
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 6.2%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $355,711
- Most typical HazCom violation: No written security plan
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Different Providers
4. Tennessee
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 22.2
- Whole HazCom violations: 3,159
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 21.6%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $641,782
- Most typical HazCom violation: No written security plan
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Manufacturing
3. Delaware
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 26.5
- Whole HazCom violations: 542
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 17.2%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $761,460
- Most typical HazCom violation: Lacking chemical security coaching
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Development
2. Maryland
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 39.0
- Whole HazCom violations: 4,370
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 20.7%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $1,019,154
- Most typical HazCom violation: Lacking chemical security coaching
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Development
1. Alaska
- HazCom violations per 100k employees: 44.7
- Whole HazCom violations: 553
- Share of inspections with a HazCom violation: 11.1%
- Whole HazCom violation penalties: $639,068
- Most typical HazCom violation: Lacking chemical security coaching
- Most typical business for HazCom violations: Well being Care and Social Help
Methodology
The information used on this examine is from OSHA’s Enforcement Data and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics.
To find out the states the place U.S. employers most steadily fail to warn their employees about chemical risks, researchers at Hint One analyzed and ranked states based mostly on their whole HazCom violations per 100,000 employees from 2021 by way of 2025.
Violations had been thought-about to be HazCom-related if the enforcement file referenced OSHA’s 1910.1200 normal and any of its subsections.
For added context, the whole HazCom violations, share of inspections with a HazCom violation, whole HazCom violation penalties, the commonest HazCom violation, and the commonest business for HazCom violations had been calculated for every state.
