The average consumer just can’t imagine the number of complaints the Chamber of Commerce in their area deals with each and every day. When there is a threat to the health and safety of the general public, these complaints are taken very seriously and moved to the top of the list of things to be investigated. Public health and safety are nothing to toy with and so the COC contacts the appropriate authority to carefully research claims that could cost lives or result in immeasurable property damage. One of the areas of greatest concern is when complaints start pouring in about improperly packaged materials that are considered hazardous. Louis Hernandez Jr also highlights the following that should be remembered.
Ensure Packaging Is Properly Sealed
Any company manufacturing or distributing goods that are considered to be dangerous or hazardous are required, by law, to understand safe handling practices. In fact, sometimes they are even required to be certified by an official OSHA training program before they are allowed to handle such merchandise. Remember, when the public’s health and wellbeing are at stake, the government takes it very seriously. One of the concerns is how packaging is sealed. There are guidelines which must be followed to the letter and if you are unsure when receiving a package or believe it to be improperly sealed, report it immediately to either the COC who will then contact the appropriate agency; or if you want you could contact OSHA directly.
What Reputable Companies Do
If you are dealing with an ethical and reputable company, they will perform a series of tests, especially on packaging for hazardous materials. A package performing test or a series of performance tests will be conducted and if that packaging doesn’t meet with very strict criteria, an ethical company will switch suppliers immediately and refuse to ship any materials until acceptable packaging is obtained. Yes, it’s the law, but some companies in an effort to cut costs will deal with substandard products, and this is why OSHA takes this issue very, very seriously.
Accelerated Package Aging Test
The other highly important test that a packaging inspector will perform is called an accelerated aging test. This is where he or she looks at the expiration date or the ‘best used by’ date. Some hazardous materials become highly unstable after a certain period of time and this poses an even greater threat to the general public. Dates you see stamped on packaging in supermarkets are similar to what inspectors are looking for when inspecting hazardous materials packaging, but the level of threat is based on the contents, so even this field is highly specialized.
If you are a manufacturer or distributor of materials which could constitute a danger to the general public, it is your responsibility to obtain packaging from an authorized manufacturer that meets with the highest levels of standards as outline by OSHA. To do anything less would be not only unethical but dangerous as well. You could lose everything you’ve worked so hard to build as the result of a single lawsuit, and there are even times when jail time is prescribed by law. Take precautions now to prevent problems in the future.
