Power Operations Hazardous Chemicals

The Office of the Inspector General conducted an evaluation to determine if hazardous chemicals at Power Operations’ sites were (1) adequately identified and communicated and (2) properly handled and stored. We determined hazardous chemicals at most Power Operations’ sites we visited were not adequately identified or communicated. Specifically, most sites had incomplete hazardous chemical lists or unmarked containers. In addition, we selected items from a storage location at each site and determined hazardous chemicals selected were properly stored according to their safety data sheet instructions. We were unable to determine if hazardous chemicals were being handled properly because we did not observe any chemical use. However, we did find that 10 of 33 individuals interviewed could not retrieve a safety data sheet, which could increase the risk that hazardous chemicals may not be properly handled and stored. Additionally, our testing identified two sites with best practices.