Employees Should Be Barred From Eating, Drinking by Dangerous Chemicals, OSHA Says

Employers must prohibit employees from eating food or drinking beverages in workplace areas where there are hazardous chemicals, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in an interpretation letter posted July 6 on the agency’s website.

In response to a question from Michael W. Vasta of the Boeing Co. in Philadelphia, OSHA said its regulations require employers to prohibit workers from consuming food and drink in the same area where hazardous chemicals are stored.

Vasta had written the agency on May 27, 2009, describing a scenario where a potential hazard exists at his place of employment because chemicals such as ...