Under the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), employers must provide a safe working environment free from hazards such as toxic chemicals, excessive noise, mechanical dangers, temperature extremes, or unsanitary conditions (29 U.S.C §651-678). Employers are required to identify, evaluate, and address past and ongoing risks posed by operations at semiconductor fabrication facilities. Employers accomplish these goals by adhering to federal and state regulations, industry standards, and self-imposed corporate programs.
Over the last three decades, the injury and illness rate in the semiconductor industry has steadily declined. This improvement is attributed to increased regulation, public activism, stricter industry standards, and technological advancements in semiconductor manufacturing and equipment safety features.
Workers who commonly handle hazardous chemicals and materials in a cleanroom environment must be properly trained in chemical handling, hygiene, hazard communication, and emergency response procedures pursuant to OSHA regulations.
The semiconductor industry continues to advance in reducing exposure risks through:
The health and safety of workers in the semiconductor industry are governed by federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is part of the U.S. Department of Labor, and its mission is “to assure America’s workers have safe and healthful working conditions free from unlawful retaliation.” OSHA carries out its mission by setting and enforcing standards addressing a wide range of topics related to workplace safety, including:
hazard communication,
electrical safety,
machinery and equipment safety,
personal protective equipment (PPE), and
safety training requirements.
OSHA also sets permissible exposure limits (PELS) to protect workers from hazardous substances. Facilities that use more than threshold quantities of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) are required to develop and implement a risk management program and submit a risk management plan (RMP) to EPA that identifies:
the potential effects of a chemical accident,
steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident, and
emergency response procedures
In recognition that OSHA itself finds that many of its PELs are outdated and inadequate for ensuring protection of worker health, CPO will require recipients of CHIPS financial incentives to review all chemical occupational health and safety exposure limits (e.g., OSHA, ACGIH, NIOSH, and Cal/OSHA) and commit to apply the lowest (i.e., most protective) limit for each chemical used in its operations. Additionally, as part of award conditions, certain recipients are required to have a workforce safety committee that is comprised of workers and management that is authorized to raise any health and safety concerns to the appropriate parties.
To learn more: Semiconductors - Standards | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)
Chemicals can present the greatest risk to workers. The U.S. has a robust chemical management system, with state and federal governments establishing legal frameworks in addition to chemical safety guidelines. In the U.S., the primary chemical management law is the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was updated in 2016 by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, but many other U.S. laws regulate the use, emission, and discharge of chemicals.
Semiconductor facilities use a number of chemicals in the manufacturing process. The Environmental Division has compiled a list of commonly used chemicals in the industry available from public sources. The purpose of this Common Chemical List is to provide the public information on chemicals commonly used in the semiconductor industry, where they are used in the process, and how they are regulated and reported.
Common Chemical List will be made publicly available soon.