How to use ChemHAT

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ChemHAT was created to answer two questions: “Can this chemical in my workplace affect my health?” and “Are there safer alternatives?”

You can look up a chemical from a product either by its chemical name or, if you have it, its CAS (Chemical Abstracts Services registration) number. When you look up a chemical on ChemHAT:

• You will see a series of icons that quickly tells you if the chemical has a potential to affect your health, as well as specifics about what kind of health effect the chemical could cause.
• You will also find information on how a chemical is commonly used and workplaces where you are likely to be exposed.
• ChemHAT also provides any available information on how you might be exposed to a chemical (e.g., through breathing it or having it touch your skin).
• If you’re interested in more details about how we know about a particular chemical’s health effects, you can click on the “Data Sources” button to be taken directly to the supporting research data.
• Most importantly, ChemHAT provides a link to information on safer alternatives where such information is available.

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Information on safer alternatives is currently limited and neither easily accessible or linked to information on chemicals in the workplace. Where we have information on safer alternatives, ChemHAT will give you links to existing case studies of safer alternatives for the chemical.

If we don’t have information on safer alternatives for the chemical you’ve looked up, ChemHAT will give you links to general resources for alternatives to commonly used chemicals such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Alternatives Assessment and Substitution Toolbox or SF Approved, a list of safer alternatives for products commonly purchased by institutional purchasers that has been assembled by San Francisco’s Department of the Environment.