The general court hereby finds and declares that the proliferation of toxic substances in the workplace poses a growing threat to the health of employees exposed to these substances; that the number and variety of these substances makes effective monitoring of these potential health hazards by governmental agencies difficult and expensive; that employees themselves are often in the best position to detect symptoms of toxicity, provided they are aware of the nature of the substances to which they are exposed; that employees have an inherent right to know the dangers to which they are potentially exposed in their workplace so that they may make knowledgeable and reasoned decisions with respect to their continued employment under the circumstances and the need for corrective action; and that the workplace often serves as an early warning mechanism for the outside environment. The general court therefore determines that it is appropriate for employers to provide their employees with all available information concerning the nature of the toxic substances to which such employees may be exposed during the course of their employment and the suspected hazards these substances pose and to take all other practicable and feasible measures to protect their employees from the risks of toxic substances.