OSHA Revises Right-to-know Hazard Communication Standard | Practical Law

OSHA Revises Right-to-know Hazard Communication Standard | Practical Law

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), which governs chemical labeling and employee training for hazardous chemical use in the workplace. The revisions adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which was developed by the United Nations and creates a uniform international classification and labeling system for hazardous chemicals.

OSHA Revises Right-to-know Hazard Communication Standard

Practical Law Legal Update 9-518-5876 (Approx. 3 pages)

OSHA Revises Right-to-know Hazard Communication Standard

by PLC Labor & Employment
Published on 22 Mar 2012 • USA (National/Federal)
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), which governs chemical labeling and employee training for hazardous chemical use in the workplace. The revisions adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which was developed by the United Nations and creates a uniform international classification and labeling system for hazardous chemicals.
On March 20, 2012, OSHA issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) created by the United Nations. The rule aims to increase workplace safety and health by making hazardous chemical information easier to understand for employees. The GHS provides a single set of criteria for classifying hazardous chemicals and communicating the hazards to employees who use or may be exposed to them.
The revised HCS, among other things, requires employers to:
  • Train employees about the new label elements, such as pictograms, and safety data sheet (SDS) format.
  • Label chemicals according to a globally uniform labeling system, which includes standardized images representing different types of hazards.
  • Update labels for newly discovered information about the hazards of a chemical within six months of becoming aware of the new information.
  • Provide SDSs containing important chemical data information in a specific format, including 16 standardized sections. More information on this format is available in OSHA's Hazard Communication Safety Data Sheets Quick Card.
OSHA estimates that the revised HCS will:
  • Cover over 43 million workers in more than 5 million US workplaces.
  • Prevent over 500 workplace injuries and illnesses and 43 fatalities each year.
With limited exceptions, all employers with hazardous chemicals in the workplace must be in full compliance with the revised HCS by June 1, 2015. Initial training must be completed by December 1, 2013. While transitioning from the current HCS to the revised HCS, employers may be in compliance with either the current HCS, the revised HCS or both.
OSHA has provided a fact sheet and FAQs on the revised HCS.
For more information on workplace safety generally, see Practice Note, Health and Safety in the Workplace: Overview.