by jbs101409 c3 — October 19, 2009—A proposed rule to align the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with provisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) was published in the September 30 Federal Register.
OSHA’s current HCS requires chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import and provide information to subsequent users. The current standard also requires all employers to have a hazard communication program for workers exposed to hazardous chemicals. The program includes materials such as container labels, safety data sheets, and employee training.
Under the U.N.’s GHS, labels would include signal words, pictograms, and hazard and precautionary statements. Additionally, information on safety data sheets would be presented in a designated order.
A number of countries, including the U.S., international organizations, and stakeholders participated in developing the GHS to address inconsistencies in hazard classification and communications. The GHS was developed to provide a single, harmonized system to classify chemicals, labels, and safety data sheets with the primary benefit of increasing the quality and consistency of information provided to workers, employers, and chemical users.
