OSHA Required Deadline You May Not Know About-December 1, 2013

Do you use chemicals or produce chemicals in your facility?  You may not be aware on December 1, 2013, OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, REQUIRES you to train all of your employees on the new chemical labeling elements and safety data sheet format, in addition to the current training requirements.


New Pictograms for Hazard Communication

If you have MSDS's at your facility, you will start seeing changes, with the above pictograms, from now on and should receive new SDS (Safety Data Sheets) before June 1, 2105. 

General Overview:
According to the Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule Fact Sheet:
"New changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard are bringing the United States into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), further improving safety and health protections for America's workers. Building on the success of OSHA's current Hazard Communication Standard, the GHS is expected to prevent injuries and illnesses, save lives and improve trade conditions for chemical manufacturers. The Hazard Communication Standard in 1983 gave the workers the ‘right to know,' but the new Globally Harmonized System gives workers the ‘right to understand.'"

Dates You Need to Know:

Major Changes:

• Hazard classification: Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to determine the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import. Hazard classification under the new, updated standard provides specific criteria to address health and physical hazards as well as classification of chemical mixtures.
• Labels: Chemical manufacturers and importers must provide a label that includes a signal word, pictogram, hazard statement, and precautionary statement for each hazard class and category.
• Safety Data Sheets: The new format requires 16 specific sections, ensuring consistency in presentation of important protection information.

What are the Benefits?

• Enhance worker comprehension of hazards, especially for low and limited-literacy workers, reduce confusion in the workplace, facilitate safety training, and result in safer handling and use of chemicals;
• Provide workers quicker and more efficient access to information on the safety data sheets;
• Result in cost savings to American businesses of more than $475 million in productivity improvements, fewer safety data sheet and label updates and simpler new hazard communication training; and
• Reduce trade barriers by harmonizing with systems around the world.

Additional Information:
Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule

OSHA's Hazard Communication Safety And Health Topics

Globally Harmonized System Pictograms

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