WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued
instructions to compliance safety and health officers on how to ensure consistent
enforcement of the revised Hazard Communication standard. OSHA revised the Hazard Communication
standard in March 2012 to align with the United Nations Globally Harmonized
System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The revised standard
improved the quality, consistency and clarity of chemical hazard information
that workers receive.
This
instruction outlines the revisions to the HCS, such as the revised hazard classification of chemicals, standardizing
label elements for containers of hazardous chemicals, and specifying the format
and required content for safety data sheets. It explains how the revised
standard is to be enforced during its transition period and after the standard
is fully implemented on June 1, 2016.
Under the standard,
employers were required to train workers on the new label elements and safety
data sheets by Dec. 1, 2013. Chemical manufacturers, importers and distributors
had to comply with revised safety data sheet requirements by June 1, 2015. Manufacturers
and importers had to comply with new labeling provisions by June 1, 2015. Distributors have until Dec. 1, 2015, to
comply with labeling provisions as long as they are not relabeling materials or
creating safety data sheets, in which case they must comply with the June 1
deadline.
Additional
information on the revised Hazard Communication Standard may be found on OSHA’s
Hazard Communication Safety and
Health Topics page at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html.
Under the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for
providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role
is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting
and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For
more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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