Employer Responsibilities - Hazard Communication Standard

The United Nations (UN) adopted the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2003. The GHS provides the criteria for classifying health, physical, and environmental hazards. It also states the information that hazardous chemicals labels and Safety Data Sheets should include. The United States participated in developing the GHS and is one of the UN members that pledged to implement this new system.

OSHA announced that it would alter its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the GHS. Some of the changes were to hazard classification (new, more specific criteria for classifying chemical mixtures and health and physical hazards), labels (manufacturers and importers must provide labels with precautionary statements, a signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement), and Safety Data Sheets (new 16-section format). While the GHS does not include training information, OSHA's updated HCS requires worker training.

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