Introduction to Hazard Communication

According to OSHA, there are an estimated 650,000 existing chemical products, with hundreds of new ones being introduced annually. In the United States, approximately 32 million workers work with chemicals, and as such, they may be exposed to one or more chemical hazards. All workers whose jobs put them in contact with hazardous chemicals need to have the appropriate protective measures in place to protect them from illness and injury due to those chemicals.

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard provides a framework to ensure that information about the protective measures is disseminated to employers and employees. The Hazard Communication Standard (hereafter referred to simply as "the Standard") requires chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import, and to provide information about the hazards and associated protective measures by putting labels on containers and preparing and distributing Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), which were formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs. Employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplace are required to have a hazard communication program that includes SDSs, employee training, and the labeling of containers of hazardous substances. The Standard covers all industries where employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals.

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