Information about chemicals in U.S. workplaces is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom). OSHA recently revised HazCom to harmonize with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. The revised standard, called “HazCom 2012,” represents a marked shift in OSHA’s approach to regulating chemical hazard communication. The revised standard specifies statements and pictograms for labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) based on a detailed hazard classification scheme. Required headings are also specified for use in SDSs.

Requirements for labels and SDSs under the new standard will take effect in June 2015, and employer requirements to train workers regarding the new pictograms and other elements will take effect in December 2013.

This Tech Brief provides a basic overview of the changes in HazCom 2012.  For more information, please contact the Chemical Hazard Communication Group at Applied Safety and Ergonomics, Inc.