Employers Must Provide Training in OSHA's New Hazard Communication Standard by December 1, 2013 | Practical Law

Employers Must Provide Training in OSHA's New Hazard Communication Standard by December 1, 2013 | Practical Law

Employers are reminded that by December 1, 2013, they must provide employees with initial training in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). HCS governs chemical labeling and employee training for use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The revisions adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which was developed by the United Nations (UN) and creates a uniform international classification and labeling system for hazardous chemicals.

Employers Must Provide Training in OSHA's New Hazard Communication Standard by December 1, 2013

by Practical Law Labor & Employment
Published on 28 Oct 2013 • USA (National/Federal)
Employers are reminded that by December 1, 2013, they must provide employees with initial training in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) new Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). HCS governs chemical labeling and employee training for use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The revisions adopt the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), which was developed by the United Nations (UN) and creates a uniform international classification and labeling system for hazardous chemicals.
On March 20, 2012, OSHA issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) created by the United Nations. HCS governs chemical labeling and employee training for use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. The revisions create a uniform international classification and labeling system for hazardous chemicals.
Employers are reminded that by December 1, 2013, they must provide employees with training on the new:
  • Label elements, for example:
    • pictograms;
    • hazard statements;
    • precautionary statements; and
    • signal words.
  • Safety data sheet (SDS) format.
Although full compliance with the final rule revising HCS will not begin until 2015, OSHA believes that workplaces will soon begin to receive labels and SDSs consistent with the GHS. Training will help ensure that employees are familiar with and understand the new labels and SDSs in their workplaces.
For more information about the revised HCS, see Legal Update, OSHA Revises Right-to-know Hazard Communication Standard.
To help employers comply with the revised standard, OSHA has published a number of resources, including a Fact Sheet on the training requirements.