NEW SAFETY DAYTA SHEETS FOR CHEMICALS, GLOBALIZED

By MAUREEN BRADY,
Managing Editor
OSHA’s updated Hazard
Communication Standard (HCS),
which conforms to the United
Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
(GHS), aims to provide a common and coherent approach to classifying chemicals and
communicating hazard information on labels
and safety data sheets. According to former
U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, the
revised standard will “improve the quality and
consistency of hazard information, making it
safer for workers to do their jobs and easier
for employers to stay competitive.”
The three major areas of change are in
hazard classification, labels and safety data
sheets.
Hazard classification: The definitions
of hazard have been changed to provide specific
criteria for classification of health and physical
hazards, as well as classification of mixtures.
These specific criteria will help to ensure that
evaluations of hazardous effects are consistent
across manufacturers, and that labels and safety
data sheets (SDS) are more accurate as a result.
Labels: Chemical manufacturers and
importers will be required to provide a label
that includes a harmonized signal word, pictogram and hazard statement for each hazard
class and category. Precautionary statements
must also be provided.
Safety Data Sheets: Will now
have a specified 16-section format.
 While full compliance with the rule
will begin in 2015, OSHA is requiring that
employees are trained on the new label
elements (i.e., pictograms, hazard statements, precautionary statements and signal
words) and SDS format by December 1,
2013. Is your company on track to meet this
December deadline?
Why train now?
Many American and foreign chemical
manufacturers have already begun to produce
HazCom 2012/GHS-compliant labels and
SDSs. OSHA says it is important to ensure that
when employees begin to see the new labels and
SDSs in their workplaces, they will be familiar
with them, understand how to use them, and
access the information effectively. The sooner
you start training your workers, the more prepared your workers will be for these changes.
The updated HCS also stipulates that
employers must provide additional employee
training for newly identified physical or
health hazards by June 1, 2016.
Who should be trained?
The GHS states in Chapter 1.4, Section
1.4.9, the importance of training all target
audiences to recognize and interpret label
and/or SDS information, and to take appropriate action in response to chemical hazards.
Training requirements should be appropriate
for and commensurate with the nature of
the work or exposure. Key target audiences
include workers, emergency responders and
also those responsible for developing labels
and SDSs. To varying degrees, the training
needs of additional target audiences have to
be addressed. These should include training
for persons involved in transport and strategies required for educating consumers in
interpreting label information on products that
they use.
What are the GHS label
elements?
Some GHS label elements have been standardized (identical with no variation) and are
directly related to the endpoints and hazard
level. Other label elements are harmonized
with common definitions and/or principles.
(See Figure to the right.)
Symbols (hazard pictograms), signal words
and hazard statements have all been standardized and assigned to specific hazard categories and classes, as appropriate. This approach
makes it easier for countries to implement the
system and should make it easier for companies to comply with regulations based on
the GHS. Prescribed symbols, signal words
and hazard statements can be readily selected
from Annex 1 of the GHS “Purple Book.”
These standardized elements are not subject
to variation and should appear on the GHS
label as indicated in the GHS for each hazard
category/class in the system.
What is the GHS Safety
Data Sheet (SDS)?
The (Material) Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
provides comprehensive information for
use in workplace chemical management.
Employers and workers use SDSs as
sources of information about hazards and to
obtain advice on safety precautions.
The SDS should contain 16 headings.
The GHS MSDS headings, sequence and
content are similar to the ISO, EU and
Data sheets,
pictograms &
signal words
OSHA GHS training must be
completed by December 1, 2013
The Section numbers refer to the sections
in the GHS Document or "Purple Book".