OSHA Provides Guidance to OSHA Compliance Officers for Enforcing Revised Hazard Communication Standard
WASHINGTON, DC – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued instructions to compliance safety and health officers on how to ensure consistent enforcement of the revised Hazard Communication standard. OSHA revised the Hazard Communication standard in March 2012 to align with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The revised standard improved the quality, consistency and clarity of chemical hazard information that workers receive.
This instruction outlines the revisions to the HCS, such as the revised hazard classification of chemicals, standardizing label elements for containers of hazardous chemicals, and specifying the format and required content for safety data sheets. It explains how the revised standard is to be enforced during its transition period and after the standard is fully implemented on June 1, 2016.