The Global Harmonization System (GHS) Impact On OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard
What Employers Need to Do and When (Effective Dates)
By Jeff Savona, IE Safety Services
Employers must train workers on the new label elements and SDS format by December 1, 2013. Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers must comply with all modified provisions of the final rule by June 1, 2015. However, distributors may ship products labeled by manufacturers under the old system until December 1, 2015.
By June 1, 2016, employers must update alternative workplace labeling and hazard communication programs as necessary, and provide additional worker training for new identified physical and health hazards. During this transition period, all chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers may comply with either 29 CFR 1910.1200 (this final standard), or the current standard, or both.
Who Should Take This Course?
Employers must train workers on the new label elements and SDS format by December 1, 2013.
This course is designed to assist workers to meet the NEW Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) training requirement.
The GHS is an acronym for The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. The GHS is a system for standardizing and harmonizing the classification and labeling of chemicals. It is a logical and comprehensive approach to:
Defining health, physical and environmental hazards of chemicals;
Creating classification processes that use available data on chemicals for comparison with the defined hazard criteria; and
Communicating hazard information, as well as protective measures, on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Why was the GHS developed?
The production and use of chemicals is fundamental to all economies. The global chemical business is more than a $1.7 trillion per year enterprise. In the U.S., chemicals are more than a $450 billion business and exports are greater than $80 billion per year.
Chemicals directly or indirectly affect our lives and are essential to our food, our health, and our lifestyle. The widespread use of chemicals has resulted in the development of sector-specific regulations (transport, production, workplace, agriculture, trade, and consumer products). Having readily available information on the hazardous properties of chemicals, and recommended control measures, allows the production, transport, use and disposal of chemicals to be managed safely. Thus, human health and the environment are protected.
The sound management of chemicals should include systems through which chemical hazards are identified and communicated to all who are potentially exposed. These groups include workers, consumers, emergency responders and the public. It is important to know what chemicals are present and/or used, their hazards to human health and the environment, and the means to control them. A number of classification and labeling systems, each addressing specific use patterns and groups of chemicals, exist at the
national, regional and international levels. The existing hazard classification and labeling
systems address potential exposure to chemicals in all the types of use settings listed above.
While the existing laws and regulations are similar, they are different enough to require multiple labels for the same product both within the U.S. and in international trade and to require multiple safety data sheets for the same product in international trade. Several U.S. regulatory agencies and various countries have different requirements for hazard definitions as well as for information to be included on labels or material safety data sheets.
Does the GHS address training?
The GHS states in Chapter 1.4, Section1.4.9, 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.
IE Safety Services can train employees in all SAFETY and HEALTH topics.
Our Safety Consultants take a “hands on” approach with techniques to keep trainees engaged. Classes can be designed for craft, job and project specific applications or developed for a general audience.
We offer both in-house and job site training. For a quote call us at 909-953-5006 or 714-888-5952.
IE Safety Services, LLC is an independently owned and operated safety training and education company. We provide training at your facility or in-house for 1 to 3 or 100+ individuals at a rate that you can afford because we are the educators. Whatever training you need, we will match you to an expert in that particular school of training with actual work-related experience.