MSDSonline Environmental, Health & Safety Blog

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS or HazCom) is again found near the top of OSHA’s Most Frequently Cited Standards list, ranking third for the 2009 fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2008 – Sept. 30, 2009), with more than 6,700 violations being reported. Of that, according to the NSC December 2009 magazine article titled, “OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations 2009,” more than 3,900 were categorized as serious, which is defined by OSHA  to mean there was a “substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result.”

HCS as many of you know is the standard set forth to protect employees from hazardous chemicals found in the workplace. The regulation consists of four main parts: Written HazCom Plan, Labels and Warnings, Employee Training and MSDS Documents. If you’re familiar with HCS, you’re also probably aware of OSHA’s recent proposal to align the standard with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). It will be interesting to see how the proposed changes for this standard might impact the regulation’s placement on the list in coming years.

- MSDSonline Compliance Team -

I was speaking recently at a VPPPA (OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association) conference on HazCom compliance. The issue of the Global Harmonized System, more commonly known as GHS, arose multiple times, which suggests to me that there are a lot of questions out there.

So what exactly is GHS?   The idea was born at the Global Earth Day Summit in 1992.  In short, it’s a world-wide standardized approach to hazard communication, which is supported by the United Nations and regulatory agencies around the globe.  The stated aim of the GHS is to “enhance public health and environmental protection by ensuring safe transport, handling, use and disposal of hazardous materials.” 

Continue reading ‘GHS is a Reality… Are you Ready?’