OSHA GHS. Can we expect changes soon and what will they include?
By: Kirsten Alcock, Manager of Product Safety, email
At this point in time, SDSs in the US are expected to align with the current Hazcom Standard. Information pertaining to the requirements can be found here with additional information on the format, Health Hazard, and Physical Hazard criteria in the appendices.
The US adopted version 3 of the GHS regulations with the expectation to move to later versions in the coming years. We have all been waiting patiently to see when the next changes are to occur as this means not only changes to the SDSs themselves but also label changes.
OSHA recently gave a presentation regarding their goals with respect to moving forward. OSHA is working on updating the HCS to align with the GHS Revision 7. At this point in time, the HCS/GHS team is working on an NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking). It has not yet been published.
As per information from OSHA, the intention is to “maintain or enhance the overall current level of protection of the HCS”. They proposed the following in their recent presentation:
- Provide additional clarification of existing regulatory requirements
- Incorporate new hazard classes and categories
- Improve and streamline precautionary statements
- Facilitate international trade through increased alignment
Some of the changes to expect include but are not limited to:
- Changes in Health hazard definition
- Changes to Physical hazards: Flammable gases, expanding hazard categories, aerosols – Including an additional hazard category
- Label elements will change
- SDS updates to section 9 and 11
We are all waiting for more information from OSHA on proposed dates etc. When we find out, we will update you as well. In the meanwhile, if you have any questions related to current OSHA regulations pertaining to SDS authoring, do not hesitate to contact us. We can help you bring your products into compliance. We have been experts in US SDS/Label regulations in this industry for more than 40 years. We have the experience you need and the individuals you can trust to get the SDS and labels into compliance.
Contact:
Dell Tech
Kirsten Alcock, B.Sc. (Hons)
Manager, Product Safety Group
519-858-5074
kirsten@delltech.com
Dell Tech has provided professional, confidential consulting services to the chemical specialty
industry in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Asia for the last 40 years.
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