Hazard Communication Standard

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The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires employers to disclose toxic and hazardous substances in workplaces. This is related to the Worker Protection Standard.

Contents

Specifically, this requires unrestricted employee access to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) or equivalent, and appropriate training to understand health and safety risks. This requirement was made necessary to ensure that the employees/workers understand the possibility of risk of chemicals and the measure/method to treat each hazard while staying safe. In addition, the chemical and any mixture's classification are also needed. [1]

Before the GHS, the MSDS was primarily used in the United States, and it was often translated differently in other countries. Increased international trade created conflict and confusion between different methods of classifications and labeling of the same chemical from one country to the next. Therefore, the GHS was created to aid in a universal process of classifying and labeling all substances. Given that no sheet is ever completely perfect, the GHS is updated about every two years. The ninth revision is the most current, released in December 2021. [2]

European Union (EU) began to adopt the GHS into their standards in 2009, having the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) reflect the same as the GHS before putting it into full force. Following was the United States, which finally adopted the GHS in 2012, and it is now known as OSHA's HCS 2012 when referenced for enforcement. Canada adopted the GHS in 2015, changing the federal Hazardous Product Act (HPA) and making a new regulation. The Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) were created under the HPA to embody the GHS as the new standard. [3]

As the world continues to trade and understand more of the effects of chemicals, the HCS will change—however, currently the GHS has made communication regarding hazards much more straightforward and is well adopted. Therefore, GHS is expected be part of the HCS in the future as a common standard used to provide the same chemical information to the end user.

History

Workplace safety in the USA began long before Dr. Alice Hamilton in Chicago,[ citation needed ] who began working for the state of Illinois in 1910 to deal with workplace safety. [4]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established in 1970 to standardize safety for nearly all workers in the United States, and hazard communication for toxic substance exposure was included during the 1980s.

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) is currently being pursued to standardize workplace hazard protection internationally. [5] As GHS has been adopted as the Hazard Communication Standard in the following Countries with the year of adoption. [6]

Countries and years of adoption
CountryYear
Brazil2010
Canada2015
China2011
Ecuador2018
EU/EEA*2009
Indonesia2013
Japan2012
Korea2013
Malaysia2014
Mauritius2004
New Zealand2020
Philippines2014
Singapore2005
Taiwan2008
Thailand2012
Turkey2015
United States2012
Uruguay2009

* The countries covered by the EU/ European Economic Area (EEA): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HAZCOM) was first adopted in 1983 in the United States with limited scope (48 FR 53280; November 25, 1983). In 1987, scope was expanded to cover all industries where employees are potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals (52 FR 31852; August 24, 1987). This is managed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This is managed by states that have an approved plan. [7]

The standard is identified in 29 C.F.R. 1910.1200. [8] The summary is as follows.

"This occupational safety and health standard is intended to address comprehensively the issue of classifying the potential hazards of chemicals, and communicating information concerning hazards and appropriate protective measures to employees, and to preempt any legislative or regulatory enactments of a state, or political subdivision of a state, pertaining to this subject. Classifying the potential hazards of chemicals and communicating information concerning hazards and appropriate protective measures to employees, may include, for example, but is not limited to, provisions for: developing and maintaining a written hazard communication program for the workplace, including lists of hazardous chemicals present; labeling of containers of chemicals in the workplace, as well as of containers of chemicals being shipped to other workplaces; preparation and distribution of safety data sheets to employees and downstream employers; and development and implementation of employee training programs regarding hazards of chemicals and protective measures. Under section 18 of the Act, no state or political subdivision of a state may adopt or enforce any requirement relating to the issue addressed by this Federal standard, except pursuant to a Federally-approved state plan."

The United States Department of Defense does not manage hazards in accordance with public law.

Purpose

The Purpose is identified in 29 C.F.R. 1910 1200, and is defined as follows:

"The purpose of this section is to ensure that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are classified, and that information concerning the classified hazards is transmitted to employers and employees. The requirements of this section are intended to be consistent with the provisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), Revision 3. The transmittal of information is to be accomplished by means of comprehensive hazard communication programs, which are to include container labeling and other forms of warning, safety data sheets and employee training."

Employees access to hazard information is one of the prerequisites required for access to competent medical diagnosis and treatment.

Environmental illness share characteristics with common diseases. Cyanide exposure symptoms include weakness, headache, nausea, confusion, dizziness, seizures, cardiac arrest, and unconsciousness. [9] [10] Influenza and heart disease include the same symptoms. Failure to obtain proper disclosure is likely to lead to improper or ineffective medical diagnosis and treatment.

The Hazard Communication Standard requires the Safety Data Sheet to be made readily available for workplace exposure in the United States, because this information is required by physicians so they can do their job. [11]

Physicians also require epidemiological data maintained by local government agencies responsible for maintaining pesticide application data for use outside buildings (environmental exposure). [12] This is part of the Right to know.

Related Research Articles

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The United States Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which President Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 29, 1970. OSHA's mission is to "assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance." The agency is also charged with enforcing a variety of whistleblower statutes and regulations. OSHA's workplace safety inspections have been shown to reduce injury rates and injury costs without adverse effects on employment, sales, credit ratings, or firm survival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety data sheet</span> Sheet listing work-related hazards

A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widely used system for cataloguing information on chemicals, chemical compounds, and chemical mixtures. SDS information may include instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular material or product, along with spill-handling procedures. The older MSDS formats could vary from source to source within a country depending on national requirements; however, the newer SDS format is internationally standardized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational Safety and Health Act (United States)</span> United States labor law

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is a US labor law governing the federal law of occupational health and safety in the private sector and federal government in the United States. It was enacted by Congress in 1970 and was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. The Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical hazard</span> Non-biological substance that has the potential to cause harm to life or health

A chemical hazard is a (non-biological) substance that has the potential to cause harm to life or health. Chemicals are widely used in the home and in many other places. Exposure to chemicals can cause acute or long-term detrimental health effects. There are many types of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitizers. In the workplace, exposure to chemical hazards is a type of occupational hazard. The use of protective personal equipment (PPE) may substantially reduce the risk of damage from contact with hazardous materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dangerous goods</span> Solids, liquids, or gases harmful to people, other organisms, property or the environment

Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials. An example for dangerous goods is hazardous waste which is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System</span> Canadian national hazard communication standard

The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System is Canada's national workplace hazard communication standard. The key elements of the system, which came into effect on October 31, 1988, are cautionary labelling of containers of WHMIS controlled products, the provision of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and worker education and site-specific training programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flammable liquid</span>

A flammable liquid is a liquid which can be easily ignited in air at ambient temperatures, i.e. it has a flash point at or below nominal threshold temperatures defined by a number of national and international standards organisations.

International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC) are data sheets intended to provide essential safety and health information on chemicals in a clear and concise way. The primary aim of the Cards is to promote the safe use of chemicals in the workplace and the main target users are therefore workers and those responsible for occupational safety and health. The ICSC project is a joint venture between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) with the cooperation of the European Commission (EC). This project began during the 1980s with the objective of developing a product to disseminate the appropriate hazard information on chemicals at the workplace in an understandable and precise way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals</span> International standard managed by the United Nations

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is an internationally agreed-upon standard managed by the United Nations that was set up to replace the assortment of hazardous material classification and labelling schemes previously used around the world. Core elements of the GHS include standardized hazard testing criteria, universal warning pictograms, and harmonized safety data sheets which provide users of dangerous goods with a host of information. The system acts as a complement to the UN Numbered system of regulated hazardous material transport. Implementation is managed through the UN Secretariat. Although adoption has taken time, as of 2017, the system has been enacted to significant extents in most major countries of the world. This includes the European Union, which has implemented the United Nations' GHS into EU law as the CLP Regulation, and United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazardous Materials Identification System</span> Numerical hazard rating using colour coded labels

The Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) is a numerical hazard rating that incorporates the use of labels with color developed by the American Coatings Association as a compliance aid for the OSHA Hazard Communication (HazCom) Standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 is a United Kingdom Statutory Instrument which states general requirements imposed on employers to protect employees and other persons from the hazards of substances used at work by risk assessment, control of exposure, health surveillance and incident planning. There are also duties on employees to take care of their own exposure to hazardous substances and prohibitions on the import of certain substances into the European Economic Area. The regulations reenacted, with amendments, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Work Regulations 1999 and implement several European Union directives.

Right to know is a human right enshrined in law in several countries. UNESCO defines it as the right for people to "participate in an informed way in decisions that affect them, while also holding governments and others accountable". It pursues universal access to information as essential foundation of inclusive knowledge societies. It is often defined in the context of the right for people to know about their potential exposure to environmental conditions or substances that may cause illness or injury, but it can also refer more generally to freedom of information or informed consent.

Workplace health surveillance or occupational health surveillance (U.S.) is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of exposure and health data on groups of workers. The Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its 12th Session in 1995 defined an occupational health surveillance system as "a system which includes a functional capacity for data collection, analysis and dissemination linked to occupational health programmes".

The regulation of chemicals is the legislative intent of a variety of national laws or international initiatives such as agreements, strategies or conventions. These international initiatives define the policy of further regulations to be implemented locally as well as exposure or emission limits. Often, regulatory agencies oversee the enforcement of these laws.

Hazard statements form part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). They are intended to form a set of standardized phrases about the hazards of chemical substances and mixtures that can be translated into different languages. As such, they serve the same purpose as the well-known R-phrases, which they are intended to replace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pesticide regulation in the United States</span>

Pesticide regulation in the United States is primarily a responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In America, it was not till the 1950s that pesticides were regulated in terms of their safety. The Pesticides Control Amendment (PCA) of 1954 was the first time Congress passed guidance regarding the establishment of safe limits for pesticide residues on food. It authorized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban pesticides they determined to be unsafe if they were sprayed directly on food. The Food Additives Amendment, which included the Delaney Clause, prohibited the pesticide residues from any carcinogenic pesticides in processed food. In 1959, pesticides were required to be registered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational safety and health</span> Field concerned with the safety, health and welfare of people at work

Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work. These terms also refer to the goals of this field, so their use in the sense of this article was originally an abbreviation of occupational safety and health program/department etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemical storage</span>

Chemical storage is the storage of controlled substances or hazardous materials in chemical stores, chemical storage cabinets, or similar devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational exposure banding</span> Process to assign chemicals into categories corresponding to permissible exposure concentrations

Occupational exposure banding, also known as hazard banding, is a process intended to quickly and accurately assign chemicals into specific categories (bands), each corresponding to a range of exposure concentrations designed to protect worker health. These bands are assigned based on a chemical’s toxicological potency and the adverse health effects associated with exposure to the chemical. The output of this process is an occupational exposure band (OEB). Occupational exposure banding has been used by the pharmaceutical sector and by some major chemical companies over the past several decades to establish exposure control limits or ranges for new or existing chemicals that do not have formal OELs. Furthermore, occupational exposure banding has become an important component of the Hierarchy of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety sign</span> Type of sign

Safety signs are a type of sign designed to warn of hazards, indicate mandatory actions or required use of Personal protective equipment, prohibit actions or objects, identify the location of firefighting or safety equipment, or marking of exit routes.

References

  1. ↑ "Hazard Communication - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration". www.osha.gov. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  2. ↑ "About the GHS | UNECE". unece.org. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  3. ↑ Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (2023-03-02). "CCOHS: Globally Harmonized System (GHS)". www.ccohs.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  4. ↑ "Biography: Dr. Alice Hamilton". National Library of Medicine.
  5. ↑ "A Guide to The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals". US OSHA.
  6. ↑ Systems, Lisam. "GHS Global Status". www.lisam.com. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  7. ↑ "State Occupational Safety and Health Plans". United States Department of Labor.
  8. ↑ "Occupational Safety and Health Standards; Toxic and Hazardous Substances; Hazard Communication". United States Department of Labor.
  9. ↑ "Pesticide User's Guide". Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  10. ↑ "The Facts About Cyanides". New York Department of Health.
  11. ↑ "29 CFR, Standard 1910.1200, Hazard Communication". United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  12. ↑ "Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR)". California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
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