The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is a mandatory set of guidelines set forth by the United Nations, standardizing communication and classification of hazardous materials on an international scale. OSHA has modified the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to adopt GHS and has established phase-in dates for compliance.
To meet the first deadline and train employees on the new label and SDS format, our Production Manager devised a fun and creative way to get everyone involved in the process. The team spent time reviewing the new information and then played a few games to reinforce what they learned.
We will continue to work on label and SDS updates in order to meet the June 1, 2015 deadline. By December 1, 2015, all of the product from our facility will be shipped in compliance with the GHS format.
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Effective Completion Date |
Requirement(s) |
Who |
|
December 1, 2013 |
Train employees on the new label elements and safety data sheet (SDS) format. |
Employers |
|
June 1, 2015 December 1, 2015 |
Compliance with all modified provisions of this final rule, except: The Distributor shall not ship containers labeled by the chemical manufacturer or importer unless it is a GHS label |
Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers |
|
June 1, 2016 |
Update alternative workplace labeling and hazard communication program as necessary, and provide additional employee training for newly identified physical or health hazards. |
Employers |