▪︎ GHS, SDS
USA:
OSHA publishes updated Hazcom standard
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published an updated version of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) at the end of May 2024. It has thus largely adapted the content to GHS Rev.7, the seventh revised edition of the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
The provisions are legally binding with regard to the classification and labeling of hazardous substances, hazard communication and the preparation of safety data sheets (SDS).
Staggered deadlines
The regulation came into force on July 19, 2024. It should be noted that the deadlines for compliance are staggered.
- January 19, 2026: for manufacturers, importers and distributors of substances
- July 19, 2027: for manufacturers, importers and distributors of mixtures.
- July 20, 2026: for employers operating sites with substances covered by the HCS Directive
- January 19, 2028: for employers operating sites with mixtures covered by the HCS Directive
What's new
Among other things, the following have been updated or supplemented
- the classification categories for aerosols, desensitized explosives and flammable gases
- Danger and safety instructions
- Labeling requirements for small containers, with specific requirements for containers with a capacity of 100 ml or less;
- Labeling requirements for packaged containers that have been released for shipment or that constitute a bulk shipment
- The concentration ranges to be used when the specific concentration of a substance is claimed as a trade secret.
The dispute over clearer wording regarding the requirement to disclose hazards arising from the use of chemicals in downstream processes was also resolved. Here, OSHA clarified that an upstream supplier or manufacturer does not have to identify every single hazard arising from the use of chemicals in downstream processes. Only those hazards that are foreseeable based on the properties and those that are already known to the manufacturer.
This information must be taken into account when labeling the product and preparing the SDS.
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