Hazard Communication & Global Harmonization

Objectives• Know basic requirements of OSHA’s

Hazard Communication Standard• Understand the new Global Harmonization

requirements incorporated into the standard in 2012

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History of Hazard Communication• Promulgated in 1983 for manufacturing only

– 32 million workers exposed to chemicals– 575,000 hazardous chemicals in workplaces– 40,000 to 50,000 chemical illness each year

• 1987 expanded to all industries• 2012 Global Harmonization requirements

added

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Hazard Communication• 29 CFR 1910.1200• Also know as “Right to Know Law” or

HAZCOM• Prevention of injuries and illnesses from

chemical exposure• Provide knowledge of hazards to

employees• Most cited OSHA standard for many years

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Purpose• Ensure chemicals produced or imported

evaluated• Ensure the hazards of chemicals are

transmitted to employers and employees• Ensure consistency in evaluation and

classifying hazards

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Does not apply to:• Hazardous waste• Tobacco• Wood products that are not hazardous• Articles• Food or alcohol• Drugs• Cosmetics• Consumer products• Nuisance particles• Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation• Biological hazards

Who Is Responsible?• Chemical Manufacturers• Importers & Distributors• Employers• Employees

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Chemical Manufacturers & Importers

• Determine hazards of products• Communicate information to customers

through labels and SDSs (Safety Data Sheets)

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Employers• Identify and list chemicals in workplace• Obtain and retain SDSs for each chemical• Label secondary containers• Develop written Hazard Communication

Program• Provide personal protective equipment• Train employees

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Employees• Comply with company’s written Hazard

Communication Program• Follow warnings and cautions on labels

and SDS’s• Wear appropriate PPE as required• Prepare hazard labels for new containers

when hazardous materials are transferred from manufacturers containers

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Employee Training• How the company’s HAZCOM Program is

implemented• Hazards of chemicals in their work area• Measures to take to protect themselves• Location of PPE• Methods and observations workers can

use to detect the presence of a chemical

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Labels and Warnings• Each chemical container must be labeled,

tagged or marked with identity of the chemical and its hazards

• Labels must be in English and prominent

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SDSs• Developed by chemical manufacturer or

importer• Must be provided with each shipment of

chemicals• Must provide information about the

chemical including hazards

Chemical Inventory• Include all hazardous substances as well

as potentially hazardous materials• Consider all physical forms of chemicals-

liquids, solids, gases, vapors, fumes, and mists

• Identify chemicals in containers including pipes

• Include chemicals generated by processes such as welding fumes, dusts, and exhaust fumes

Created Chemical Hazards

Global Harmonization System- GHS• GHS refers to the United Nations Globally

Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals

• Initiated at UN Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992

• Standardizes definitions of health, physical and environmental data

• Standardizes hazard classification• Standardizes hazard communication

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GHS Benefits• Enhances protection of

human health and the environment

• Reduces need for duplicative testing of chemicals

• Increases efficiency by reducing cost of regulatory compliance

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Changes to OSHA’s HAZCOM Standard• Minimal• MSDSs now SDSs (Safety Data Sheets)• “Right to Know” now “Right to Understand”• OSHA Defined Hazards not in GHS

1. Pyrophoric gas

2. Simple asphyxiant

3. Combustible Dust

4. Hazard Not Otherwise Classified (HNOC)

• No more 1% rule• Some chemicals not hazardous in past may be

hazardous now and vice versa

GHS Physical Hazards• Explosives• Flammable gases• Flammable aerosols• Oxidizing gases• Gases under pressure• Flammable liquids• Flammable solids• Self-reactive substances and

mixtures• Organic peroxides• Corrosive to metals

• Self-heating substances and mixtures

• Pyrophoric liquids• Pyrophoric solids• Substances and mixtures

which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases

• Oxidizing liquids• Oxidizing solids• Pyrophoric gases (OSHA)• Combustible dusts (OSHA)• Hazard Not Otherwise

Classified (HNOC) (OSHA)

GHS Health Hazards

• Acute toxicity• Skin corrosion/irritation• Serious eye

damage/irritation• Respiratory or skin

sensitization• Germ cell mutagenicity

• Carcinogenicity• Reproductive toxicity• Specific target organ

toxicity• Aspiration hazard• Simple asphyxiant

(OSHA)

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GHS Environmental Hazards• Permitted by OSHA but not required

– Aquatic toxicity– Hazardous to the ozone layer

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Hazard Classification• Data for chemicals compared to criteria and

definitions in Appendices of OSHA standard.• Example – Pyrophoric solid

– Appendix B- Physical Hazard Criteria Category 1 if the solid ignites within 5 minutes of coming in contact with air

– Appendix C- Allocation of Label Elements

Signal Word- “Danger”

Hazard Statement- “Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air.”

Precautionary Statements- “Do not allow contact with air.”

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Labels

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Label Content Shipped Containers• Product identifier• Signal word (Danger or Warning)• Hazard statement• Pictogram• Precautionary Statement• Name, address and phone number of

manufacturer or supplier

Signal Words

or

• Danger- More severe hazards

• Warning- Less severe hazards

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Pictograms• Nine pictograms under GHS• Eight pictograms adopted by OSHA

(environmental not adopted)• Red border, black symbol, white

background

Exploding Bomb Pictogram

• Explosives• Self-reactives• Organic peroxides

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Flame Pictogram

• Flammables• Self-Reactives• Pyrophorics• Self-Heating• Emits Flammable

Gas• Organic peroxides

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Flame over Circle Pictogram

• Oxidizers

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Gas Cylinder Pictogram

• Gases under Pressure

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Corrosion Pictogram

• Corrosive to metal

• Corrosive to skin

• Corrosive to eyes

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Skull & Crossbones Pictogram

• Severe acute toxicity

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Exclamation Mark Pictogram

• Irritant• Skin sensitizer• Less severe

acute toxicity• Narcotic effects• Respiratory

irritation

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Health Hazard Pictogram• Carcinogen• Respiratory

sensitizer• Reproductive

toxin• Target organ

toxicity• Mutagen• Aspiration hazard

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Environment Pictogram

• Environmental hazard

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Hazard Statement• Standardized harmonized statement• Chosen from tables in Appendix C, based on

the chemical classification• Example Flammable Liquids

– Category 1: Extremely flammable liquid and vapor– Category 2: Highly flammable liquid and vapor– Category 3: Flammable liquid and vapor– Category 4: Combustible liquid

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Precautionary Statement• Standardized statements that supplement

information on the label.• Chosen from tables in Appendix C, based

on the chemical classification• Four types-

– Prevention– Emergency Response– Storage– Disposal

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New Label Example

In-House GHS Labels• Labels will be required to have 5 parts:

1. Product identifier

2. Pictogram

3. Signal words

4. Hazard statement

5. Precautionary statement

or

Product identifier and words, pictures, symbols or combinations, which provide employees with specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of hazardous chemicals

Hazardous Materials Identification System- HMIS

GHS SDS Sections1. Identification

2. Hazard Identification

3. Composition/Info on Ingredients

4. First Aid Measures

5. Fire Fighting Measures

6. Accidental Release/Spills

7. Handling & Storage

8. Exposure Controls/PPE

GHS SDS Sections (continued)

9. Physical/Chemical Properties

10. Stability/Reactivity

11. Toxicological Info.

12. Ecological Info.

13. Disposal Considerations

14. Transport Info.

15. Regulatory Info.

16. Other Information

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Effective Dates• Final Rule Effective – July 2012• Employers must train employees of the new

labels and SDS formats by 12/31/2013• Manufacturers, importers, distributors and

employers must comply by 6/1/15• Distributors cannot ship containers with non-

compliant labels after 12/1/15• Employers must update HAZCOM Programs

and provide additional training on new hazards by 6/1/2016

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What should employers be doing?• Read and understand new hazard classifications• Review and update SDSs for changes in hazards• Assess workplace controls is light of new

classifications• Review and update HAZCOM Program• Review and update in-house labeling• Keep list of hazardous chemicals up-to date• Train employees in new labels• Train employees in changes to SDSs• Train employees is new hazard classifications

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Other Resources• OSHA-

http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html• UN-

http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_welcome_e.html

• Society for Chemical Hazard Communication- http://www.schc.org