Hazard communication training is intended to reduce the risk of

The use and storage of chemicals and other products may present a variety of hazards to University of Maryland employees. To protect University of Maryland faculty, staff, and employees from the dangers associated with chemical substances used during the course of their work, the University has developed a comprehensive Hazard Communication Standard.

It is essential that established procedures exist to ensure that employees are free from any hazardous exposures and to promote safe, efficient, and productive performance. The Hazard Communication Standard is designed to reduce the potential for occurrences of chemical-related occupational illnesses and injuries by:

• Providing specific procedures to identify and evaluate the chemical hazards in the workplace
• Train employees on the hazards of the chemicals with which they work
• Ensuring that all individuals at risk are adequately informed about the chemicals used and stored in their work places.

This standard is also intended to fulfill the compliance requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), General Industry Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), and the Construction Industry Standard (29 CFR 1926.59).

Hazard Communication Program — Training is the Key

Employees are to be trained when they are initially assigned to work with a hazardous chemical. Additional training is to be done whenever a new health or physical hazard is introduced into the work area.

The intent and purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Hazard Communication Standard (29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.1200) 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" (29 CFR 1910.1200(a)(1).

Employers must ensure that employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals under normal operating conditions or in foreseeable emergencies are adequately trained and are equipped with the knowledge and information necessary to do their jobs safely.

Hazard Communication Standard Revised
In May 2012, OSHA revised the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012) and adopted portions of the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) Revision 3. This set in motion a series of compliance deadlines for chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers who are covered by the standard:

• Dec. 1, 2013: Train employees on the new label elements and safety data sheet (SDS) format.
• June 1, 2015: Comply with all modified provisions of the final rule, except:

□ Dec. 1, 2015: Distributors must not ship containers of hazardous materials labeled by the chemical manufacturer or importer unless they carry the appropriate HCS label.

□ 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.

HCS 2012 still requires chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate the chemicals they produce or import and provide hazard information to employers and workers by putting labels on containers and preparing Safety Data Sheets. HCS 2012 provides a single set of harmonized criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health and physical hazards. These hazards are then communicated to downstream users through the use of "shipped container labels" and standardized SDSs. The "old" standard (HCS 1994) allowed chemical manufacturers and importers to convey hazard information on labels and material safety data sheets (MSDSs) in whatever format they chose.

This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.

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