The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (General Industry - 29 CFR 1910.1200 and Construction - 29 CFR 1926.59) requires manufacturers or producers of products and materials, which contain a chemical that can cause health or physical hazards, to make users aware of the potential hazard(s) through labels and safety data sheets (also referred to as material safety data sheets). In March 2012, OSHA revised the Hazard Communication Standard. By December 1, 2013, employers were required to have trained workers "on the new labels elements and safety data sheets format to facilitate recognition and understanding."
Check the Label
The label should identify the hazardous material, the type of hazard – health or physical – and the manufacturer, producer, or importer's name and address. The label must be in English and may also be in another language.
The Hazard Communication Standard requires construction employers to "ensure that the label is not removed or defaced." In addition, employers are required to provide employees who may be exposed to the hazardous material with training and education on how to identify the hazard, protective measures, and an explanation of the label and the safety data sheet.
Update to the Standard: The revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard aligned it with the United Nations' global chemical labeling system. By 2016, the following pictograms will be used to label materials that present a health hazard for users:
Learn more about the Hazard Communication Standard
- Modification of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to conform with the United Nations' (UN) Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) – 2012 – Questions and Answers
- OSHA - What is Hazard Communication?
- OSHA Standards - Hazard Communication
Check the Safety Data Sheet
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard also requires manufacturers or producers of materials, which contain a chemical that can cause health or physical hazards, to make users aware of the potential hazard(s) through safety data sheets (also referred to as material safety data sheets). Employers are responsible for ensuring that employees have "access to safety data sheets for all hazardous materials at the workplace."
Update to the Standard. Under the revised Standard, manufacturers, distributors, or importers are required to present safety data sheets (SDSs) in a "consistent user-friendly, 16-section format."
- Section 1 – Identification –the chemical, contact information for the manufacturer, importer or other responsible party, and recommended use of the chemical.
- Section 2 – Hazard(s) identification – the hazards the chemical presents and warning information.
- Section 3 – composition/information on ingredients – includes the "chemical name and concentration (i.e., the exact percentage) of all ingredients which are classified as health hazards and are present above their cut-off/concentration limits or present a health risk below the cut-off/concentration limits."
- Section 4 – First-aid measures
- Section 5 – Fire-fighting measures
- Section 6 – Accidental release measures
- Section 7 – Handling and storage
- Section 8 – Exposure controls/personal protection
- Section 9 – Physical and chemical properties
- Section 10 – Stability and reactivity
- Section 11 – Toxicological information
- Section 12 – Ecological information (non-mandatory)
- Section 13 – Disposal considerations (non-mandatory)
- Section 14 –Transport information (non-mandatory)
- Section 15 – Regulatory information (non-mandatory)
- Section 16 – Other information – when the SDS was prepared, last revision , etc.
Learn more about Safety Data Sheets
- OSHA Brief Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets
- OSHA Quick Card: Hazard Communication Safety Data Sheets
- "How to Read a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)" - this video, while developed before the change in the Standard, contains useful information on what to look for on a Safety Data Sheet/MSDS.
- MSDS Search 2008 - free information on Safety Data Sheets/MSDS.
- MSDSonline - information on how to find, read and use Safety Data Sheets, including frequently asked questions.
- Cornell University - (Material) Safety Data Sheets and Other Chemical Safety Information
The section "Find examples of gloves for commonly used products" contains links to the safety data sheets for the sample products included.