GHS, SDS, Deadlines & Compliance - Help is out there 
With OSHA SDS deadlines looming, transitioning your MSDS to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) might appear challenging. Fortunately, help is out there with a range of free and low cost options designed to make compliance much easier. Any company required to create a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is subjected to OSHA’s new regulation associated with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals law (GHS). By mid-2015, any company that sells products containing regulated hazardous substances is required to:
1. Re-classify its components and products according to the OSHA GHS hazard classification schema
2. Re-author all of its safety data sheets
3. Re-label all of its productsFor many companies, this is a complex and time-consuming process requiring a deep understanding of the regulation, detailed knowledge of the make-up of their products (including raw materials), and updating IT systems to support compliance.
I have put together a sort list of resources for EHS professionals to help. If you have any to add, please email them to me at: ehsdirector(at)gmail.com The main GHS regulation information site is:
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html For the "Regulation (EC) on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF GHS on Wikipedia had the best breakdown of symbols and definitions. Here are the short links:
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globally_Harmonized_System_of_Classification_and_Labelling_of_Chemicals GHS hazard pictograms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_pictogramsGHS hazard statement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_statement Precautionary statements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_precautionary_statementsTool for Chemical Hazard & Precautionary Phrases in 23 European languages
http://schoolscout24.de/cgi-bin/hpp/hppinput.cgi
MSDS/SDS - GHS Compliance Links and Information:OSHA's GHS breakdown webpage:
www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html#1.1
The Hazard Communication Answer Book (Answer Books)
Mark Moran was kind enough to send me his new book about helping the public comply with the new OSHA / GHS Hazard Communication Standards. His book laid out an easy path to compliance filled with various document and SDS examples. He even included the full OSHA standard on CD. You can grab his book here at Amazon along with his other award winning safety guides. I also used Alfonso Lerma's FREE GHS kit that provides EH&S professionals with timely information & valuable resources. www.ghskit.com WHMIS Help: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-88-66/index.html
On this site resources:
About the OSHA and GHS
The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) finally makes its debut. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of time yet to comply. OSHA has announced that the final rule for GHS, or Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, will become law effective May 25, 2012. The effective date of the final rule is 60 days after March 26, the date of the rule’s publication in the Federal Register. The new GHS rule will be added to OSHA’s existing hazard communication standard, or worker right-to-know law. OSHA says the GHS rule will help prevent 43 worker fatalities and 585 occupational injuries and illnesses from chemical exposures every year. According to OSHA, the GHS rule will affect over 5 million workplaces and 40 million workers. There are two primary groups of employers that will be affected by the GHS rule:
With OSHA SDS deadlines looming, transitioning your MSDS to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) might appear challenging. Fortunately, help is out there with a range of free and low cost options designed to make compliance much easier. Any company required to create a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is subjected to OSHA’s new regulation associated with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals law (GHS). By mid-2015, any company that sells products containing regulated hazardous substances is required to:
1. Re-classify its components and products according to the OSHA GHS hazard classification schema
2. Re-author all of its safety data sheets
3. Re-label all of its productsFor many companies, this is a complex and time-consuming process requiring a deep understanding of the regulation, detailed knowledge of the make-up of their products (including raw materials), and updating IT systems to support compliance.
I have put together a sort list of resources for EHS professionals to help. If you have any to add, please email them to me at: ehsdirector(at)gmail.com The main GHS regulation information site is:
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev02/02files_e.html For the "Regulation (EC) on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:353:0001:1355:EN:PDF GHS on Wikipedia had the best breakdown of symbols and definitions. Here are the short links:
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globally_Harmonized_System_of_Classification_and_Labelling_of_Chemicals GHS hazard pictograms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_pictogramsGHS hazard statement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_hazard_statement Precautionary statements
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHS_precautionary_statementsTool for Chemical Hazard & Precautionary Phrases in 23 European languages
http://schoolscout24.de/cgi-bin/hpp/hppinput.cgi
MSDS/SDS - GHS Compliance Links and Information:OSHA's GHS breakdown webpage:
www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html#1.1
The Hazard Communication Answer Book (Answer Books)Mark Moran was kind enough to send me his new book about helping the public comply with the new OSHA / GHS Hazard Communication Standards. His book laid out an easy path to compliance filled with various document and SDS examples. He even included the full OSHA standard on CD. You can grab his book here at Amazon along with his other award winning safety guides. I also used Alfonso Lerma's FREE GHS kit that provides EH&S professionals with timely information & valuable resources. www.ghskit.com WHMIS Help: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-88-66/index.html
On this site resources:
About the OSHA and GHS
The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) finally makes its debut. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of time yet to comply. OSHA has announced that the final rule for GHS, or Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, will become law effective May 25, 2012. The effective date of the final rule is 60 days after March 26, the date of the rule’s publication in the Federal Register. The new GHS rule will be added to OSHA’s existing hazard communication standard, or worker right-to-know law. OSHA says the GHS rule will help prevent 43 worker fatalities and 585 occupational injuries and illnesses from chemical exposures every year. According to OSHA, the GHS rule will affect over 5 million workplaces and 40 million workers. There are two primary groups of employers that will be affected by the GHS rule:
- 90,000 employers that are chemical manufacturers, importers and distributors
- 5 million other employers where their employees use, handle, or store chemicals
4-YEAR TRANSITION PERIOD
OSHA will allow employers the following phase-in or transition period to comply with the new GHS requirements:
- December 1, 2013 - All employers that use, handle, store chemicals. Train employees about the new chemical labels and safety data sheets or SDSs (formally material safety data sheets or MSDSs).
- June 1, 2015 - Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors Comply with all the requirements of the GHS rule, except compliance with GHS label requirements for distributors by December 1, 2015.
- December 1, 2015 - Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors All shipments of chemical containers must include the GHS-compliant label (signal word, pictogram, hazard statement, and precautionary statement).
- June 1, 2016 - All employers that use, handle, store chemicals Update alternative workplace labeling and hazard communication program as necessary, and provide additional employee training for newly identified physical or health hazards.
