Hazard Communications is going through a cycle
Hazard Communications is going through a cycle to evolvefrom the national standards that it was, to the global standard accepted incountries across the globe. Regulationsfrom different governments are being streamlined into one series of Cold heading part egulationsto allow for international commerce to be conducted in a less restrictedflow. The new Global Harmonized Standard(GHS) will reduce the time it takes for hazardous chemicals to be produced inone country for use in another country. The GHS system changes the rules in the United Statesregarding what labels are used and how information is presented to workers thatutilize hazardous chemicals on a daily basis. The labels are being given a uniform format to ensure they are quicklyidentifiable to alert workers to the potential hazards of working with andaround these chemicals. In the past,different manufacturers that produced the same chemical could vary the actualwarning label on the chemical. This couldlead to confusion for the worker, so the GHS ensures the same chemical islabeled consistently across all chemical manufacturers. The labeling classification system has beensimplified to ensure the proper labels are being affixed to the containers ofthe hazardous chemicals. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for the hazardouschemical is also being tweaked to align with the GHS. MSDS could vary in the order of theinformation being presented by different manufacturers. The order of information has beenstandardized so workers can quickly reference the needed material from theMSDS.
The workers have a right tounderstand the hazards faced and should be educated by the company on aperiodic basis so the continuing education can further enforce safety plans inplace to keep the employees safe. The GHS is set to update the Hazard Communication Standardon a regularly scheduled basis and it is imperative to keep your company on topof any changes in policy or regulation as it is announced. A Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) canwork with your company to ensure the proper corporate policies are in place toalign your company with any changing regulation. The CIH can also perform periodic continuingeducation classes for new and existing employees to ensure all employees areaware of any changes and are kept current. Hazard Communication requires a proactive approach to ensure employeesare informed and educated of how to stay safe around hazardous materials. Click here to contact a CIH to start workingwith your company today.
