Who Has to Be Trained?
See this guidance for understanding what you have to do for compliance with the hazard communication standard with GHS amendments.
The New GHS Label
Chemical manufacturers and importers have until June 1, 2015 to develop new GHS-compliant labels and put them on chemical containers. Chemical distributors have until December 1, 2015 to make sure the new labels are affixed to all containers that are shipped. However, some manufacturers and distributors are ahead of schedule and you may already have started to see the new GHS labels on your shipments of chemicals.
The new labels shipped with the container have to display all of the following elements:
- A pictogram with one of eight new hazard symbols inside a diamond-shaped box with a red border
- A signal word, either “Danger” or “Warning”
- Hazard statements, such as “Highly flammable liquid and vapor.”
- Precautionary statements, such as “Keep container tightly closed.”
- The product identifier, such as product name and/or code.
- Supplier identification, including manufacture name, address, and phone.
The label may also contain supplemental information, such as “Directions for use.”
Great news! BLR’s renowned Safety.BLR.com® website now has even more timesaving features. Take our no-cost site tour! Or better yet, try it at no cost or obligation for a full 2 weeks.
There’s time to train. Just like SDSs, employers have until December 1, 2013, to train workers on the new chemical labels. However, it would be prudent to start training your employees how to read and interpret the new labels as soon as they begin to appear on shipments to your workplace.
Some things haven’t changed. Many of the other requirements for labeling chemical containers, including language requirements, exemptions for labeling pipe systems, and alternative labeling systems have not significantly changed, except labeling alternatives must be consistent with GHS label system.
Labels in English
The labels or other forms of warning must be legible, in English, and prominently displayed on the container, or readily available in the work area throughout each work shift. Employers with employees who speak other languages may add the label information in their language, as long as the information is presented in English as well.
Hazardous chemical containers must include either:
- The label shipped with the chemical container; or
- A product identifier and combination of words, pictures, or symbols that provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals and provide employees with the specific information about the physical and health hazards of the chemical.
Your one-stop safety management resource, available 24/7. Go here to take a no-cost site tour or here to try it in your o
Alternatives to Labeling
As an alternative to labeling all individual process containers, employers can:
- Substitute various types of standard operating procedures, process sheets, batch tickets, blend tickets, and similar written materials for container labels on stationary process equipment if they contain the same information as the labels.
- Post signs or placards that convey the hazard information if there are a number of stationary containers within a work area that have similar contents and hazards.
- Use alternative labeling systems such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Hazard Rating and the Hazardous Material Information System (HMIS) as long as those systems are consistent with the GHS labeling system.
All information supplied on the alternative labels must be consistent with the GHS label system; for example, there must be no conflicting hazard statement and pictogram.
Outdated Labels–Procedures to Correct
If an employer becomes aware of any significant new information about the hazards of a chemical, the employer must revise the labels for the chemical within 6 months of becoming aware of the new information. The employer must also ensure that labels on containers of hazardous chemicals contain the new information.
Whether it’s information about GHS, or some other vital workplace safety issue, you’ll find it all reported and interpreted for you by our safety experts at Safety.BLR.com.
And you’ll be able to access that information every day, 24 hours a day, at Safety.BLR.com. Our easy-to-navigate website will help you find what you need quickly and provide you with just the tools you need to do your job.
What’s more, this one-stop safety website is a fantastic resource for safety training materials on just about any topic you can imagine.
Training responsibilities become a snap with the website’s thousands of audio presentations, PowerPoints, prewritten safety meetings, toolbox talks, trainer’s guides, and much, much more. You’ll find training tools on more than 120 safety topics along with plain-English compliance analysis and other resources.
At a time when budget considerations are paramount, what makes more sense than an all-in-one safety training and compliance solution?
And BLR has revamped Safety.BLR.com to meet your needs even better. You’ll be amazed by all the features and functionality of the site. Highlights include:
- Side-by-Side State/Federal Compliance. By placing our state and federal regulatory analysis side by side, you easily see how to fully comply with both governmental entities.
- MSDS Library Expansion. The site now provides an immense library of 3.5 million MSDS forms, with about 10,000 more added or changed every week. Need one? Just call up the chemical by name, manufacturer, product group, or CAS number, then print it out.
- Newsletter Wizard. If you’ve ever wanted to publish a safety newsletter but felt lacking in editorial skills, this new addition is for you.
- Plan Builder. Select from our library of safety plans, customize them to suit your company’s needs, and assemble them into collections you can save in our personal library.
We’re pretty excited about Safety.BLR.com and all of its enhancements, and we’re eager for you to experience it, too. That’s why we’ve created a complimentary site tour, available here. It takes just 5 minutes.
If you like what you see, you’re invited to try the site at no cost and with no obligation. We’ll even give you a complimentary special report for doing so. Go here to take a 5-minute tour of Safety.BLR.com. It may be just what you’re looking for.