OSHA has proposed that the US GHS Standards be upgraded to align with the GHS version 7 (which was adopted in the EU at the beginning of the year). In addition, updates to the labeling regulations are being proposed. The differences to the SDS will not be drastic and will not be very noticeable to most.
There have been some physical hazards categories added (Desensitized explosives, pyrophoric gases and chemically unstable gases), and several of the precautionary phrases have been modified (or replaced) to be clearer.
As with the 2015 implementation, OSHA will probably not adopt all of the GHS version 7 “building blocks”. For example, in the existing law, the Acute Toxic category 5 “building blocks” were not adopted.
It remains to be seen what the final rule will adopt, but be assured, if you are a Quantum SDS customer, we will take care of the details.
The public comment period extends until May 19, 2021, see the details below.
If you wish to comment on the proposed regulations, here is the update.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On February 16, 2021, OSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to modify the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Revision 7, to address specific issues that have arisen since OSHA last updated the HCS in 2012, and to provide better alignment with other U.S. agencies and international trading partners, without lowering the overall protections of the standard. The public comment period for this NPRM was to close on April 19, 2021, 60 days after publication of the NPRM. However, OSHA received comments from stakeholders requesting extensions of the public comment period (Document ID 0272 (requesting a minimum of 30 additional days), 0274 (requesting a minimum of 30 additional days), and 0276 (requesting extension of 60 days)). The comments state that due to the breadth and complexity of the technical issues involved in this rulemaking, more time is needed to gather data and information and to coordinate responses from organization members to develop more comprehensive and detailed comments. OSHA agrees to an extension and believes a 30-day extension of the public comment period is sufficient and appropriate in order to address these stakeholder requests. Therefore, the public comment period will be extended until May 19, 2021.
