OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard has been aligned with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS was developed by the United Nations as a way to bring into agreement the chemical regulations and standards of different countries. In short, it is an international attempt to get all countries on the same page. The Federal Government has incorporated GHS into the Hazardous Communication standard and has mandated that initial training on GHS be completed by December 1, 2013. This training will go over, among other things, the replacement of the traditional Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) with new Safety Data Sheets (SDS), that read a bit differently. It is the employer’s responsibility to train all employees on the new standards and to ensure employees understand the new SDS format.
For more information about GHS visit the OSHA website.