Hazard Communication Standard

Hazard Communication Standard

As a USG employee, you not only have a right to know about hazardous chemicals in the workplace, but federal regulations also provide you the “right to understand.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) in 2012 to make it easier for you to understand information on hazardous chemicals. The standard was aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, commonly referred to as “GHS.” The updated standard improves the consistency of hazard information ensuring that countries around the world will use the same system.

The two significant changes in 2012 involving hazard communication included the following:

  1. New labels on hazardous chemicals

  2. Improved Safety Data Sheets (SDS)