If you store or use products that are considered hazardous chemicals, you need to comply with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) related to the Globally Harmonized System of the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS may sound like a global law regarding chemical labels, but the reality is that each country has its own requirements and recommendations for chemical labels for products that your employees may come in contact with.
In the United States, it is OSHA that adopts policies and occasionally revises the HCS according to any changes made in the GHS. The last revision occurred in 2012 with a final deadline of June 1, 2016. It is important to note that the GHS is revised often and is currently in its eighth revision. Because of this, OSHA proposed an update in early 2021 to bring HCS up to at least the GHS seventh revision. The reason for pointing this fact out is that you should be aware that you may soon need to make revisions to your chemical labels in order to comply with the changes set forth.
As it stands now, chemical labels must include certain elements, namely the signal word relative to the danger presented by the chemical, the appropriate pictogram of the 9 basic options, and any precautionary statements. The pictograms can depict environmental, corrosive, acute toxic, severely toxic, explosive, flammable, oxidizing, health danger, and gas pressure designations.
At PrimeSourceOPC, we make it our duty to assist you with chemical labels that help you properly protect your employees and others in the vicinity of any chemicals you use or store at your business. We offer a variety of options including cut and stack labels, drum labels, GHS labels, and pin feed labels. We take the time to understand your application, so we can provide the best possible chemical labels for your needs. Reach out today to learn more about the ways we can serve your label needs.