As a response to the multiple definitions of hazard—and multiple ways of communicating these hazards—the United Nations adopted the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2003. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) revised Hazard Communication Standard has presented manufacturers, formulators and distributors with the challenge of revising their safety data sheets (SDSs) and product labels by June 1. These changes are based on the third revision of the GHS.
The GHS system is gradually being adopted on a worldwide basis. Challenges include the mandatory use of the color red, the potential need for multiple languages if shipping to other countries, various U.S. state issues like New Jersey’s “Right to Know” that go beyond OSHA’s requirements, and many other regional regulatory requirements for compliance in the global marketplace. The reality is that virtually every hazardous chemical product label is subject to change and, in many cases, will require changes on an ongoing basis into the unforeseeable future.