OSHA and Health Canada to adopt GHS Revision 7

By Veronica Marrero, Regulatory Compliance Specialist

OSHA GHS Revision 7 Update

Within the last two years, we learned about the intention of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to adopt revision 7 of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) corresponding to OSHA’s “Update to the Hazard Communication Standard” should have been published in March 2019 but due to delays, later became expected to be published sometime in 2020. However, there are still uncertainties about when the NPRM will truly be published but we know that they are in the final stages of department review. This means we may not see the NPRM published until 2021. Like it did with its Hazard Communication Standard of 2012, OSHA intends to align with Health Canada.

Health Canada GHS Revision 7 Update

Health Canada, like OSHA, is working on revising their hazard communication standard – the Hazardous Products Regulation (HPR) – to align with the GHS revision 7. The proposed amendments to the HPR that correspond with the update to adopt revision 7 of the GHS is expected to be published in Canada Gazette I by the end of this year or beginning of 2021.

Major Changes Expected

1. Updates to Flammable Gases categories and classification criteria.
2. New and updated precautionary statements.
3. Updates to data requirements for Section 9 of the SDS.
4. New hazard class: Desensitized Explosives.

Please contact the GSM Regulatory Team if you would like more guidance around the new requirements and the specific impact on your products.