Skip to main content
OSHA’s New HazCom Standard to be Published on May 20, 2024
Compliance & Regulatory NewsNewsOSHA

OSHA’s New HazCom Standard to be Published on May 20, 2024

We are excited to announce that the updated OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) will be published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2024. 

This significant update aligns the HCS with the 7th revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). We’ve been anxiously anticipating this release since OSHA published the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) back in 2021. For OSHA’s rulemaking process, you can review the complete updated standard in its pre publication form here: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-08568/hazard-communication-standard.

OSHA HazCom Standard Key Enforcement Dates:

What: OSHA is amending the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). HazCom now follows GHS, primarily Revision 7, providing better alignment with international trading partners, as well as U.S. agencies.

Why: OSHA has set revisions to help strengthen the effectiveness of the HCS, further ensuring employee hazcom clearly defines chemical hazards in order to reduce risks of illnesses and injuries.

Substances: Compliance required by January 19, 2026 

Mixtures: Compliance required by July 20, 2026 

Highlights of the New Standard 

  • Aerosols Category 3: Introduction of a new hazard class and label elements.
  • The Flammable Gases hazard class has been updated with new subcategories:
    • Category 1A
    • Category 1B
    • Addition of Pyrophoric gas, chemically unstable gas (Category A and B) within Category 1A.
  • Desensitized Explosives: New hazard class and label elements.
  • Label Updates: New label elements for all flammable gas categories and modifications to label updating requirements.
  • SDS Content Requirements. Significant updates include:
    • Section 3: Prescribed concentration ranges.
    • Section 9: Data requirements and format changes.
    • Section 11: Inclusion of “interactive effects”.
    • Section 14: Renaming of the subsection to ‘Transport in bulk according to IMO instruments’.
  • Small Container Labels: Prescribed requirements for labels on small containers (e.g., pull-out, fold-back, tags).

TotalSDS is ready to assist you with your SDS updates, and we offer authoring software to simplify the process. Contact us or schedule a demo today! 

osha hazcom standard has been revised with NPRM and HCS 7. Find specifics on GHS Revision 7 and updates here

We're Here to Solve Your Compliance Needs

Schedule a Demo
“

“Just having the peace of mind that the SDSs are secure, we can access them whenever, wherever we need to, and that they are going to be current at all times without me having to spend hours Google searching and making sure that I've got the latest and greatest. TotalSDS™ Manager has been incredibly helpful and efficient, saving me at least 10 hours every month—time that I can now invest in achieving more strategic HR goals, making the software invaluable to our operations.”

Margie SleigherDirector of Human Resources, Caldwell Electrical Contractors
“

“Because we’ve done business together for so many years, I’ve really appreciated having a trusted partner. I’ve been able to rely on TotalSDS’s expertise and say, here's what I want; here’s what I need. Help me get there. ..... Adding the QR code feature, for us, has really transformed the process of quickly getting safety information. Being able to immediately access that critical information in the field has made all the difference. It's just amazing!”

Matt RehlanderCorporate Director of EHS & Risk Management
“

“The level of customer service provided surpasses all of my expectations. TotalSDS is a responsive team of regulatory experts that clearly place their client’s needs at the highest priority. The team responds to us with answers in hours rather than weeks with our old service. The software provides a level of customization and control that was not available with our previous GHS software. Additionally, TotalSDS isn’t afraid to take our feedback into consideration to continue to improve their product. Our organization appreciates the cloud-based service and the unique levels of access for each user.”

Chris GehlyChemical Services Manager
“

“The ease with getting everyone up to speed on the system was impressive. It was a smooth transition. The software is very intuitive. What I appreciate most is the excellent support I receive from the TotalSDS team. Any questions or concerns I have are addressed immediately with a simple phone call.”

Lenny FrancisEHS Specialist
“

“The TotalSDS software system is a good tool for our company to create compliant SDS and labels for multiple countries and languages. We are able to create customized documents catering to each business needs. The software is user-friendly and new users can start generating SDS with minimal training.”

Tammy CardHazard Communication Specialist
“

“The TotalSDS™ platform does everything it says it can do. There are no surprises. What is advertised is exactly what you get. The customer support is outstanding! TotalSDS has been available to help with any kind of regulatory or software question I have, and they are extremely responsive. And more than that, the software capabilities are consistently getting better as they are adding more and more features.”

Greg SwitzerProduct/Formulation Chemist
“

“TotalSDS™ Author has been instrumental in managing our SDS documents efficiently. The flexibility to edit and customize our safety data sheets to meet specific regulatory requirements is invaluable. It’s intuitive, time-saving, and essential for keeping up with the ever-changing regulatory landscape.”

Mark PolaskyChemical Regulatory Compliance Manager