Final GHS deadline may be just the beginning

August 18th, 2016 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals is now the rule across the U.S., with the final Occupational Safety and Health Administration deadline related to compliance passing in June. The three-year transition period that allowed businesses to comply with OSHA's similar standard, the GHS or both is over and GHS compliance is mandatory. As Safety + Health magazine pointed out in a pre-deadline article, the new rule also required companies to conduct additional employee education efforts for any newly identified operational physical and health hazards.

The change means there's now a single system in place to manage chemical labeling - and replaces the longstanding Material Safety Data Sheet with the new Safety Data Sheet - and conversion issues should no longer be a concern. However, the GHS is not totally static and organizations need to prioritize continuing compliance and remain flexible enough to adapt to potential changes in the future.

Continuing compliance with current rules, potential changes a priority
EHS Today suggested that businesses affected by the switchover to the GHS remain agile and be ready to adapt in coming years, as OSHA will likely make changes concurrent with the U.N.'s for the new standard. While there are no alterations coming for the GHS in the immediate future, no safety regulation remains static forever. Businesses that can't follow those changes will face just as much regulatory trouble from OSHA as those that failed to meet the June 1 final GHS deadline.

Training and information management are other ongoing considerations businesses have to make to ensure compliance with this health and safety rule. The GHS changeover deadline includes a provision requiring ongoing education of staff related to potential workplace hazards caused by the chemicals. EHS leaders at businesses have to make sure staff are refreshed on the standards and that turnover in the workplace is addressed with some form of regularly scheduled educational effort. While there's no specific timeframe required by OSHA, EHS Today recommended an annual schedule as a baseline, supplemented by other efforts.

Organizations also have to prioritize the maintenance of complete records, including both SDSs themselves and evidence of attempts to obtain that information from chemical providers that have delayed the conversion process by not being ready to provide that data. Finally, businesses also have to update and regularly review their hazard communication plans to make sure it includes GHS-compliant information.