Between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016, as part of a global effort to provide standardized hazard communication, US chemical manufacturers, shippers, and receivers must comply with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classifying and labeling chemicals. As part of this process, OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard will be modified to adopt the GHS. In a world where business knows no borders, the GHS will provide a consistent means of hazard identification, regardless of the country or language where the hazard material is present.

This initiative is part of a multi-year process by hazard communication experts from around the world, and is based upon major existing hazard communication systems, including OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard and the chemical classification and labeling systems of other US agencies, such as the Department of Transportation (DOT).

What changes will take place to the Hazcom Standard? For one, manufacturers will have to produce a material safety data sheet (MSDS) in a standardized format, allowing faster access to required information. Previously, the format was left to the manufacturer, so long as all pertinent information was present. Adopting the GHS will also create standardized labeling, so all pertinent hazard information is present, easy to recognize, and consistent from country to country—since the US is a major exporter and importer of chemicals, this will improve US workers’ ability to identify hazards from foreign chemical producers.

In the end, adoption of GHS will improve the safety of all workers, both in the US and abroad.

HAZ Matters GHS, Globally harmonized system, Hazard communication standard, Hazcom standard

The 8 Hour HAZWOPER refresher training is a course that all workers must take to maintain their HAZWOPER certification.

However, just because a student takes HAZWOPER refresher training does not mean they have taken initial HAZWOPER training, or have kept current on annual refresher training requirements. They could sign up, complete the refresher training, and receive their certificate--all without completing the initial 24 or 40 Hour HAZWOPER course.

This is because it is not the training provider’s responsibility to make sure that those who have taken the 8 Hour HAZWOPER refresher training have already taken the initial training.

This responsibility falls upon both the employee and employer; it is their job to keep track of all training records, including when and where initial training was completed as well as all subsequent refresher courses.

One of the ways to maintain accurate records of student training is to go through a training provider who keeps current records of all a student’s past training.

Competent training providers keep detailed records of all student activity, allowing students or administrators to check their training history. Additionally, training providers should send out special notices when a student’s certification is close to expiring in an effort to keep workers in compliance with their training needs.

HAZ Matters