Hazard communication labels:
OSHA’s Labeling Requirements for Chemical Labeling

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets guidelines for companies, managers and manufacturers to keep the American workforce safe. One key part of OSHA compliance is clear communication about hazardous materials via the HazCom Standard.

As part of this standard, manufacturers of potentially harmful materials need to clearly label its products so consumers can handle them carefully. This ranges from advising consumers to wear gloves when using household cleaners to alerting workers to the need for safety goggles when handling toxic substances.

Learn more about the hazard communication standard (HCS) and how its labeling requirements are an integral part of many companies safety initiatives.

What is a hazard communication label?

The hazard communication standard requires companies to add labels to potentially harmful substances. These are also known as HazCom labels and they serve two purposes:

1. Consumers and workers can handle the chemicals safely. If an employee at a warehouse misuses a toxic substance because they don’t know it’s dangerous, they could harm their health while also creating a fire risk.
2. These labels protect manufacturers from liability. They warn users and workers about the risks that come with handling their products.

Hazard communication labels should be found on most products that contain toxic substances or flammable chemicals, among other hazards, and they consist of six main elements including HazCom pictograms.

Why is hazard communication important?

HazCom labels are essential for workplace safety. They prevent employees from handling various chemical elements in ways that can harm themselves, their coworkers and the workplace itself. Some flammable and reactive substances can ignite at low temperatures, potentially endangering your entire organization.

The HCS is aligned with other internationally-recognized systems. For example, the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international labeling guide created by the United Nations (UN). It uses graphics to alert users that a substance is dangerous, which allows for easy communication across all languages. The HazCom labels also use GHS indicators to clearly alert users to the potential dangers of various substances no matter where they are in the world. GHS and HCS are truly universal safe labeling standards.

What are the requirements of OSHA hazard communication?

At first glance, the HazCom labels are colorful and might seem basic. However, these labels provide a lot of information to users so they can stay safe when handling dangerous substances. Learn how to read these labels and provide accurate training on the content to your team members.

Hazard classification

The first step for manufacturers is to determine if a substance is potentially hazardous. From there, the substance will need to be labeled clearly using HCS guidelines. There are three different ways that hazards are classified, as you can see in most hazmat labels:

• Health : This means the chemical is toxic to humans and harmful if handled or digested. These hazards often require people to wear eye protection, gloves and a face mask to avoid coming into contact with the substance or inhaling its fumes.
• Flammability : This covers how likely a chemical is to ignite or combust. Substances that ignite in lower temperatures are considered more flammable and dangerous to handle.
• Instability : This is also known as reactivity and refers to the likelihood of a substance exploding.

Some hazards might be harmful to humans but not flammable. This is why the HazCom labels need to distinctly highlight why a substance is considered dangerous.

6-element hazardous chemical labels

The next step when working with HazCom labels is to indicate everything that users need to know when handling the substance. For GHS requirements, there are six elements that need to be on every label.