Hazard communication: what it means for the CHST
Hazard communication, often called HazCom, is OSHA's rule that workers must be told about the hazardous chemicals they work with and how to protect themselves. It rests on four parts: a written program, container labels, safety data sheets and training. Chemical makers classify the hazards, and employers pass that information on to the people using the products.
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Where the rule is
In construction, 29 CFR 1926.59 adopts the general industry standard, 1910.1200. OSHA aligned the rule with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals in 2012 and updated it again in 2024. That is why labels and sheets now look the same from one supplier to the next.
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The four parts
- Written program. Lists the hazardous chemicals on site and explains how the employer handles labels, sheets and training, including how information is shared with other employers on a multi-employer site.
- Labels. A shipped container label carries the product identifier, a signal word (Danger for the more severe hazards, Warning for the less severe), hazard statements, pictograms in a red-bordered diamond, precautionary statements and the supplier's name and contact details. A container filled on site for the workplace needs at least the product identity and enough hazard information to warn the user.
- Safety data sheets. The full 16-section reference for each product, readily accessible on every shift. See safety data sheet.
- Training. At first assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced: how to detect a release, the hazards, the protective measures, and how to read labels and sheets.
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How it works on a jobsite
A coating crew brings a product to a building that is still under construction. Under HazCom, their employer has the sheet, the containers are labeled, and their workers are trained. Under the multi-employer part of the program, the other trades nearby can learn about the hazard too. Some substances, like silica, also have their own standard with hazard communication duties written in; see silica Table 1.
Common mix-ups
- Danger and Warning are not interchangeable. Danger signals the more severe category.
- A pictogram alone is not a label. Every required element must be there.
- Training once at hire is not always enough. A new chemical hazard means new training.
- Unlabeled portable containers are allowed only for immediate use by the worker who filled them.
On the CHST exam
Chemicals and GHS sit in the hazard and risk identification and control domain, 36.6% of the CHST, and training duties touch the leadership, communication and training domain, 21%.
Practice it
Our health hazards guide places chemicals among the other health hazards. Every term in this set is in the CHST terms glossary.
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Sources
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- 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication, OSHA, including Appendix D on safety data sheets.
- 29 CFR 1926.59, Hazard Communication, OSHA.
- Hazard Communication, OSHA.
- CHST Examination Blueprint (CHST5, V.2022.04.12), Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
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