OSHA’s New Hazard Communication (HazCom) Rule
OSHA’s new HazCom rule was released May 20 after 3 years. The changes take effect July 19. Compliance dates are staggered for chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors evaluating substances – January 19, 2026 and mixtures – July 19, 2027. Employers have six months beyond those dates – July 20, 2026 for substances and January 19, 2028 for mixtures to update alternative workplace labeling, update their HazCom program, and provide any additional employee training for newly identified physical, health, or other hazards. The final rule aligns 29 CFR 1910.1200 with Revision 7 of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS); HazCom was last updated in 2012 to align with GHS Revision 3. The rule also incorporates several letters of interpretation OSHA issued since the HazCom rule was last updated.
The changes include:
New definitions for bulk shipment, combustible dust, gas, solid, immediate outer package, liquid, physician or other license health care professional(PLHCP), released for shipment.
Revised definitions for exposure or exposed, hazardous chemical, and physical hazards.
Labeling requirements for certain very small containers and bulk containers.
Significant changes to the flammable gas hazard class, including the addition of a new hazard class for desensitized explosives and several new hazard categories, such as unstable gases and pyrophoric gases in the Flammable Gases class and non-flammable aerosols in the Aerosol class.
Revised health hazard statements and precautionary statements: revised health hazard definitions, updated skin corrosion/irritation and serious eye damage/eye irritation chapters, general updates to hazard classes.
Only SDSs and labels for certain products (aerosols, desensitized explosives, and flammable gases) are affected by the new classification criteria. Affected establishments must update labels and SDSs for select hazardous chemicals accordingly.
Check out the OSHA Fact Sheet: Final Rule Modifying the HCS to maintain Alignment with the GHS and the side-by-side comparison of the 2012 and 2024 versions.
In fiscal year 2023, OSHA cited employers for 3,203 violations under the old hazard communication requirements and sought $5.2 million in fines. UTA OSHA Education Center will offer the updated HM 100 Hazard Communication Global Harmonization System (GHS) course providing information on the updates to the HazCom standard.
