Building on the current success of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), the GHS regulations will continue to improve the health and safety of the workplace and the workers by setting global standards. In the U.S. alone, approximately 5 million workplaces and over 43 million workers will be affected by the GHS transition, which has been an ongoing conversion, spanning between March 2012 and June 2016.
So, with the global standardization of hazard classifications and labels, the modification is expected to improve SDS usability and clarity, and thus, increase the safety and health of the workplace. One aspect of the GHS transition includes the training of workers; ensuring that employees are trained on emergency procedures, appropriate work practices and attire, continuous monitoring, as well as various hazard classes. In addition, pictograms and signal words will now clearly indicate the level or severity of the chemical. For example, “Danger” would indicate that the chemical is a severe hazard, and “Warning” would indicate that the chemical is less severe.
With a better understanding of emergency protocols and the health risks associated with each hazardous chemical, the health and safety of the workers and workplace will be significantly improved. When fully implemented, it is estimated to prevent 43 fatalities and 585 injuries annually in the workplace, yielding an annual cost saving of $250 million in occupational risk.
