Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom)

HazCom has two sides. Manufacturers and importers must evaluate the chemicals they make or bring in, then pass the results downstream on labels and safety data sheets. Employers who use those chemicals must keep the information available and make sure workers understand it.

The 2012 update aligned the standard with GHS Revision 3, bringing standardized pictograms, signal words, and a 16-section SDS. Employers had to retrain workers on the new label elements and sheet format. A further update published in 2024 aligned the standard primarily with GHS Revision 7.

An employer's duties usually fall into four areas. They keep a written hazard communication program describing how the rules are met. They maintain a list or inventory of hazardous chemicals. They ensure containers are labeled and that workplace labels or secondary container labels are used when chemicals are transferred. And they provide training at the time of initial assignment and when a new hazard is introduced.

Some products are outside the standard, such as certain consumer products used the way consumers use them, and some materials covered by other agencies' rules. Employers should check the scope before assuming an exemption applies.

HazCom is among the more frequently cited OSHA standards, often for missing written programs, missing sheets, or inadequate training.