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Here’s What the GHS Deadline Means For You

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) deadline is looming. On June 15th all chemical manufacturers, suppliers and distributors based in the United States of America will have to comply with GHS.

So what does this mean?

It means that all chemicals that are deemed hazardous must have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and will also have to be identifiable with a standardized label which will include product information, the danger of the chemical and a picture conveying the danger.

Who is affected?

Over 5 million workplaces and over 40 million employees will be affected by the GHS rule. It is estimated that this ruling will prevent at least 585 injuries and 43 deaths. In addition to that, it is expected to have a productivity improvement of over $754,000,000 per year.

Responsibility falls within two groups. The chemical manufacturers who will have to make sure that all chemicals are correctly classified, and will have Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) compliant and GHS-based labels properly applied to shipping containers.

They must also have the aforementioned SDS forms. The other group is the General Industry, or business that use chemicals in the workplace. They must train employees on the new classification system and also guarantee that all chemical labels are SDS and HCS complaint.

Employees must have been trained by December 1st 2013 on the new SDS format and labeling demands. On June 1st 2015 all chemical manufacturers must begin compliance. By Dec 1st 2015 Distributors may only ship containers labeled correctly, with the HCS-complaint label. June 1st 2016 will be the deadline for employers to update alternative workplace labeling and hazardous communication programs.

Many of our labels here at Techprint meet this new compliance regulation. Allow our over 40 years of experience in design and manufacturing help you. We are also ISO9001:2008 certified, UL authorized, have ITAR registration, and RoHS REACH, so we are well equipped to tackle your project. Contact us today to see how we can help you stay compliant with the new GHS.

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