HAZARD COMMUNICATION: Hazard Classification …

1 HAZARD COMMUNICATIONH azard Classification Guidancefor manufacturers , importers , and EmployersOSHA 3844-02 2016 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health. This guidance document is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations.

2 It contains recommendations as well as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in content, and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to comply with safety and health standards and regulations promulgated by OSHA or by a state with an OSHA-approved state plan. In addition, the Act s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical Image: PhotodiscMaterial contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, without permission.

3 Source credit is requested but not information will be made available to sensory- impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: 1-877-889-5627. This publication provides a general overview of a particular standards-related topic. This publication does not alter or determine compliance responsibilities which are set forth in OSHA standards, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the COMMUNICATIONH azard Classification Guidancefor manufacturers , importers , and employers Occupational Safety and Health Department of LaborOSHA 3844-02 2016 i TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW.

4 1 I. INTRODUCTION .. 3 II. THE HAZARD Classification PROCESS .. 6 III. IDENTIFYING HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS .. 14 IV. DATA COLLECTION .. 15 V. DATA 19 VI. RECORDING THE RATIONALE BEHIND THE RESULTS OBTAINED .. 28 VII. Classification OF HEALTH hazards .. 32 Acute Toxicity .. 32 Skin Corrosion/Irritation .. 63 Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation .. 86 Respiratory or Skin 115 Germ Cell Mutagenicity .. 135 Carcinogenicity .. 149 Reproductive Toxicity .. 170 Specific Target Organ Toxicity Single Exposure.

5 189 Specific Target Organ Toxicity Repeated or Prolonged Exposure .. 210 Aspiration HAZARD .. 227 Simple Asphyxiants .. 237 VIII. Classification OF PHYSICAL hazards .. 239 Explosives .. 240 Flammable Gases .. 258 Flammable Aerosols .. 266 Oxidizing Gases .. 279 Gases under Pressure .. 286 Flammable Liquids .. 294 Flammable 301 Self-Reactive Chemicals .. 307 Pyrophoric Chemicals .. 322 Self-Heating Chemicals .. 332 Chemicals Which, in Contact with Water, Emit Flammable Gases .. 339 Oxidizing Liquids and 346 Organic Peroxides.

6 358 Corrosive to Metals .. 372 Combustible 380 IX. hazards NOT OTHERWISE 385 ii APPENDIX A. Glossary of Terms and Definitions .. 386 APPENDIX B. Information Sources to Assist with HAZARD Classification .. 397 APPENDIX C. List of Substances Deemed Toxic or Hazardous by an Authoritative Process .. 406 APPENDIX D. OSHA-Designated Carcinogens .. 419 Workers Rights .. 420 OSHA Assistance, Services and Programs .. 420 NIOSH Health HAZARD Evaluation Program .. 423 OSHA Regional Offices .. 423 How to Contact OSHA .. 424 1 OVERVIEW In March 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its HAZARD Communication Standard to align it with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), Revision 3.

7 The revision to the HAZARD Communication Standard (HCS) built on the existing standard, by requiring chemical manufacturers and importers to follow specific criteria when evaluating the hazardous chemicals and when communicating the hazards through labels and safety data sheets (SDSs). This document is designed to help manufacturers and importers of chemicals not only identify chemical hazards , but also to classify these hazards so that workers and downstream users can be informed about and better understand these hazards as required by OSHA s HAZARD Communication Standard.

8 This guidance may also be useful to employers who decide to conduct HAZARD classifications to assure the accuracy and completeness of information provided to them by suppliers. Understanding the hazards is the critically important first stage in the process of establishing an effective HAZARD communication program. The process of HAZARD Classification consists of four basic steps. Selection of chemicals to evaluate; Collection of data; Analysis of the collected data; and Records of the rationale behind the results obtained. This document provides guidance on the processes involved and identifies considerations in the conduct of HAZARD classifications.

9 guidance on the allocation of the HAZARD communication label elements is provided in an OSHA Brief on Labels and Pictograms, located on the HAZARD Communication webpage, at Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, without permission. Source credit is requested but not required. How this Document is Organized This guidance is organized into several chapters. Chapter I introduces the guidance . Chapter II provides an overview of the HAZARD Classification process. Chapter III discusses how to identify the chemicals to be classified.

10 Chapter IV explains the process of data collection. Chapter V describes the process and information needed for data analysis. Chapter VI discusses the information that may be useful to note in recording the rationale used to develop the Classification of the various hazards . Chapters VII , VIII , and IX present the guidance to classify health hazards , physical hazards , and hazards not otherwise classified covered by the HAZARD Communication Standard, respectively. 2 In addition, several appendices are provided at the end of this document: A glossary of terms and definitions is included in Appendix A, since much of the discussion in this document is of a technical nature.