Finalized hazcom standard update may be issued soon: OSHA official

New Orleans — The long-awaited and finalized update to OSHA’s standard on hazard communication could be published in the coming months.

Andrew Levinson, director of the agency’s Directorate of Standards and Guidance, made that announcement Monday during a Technical Session at the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Since Oct. 11, the updated hazcom standard (1910.1200) has been under review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs – one of the final steps in the regulatory process.

OSHA is seeking to align the standard to the seventh revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, also known as GHS. The current standard is linked to the third revision of GHS, an update that occurred in 2012.

In addition, a proposed rule on OSHA’s revised emergency response standard might appear soon. The agency is expected to initiate an OIRA review in the coming weeks.

Among the other proposed rules that might appear before the end of 2024:

• Powered industrial trucks update
• Infectious diseases in health care
• Tree care
• Prevention of workplace violence in health care and social assistance
• Heat illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings

Eric Harbin, administrator of OSHA’s Region 6, said trenching and excavation fatalities are on track to decline sharply from the 39 in calendar year 2022. As of Sept. 5, 10 such fatalities had been recorded this year.

Harbin also noted that OSHA had 878 compliance safety and health officers as of Sept. 30. The agency had 752 – its fewest in its 50-plus years – in fiscal year 2019, according to a Bloomberg Law report, and 790 as recently as FY 2020. 

Doug Kalinowski, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, said the agency is working with NIOSH on a variety of safety checklists for small businesses, which will be available via an app for phones or other devices.

“Right now, they’re being beta-tested,” Kalinowski said. “It’ll probably be rolled out in about six to eight months.”

He added that OSHA is seeking to modernize and improve its Voluntary Protection Programs, including better communication on VPP application status. 

“We’re also trying to look at better tools for applicants and current participants,” Kalinowski said. “Some of those may include an online application or an online self-evaluation.”