Quick Shot
Implementation of the International GHS Standard to Chemicals
June 13, 2022
Morgan LaMere, an LLE safety co-op student from the Rochester Institute of Technology, is shown with an example of the new custom-designed GHS label.
Effective safety communication is vital in maintaining a safe work environment, and proper labeling is an effective and required method used to identify hazardous chemicals. The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labeling of chemicals is an international standard that is now required by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish a uniform approach in communicating the potential hazards of a chemical. The new labels utilize various pictograms depicting physical, health, and/or environmental hazards combined with a signal word (DANGER or WARNING) to convey the hazard level. To meet these requirements, Karen Cera, a senior safety officer, has designed the new labels, and, along with the LLE safety team, has been working to replace all outdated labels on chemical storage units with this updated hazard communication system.