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StatLab Medical Products
November 21, 2013
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TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
HAZ COM 2012
Continued...
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statlab.com
Technically Speaking, Volume 6
NFPA, HMIS and GHS Labeling Systems, Oh My!
-Debbie Siena, HT(ASCP)QIHC
For many years in the Laboratory it has been common practice to label all chemicals with the diamond shaped labels developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 1892. The "fire diamond" uses triangles colored red for flammability, blue for health and yellow for reactivity, with numbers to help quickly identify the severity of the hazard. Another system that some manufacturers and distributors of hazardous chemicals have adopted is the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS). The HMIS color bar has not been around as long and was not developed for emergencies but is used to convey broader health warning information (red for flammability, blue for health and orange or yellow for reactivity). Both systems have a white area for special notifications. The biggest difference between the two systems is that in the NFPA system, the white area is used to convey special hazards whereas the white section in the HMIS is used to indicate what personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used when working with the material.
But that was then...and this is now! For those who don't know, OSHA has decided the Global Harmony System ("GHS") is the new sheriff in town. GHS has much more specific labeling requirements than previous systems and the requirements go into effect June 2015. And since time flies when you are having fun, you may as well start familiarizing yourself with them before it's too late. As a manufacturer, we can start using them sooner, which is why all of our employees must be trained by December 1, 2013 on the new GHS label format and pictograms. For your convenience, I have included a little cheat sheet below on the GHS requirements:
In additions to the additional labeling requirements, the Global Harmony System uses a total of nine pictograms. OSHA will only enforce the use of eight (the environmental pictogram is not mandatory but may be used to provide additional information). Labels must be written in English and be legible and other languages may additionally be displayed.
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