The Hazard Communication Standard is the OSHA rule that gives workers the right to know about the chemical hazards they work with. It requires chemical manufacturers and importers to classify hazards and pass that information downstream on labels and safety data sheets, and it requires every employer with hazardous chemicals to share the information with employees through a written program, labels and training.
Almost every workplace has at least a few hazardous chemicals. That reach is why hazard communication is consistently one of OSHA's most frequently cited standards, and why the 2024 update matters to nearly every employer.
What Is the Hazard Communication Standard?
The standard, often called HazCom, is codified at 29 CFR 1910.1200 in Subpart Z (Toxic and Hazardous Substances) of the general industry rules. Parallel versions apply in construction (1926.59) and maritime. Since 2012 the standard has been aligned with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System (GHS), which standardizes hazard classification, label elements and the 16-section safety data sheet.
Key terms include:
- Hazardous chemical: any chemical classified as a physical hazard, health hazard, simple asphyxiant, combustible dust or hazard not otherwise classified.
- Product identifier: the name or number used on the label and the SDS, which must match so employees can cross-reference them.
- Label elements: the product identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and responsible party.
- Safety data sheet (SDS): the written document describing a chemical's hazards and protective measures. See the glossary entry on safety data sheets.
Who Must Comply?
Under 1910.1200(b), chemical manufacturers and importers must classify the hazards of chemicals they produce or import. Distributors must pass labels and SDSs to their customers. Every employer whose employees may be exposed to hazardous chemicals under normal conditions of use or in a foreseeable emergency must run a hazard communication program.
Some workplaces have reduced duties:
- Laboratories, (b)(3): keep labels on incoming containers, keep SDSs accessible, and train employees.
- Sealed containers only, (b)(4): operations such as warehousing and retail that handle only unopened containers must keep labels intact, keep or obtain SDSs on request, and train employees to protect themselves in a spill or leak.
Paragraph (b)(6) lists items the standard does not cover, including RCRA hazardous waste, tobacco, wood or wood products whose only hazard is flammability or combustibility, articles, retail food, and consumer products used for their intended purpose with exposure no greater than a typical consumer would experience. State Plan states enforce their own versions, which must be at least as effective as the federal rule.
Key Requirements
Hazard classification, 1910.1200(d)
Manufacturers and importers must evaluate the full range of available scientific evidence and classify each chemical using the criteria in Appendix A (health hazards) and Appendix B (physical hazards). Employers that do not produce or import chemicals may rely on the classification provided by their suppliers.
Written hazard communication program, 1910.1200(e)
Each workplace needs a written program describing how it meets the labeling, SDS and training requirements. It must include a list of hazardous chemicals known to be present, using product identifiers that match the SDSs, and the methods for informing employees about non-routine tasks and chemicals in unlabeled pipes. On multi-employer worksites, the program must also explain how employers will share SDS access, precautionary measures and labeling systems with one another. The program must be available to employees and OSHA on request.
Labels, 1910.1200(f)
Containers shipped from a manufacturer, importer or distributor must carry the full GHS label: product identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and the name, U.S. address and U.S. phone number of the responsible party. Inside the workplace, employers may use the shipped label or an alternative system, such as a product identifier combined with words, pictures or symbols that convey the hazards. Portable containers filled for immediate use by the employee who transferred the chemical do not need labels. When significant new hazard information becomes available, labels must be revised within six months.
Safety data sheets, 1910.1200(g)
Manufacturers and importers must provide an SDS in the 16-section format for each hazardous chemical, and update it within three months of learning of significant new information. Employers must keep a copy of the SDS for each hazardous chemical and make it readily accessible to employees in their work areas during each shift. Electronic access is acceptable as long as it creates no barrier to immediate access.
Trade secrets, 1910.1200(i)
Specific chemical identities and exact concentrations may be withheld as trade secrets under defined conditions, but the hazards and protective measures must still be disclosed, and the information must be released to treating health professionals in a medical emergency.
Training and Records
Under 1910.1200(h), employers must train employees at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard that employees have not been trained on is introduced into their work area. Training may cover categories of hazards rather than each chemical. It must cover:
- The requirements of the standard and the operations in the work area where hazardous chemicals are present.
- Where the written program, chemical list and SDSs are kept.
- Methods to detect a release, such as monitoring or the appearance and odor of a chemical.
- The physical and health hazards of the chemicals in the work area.
- Protective measures, including work practices, emergency procedures and PPE.
- How to read labels and SDSs, including the order of information on an SDS.
The standard does not set an annual refresher interval or require a training certification, but documenting training is the practical way to show compliance.
HazCom itself sets no SDS retention period. However, OSHA treats SDSs as employee exposure records under 29 CFR 1910.1020, which generally requires exposure records to be kept for 30 years. In place of retaining old SDSs, an employer may keep a record of the chemical's identity and where and when it was used for 30 years.
The 2024 Update and Compliance Dates
OSHA published an update to the standard in May 2024, effective July 19, 2024, aligning it with a later GHS revision. Changes include revised classification criteria, new provisions for labeling small containers, and an option for containers that have been released for shipment. A final rule published on January 15, 2026 extended each compliance date by four months:
- Substances: manufacturers, importers and distributors by May 19, 2026. Employers must update alternative workplace labels, the written program and training for newly identified hazards by November 20, 2026.
- Mixtures: manufacturers, importers and distributors by November 19, 2027. Employers must make the same updates by May 19, 2028.
Until those dates, OSHA allows compliance with either the 2012 version, the 2024 version, or both. OSHA's Hazard Communication page links to guidance and current effective dates.
Common Violations and Penalties
Hazard communication ranked second in OSHA's preliminary fiscal year 2026 list of the most frequently cited standards. Frequent findings include:
- No written program, or a program that exists on paper but does not match the site.
- A chemical inventory that is missing products or uses names that do not match the SDSs.
- Missing SDSs, or SDSs that employees cannot reach during their shift.
- Unlabeled secondary containers that are not exempt under the immediate-use rule.
- No training, or training that never covered how to read labels and SDSs.
OSHA's penalties page lists a maximum of $16,550 per serious or other-than-serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation for penalties assessed after January 15, 2026. State Plan states set their own amounts.
How to Comply: Step by Step
- Inventory chemicals. List each hazardous product with its exact product identifier and location.
- Collect current SDSs. Obtain the latest SDS for every product and request missing ones from suppliers.
- Write the program. Document labeling, SDS access, training, non-routine tasks, pipes and contractor communication.
- Set up workplace labeling. Choose a consistent system for secondary containers and keep shipped labels intact.
- Make SDSs accessible. Provide paper binders or electronic access with a backup in every work area and shift.
- Train employees. Train at assignment and when new hazards arrive, and record who was trained and when.
- Manage change. Update the inventory, SDSs and training when products are added, reformulated or removed.
- Plan for the 2024 update. Track revised SDSs from suppliers and update labels, the program and training by the applicable dates.
How SMS360 Helps
The SMS360 Safety Data Sheets module keeps a central library of SDSs tied to the products and locations where they are used, with mobile access so employees can reach the right sheet during their shift. Keeping the chemical list and SDSs in one place makes it easier to spot missing or outdated sheets and to keep historical versions available for exposure record purposes.
Alongside the SDS library, SMS360 supports training records with expiry reminders, digital checklists for labeling and SDS audits, and corrective actions that can be assigned and tracked to closure. For more background, see the glossary entry on hazard communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OSHA require annual HazCom training?
No. The standard requires training at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into the work area. Employers also must provide additional training on newly identified hazards under the 2024 update by the applicable compliance dates.
Do secondary containers need labels?
Generally yes. Workplace containers must carry either the shipped label information or the employer's alternative label with a product identifier and hazard information. The exception is a portable container filled from a labeled container for the immediate use of the employee who performed the transfer.
Can safety data sheets be kept electronically?
Yes. OSHA allows electronic SDS access as long as employees can get to the sheets immediately in their work areas during each shift, without barriers. Employers should have a backup plan, such as a printed copy or a phone line, for power or network outages and emergencies.
How long do you have to keep old safety data sheets?
The HazCom standard does not set a retention period, but OSHA treats SDSs as exposure records under 29 CFR 1910.1020, which generally carries a 30-year retention period. Employers may instead keep a record of the chemical identity and where and when it was used for 30 years.
