Manufacturers of hazardous chemicals are required by law to include safety data sheets (also known as safety data sheets, or SDS) with every product they sell or ship. These safety data sheets provide information about the physical and chemical properties of the product— from toxicity levels to storage instructions and flash point temperature.

Hazard communication is important—not just for fulfilling OSHA requirements, but also to engender safety and trust within your organization. Here’s what you need to know.

North America to Align with GHS

The coming year 2015 marks an important change for companies that use, distribute, or import hazardous chemicals. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) has already been adopted by many countries, and is now being implemented in the United States by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As part of OSHA’s new Hazard Communication Standard, the United States is being brought into alignment with the