Jordan Barab, Deputy Assistant Secretary, OSHA, discusses the 2012 Hazard Communication Standard with Alliance participant representatives at the July 18, 2012, OSHA and SCHC Alliance Hazard Communication/GHS Roundtable.

Through the OSHA and Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) Alliance, representatives from 17 Alliances met on July 18, 2012, to discuss the 2012 Hazard Communication Standard, and changes that industry can expect in training, labeling, and Safety Data Sheets (formally Material Safety Data Sheets). In addition, five Susan B. Harwood Training Grant recipients participated in the meeting. Jordan Barab, Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA, addressed the group and discussed the benefits of the 2012 Hazard Communication Standard. Lee Anne Jillings, Deputy Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, provided background on the previous Hazard Communication Roundtables.

The Roundtable included presentations from David O'Connor, Acting Deputy Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance (DSG), OSHA; Kathy Landkrohn, Health Scientist, Office of Chemical Hazards - Metals, DSG, OSHA; and Darlene Susa-Anderson, Vice President, SCHC. The presenters provided attendees with an explanation of why OSHA adopted the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), an overview of the changes to the Hazard Communication Standard to align with the GHS, and an overview of the OSHA and SCHC compliance assistance resources/tools. The group also discussed their respective industry implementation and the activities focusing on compliance to the revised Standard.

As a result of the meeting, the attendees agreed on the next steps:

• Review existing Alliance Program products focusing on Hazard Communication and provide comments or suggestions.
• Remove links for existing products with a Hazard Communication focus developed by a concluded Alliance.
• Provide industry with OSHA's directive on enforcing the Hazard Communication Standard, when available.
• Provide the group with the presentations and links to the selected products and resources that were referenced during the meeting.
• Request Alliance Program participants promote OSHA resources on compliance with the 2012 Hazard Communication Standard and GHS.

Representatives from the following Alliance Program participants attended the meeting:

• Airline Ground Safety Panel
• Altec Industries, Inc.
• American Foundry Association
• American Industrial Hygiene Association
• American Pipeline Contractors Association
• American Society of Safety Engineers
• American Supply Association
• Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
• Global Cold Chain Alliance
• Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc.
• Industrial Truck Association
• National Association of Home Builders
• National Safety Council
• Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Partners
• Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Institute
• Shipbuilding Group
• Society for Chemical Hazard Communication