Society for Chemical Hazard Communication

 Professional Development Training

U.S. Hazard Communication for Workplace Chemical Products (HCS 2012)
Overview of Requirements and Practical Examples in SDS and Label Preparation

Brochure - available September 21-22, 2024

Course Description

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) has been in effect for close to 50 years, and in this interval perhaps millions of Safety Data Sheets and precautionary labels have been written. During this time, there has been a continual influx of professionals who have been charged with the responsibility of authoring these safety documents. This 2-day course offers those newly appointed to this task an opportunity to learn the regulatory and voluntary consensus requirements for preparing and distributing these documents, and to receive hands-on training in writing them.

In June 2024 OSHA issued a final rule that updated the HCS from the 2012 version. This standard is referred to as HCS 2024 and brings the United States into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification Revision 7 and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). This workshop has been completely revised to conform to HCS 2024 and will permit students to understand and start to produce hazard communication documents in line with the current standard.

Mention may be made of ANSI Standard Z400.1/Z129.1-2010 to cover certain hazard communication writing methods that are not included in either HCS 2024 or GHS. Real-life situations, such as competing regulatory requirements, will be addressed. A distinguishing feature of this course is its use of hand-on exercises, providing reinforcement of the material presented.

Course Objective

This course teaches the students to answer the following questions:

• Is this chemical or product hazardous?
• If yes, what must I do?
• Are there other standards I should follow?
• How do I prepare an SDS?
• How do I prepare a label?

Intended Audience

This course is primarily designed to lead neophytes through the process of developing quality container labels and SDSs that comply with OSHA’s HCS 2024 It will also be valuable for those who have developed expertise in this field but who desire systematic training in the requirements of this revised regulation.

Course Fee:                 

$875.00 Members   //   $1,030.00 Nonmembers

Reduced rates are available for students and retirees. Interested people may contact SCHC for more information.

Course Director/Instructor

Daniel Levine, CHMM

Dan is president of Product Safety Solutions, a consulting firm providing services in product hazard communication, product stewardship, TSCA compliance and several other regulatory areas affecting both manufacturing activities and finished products. He has provided hazard communication training and assistance to companies ranging from sole proprietors to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to starting Product Safety Solutions, he was Director of Product Safety and Integrity for AlliedSignal Inc. (now Honeywell International) and has over 40 years of experience in manufacturing and product safety.   He is a past President of the Society and served on the SCHC board for nine years and now chairs the Website Committee. He was co-chairman of the team that produced the original ANSI SDS standard, co-chair of the 1994 revision to the ANSI labeling standard and chaired the 1998 revision to the ANSI SDS standard. He received SCHC’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2003.  Dan is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and was elected a “Fellow” of the Institute for Hazardous Materials Management in 2010.

Course Instructor

Atanu K. Das, CHMM, SDSRP

Atanu has over 25 years of experience in Safety and Environmental Management and has held positions dealing with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements in both manufacturing and consulting roles. His experience includes Underground Storage Tank Management, Air Permitting, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Hazardous Waste Management, and OSHA worker safety. Atanu is the owner of SDSWriter, LLC, where he manages a team of consultants responsible for researching, authoring, and updating OSHA compliant Safety Data Sheets and their international equivalents, and assisting clients with regulatory compliance issues related to global hazard communication needs.  Atanu is the Vice President of the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication and serves as the chair of the CHMM recertification committee under the direction of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management.

Course Instructor

Bernadette (Bernie) Lindquist, Ph.D., DABT

Bernie is a board-certified toxicologist (Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology) and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Bio-Environmental Sciences and Toxicology. She is recently retired from Trinity Consultants Inc where she worked as an environmental regulatory consultant. Prior to that, she spent 22 years as a toxicologist with Ashland Inc. where she was responsible for following and overseeing implementation of global regulations and standards in the area of Hazard Communication. This included: development of chemical hazard profiles; writing customized OSHA-compliant hazard determination guidelines; authoring/maintaining rules for automatic SDS phrase population based on GHS classification, and evaluation/classification of acute and chronic toxicity data on industrial chemicals. Over the years, she worked closely with hazard communicators in North America, Europe, and China in implementing their hazard communication requirements, including GHS-based regulations. She has been involved with the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) since 2004 and was a member of the Board of Directors for six years and served as Chair of the Board of Directors 2010- 2011.

Course Topics and Schedule
(Subject to Change)

Saturday, September 21, 2024

7:30 – 8:00

Registration / Continental Breakfast

8:00 - 12:00
Includes 2 breaks

Introductions / Background Information

Review of HCS 2024

What is a hazardous chemical? Health Hazards

Classification – Health Hazards

What is a hazardous chemical? Physical Hazards

Classification – Physical Hazards

Allocation of label elements exercise

12:00 – 1:00

Lunch (buffet lunch provided)

1:00 - 5:00
Includes break

SDS Requirements (Sections 1 & 3)

SDS Requirements (Section 2)

SDS Exercise 1 and Discussion

SDS Requirements (Sections 4 - 8)

Sunday, September 22, 2024

8:00 – 8:30

Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 12:00
Includes 2 breaks

SDS Exercise 2 and Discussion

SDS Sections 9 – 10)

SDS Exercise 3 and Discussion

SDS Requirements (Sections 11 – 16)

SDS Exercise 4 and Discussion

Other SDS considerations

12:00 – 1:00

Lunch (buffet lunch provided)

1:00 - 5:00

Includes 2 breaks

Label Background Information

Label Requirements

Label Exercise 1 and Discussion

Label Exercise 2 and Discussion

Other labeling standards and label critiques

Distribution and retention requirements

Q&A