The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adopted the final rules updating its Hazard Communication Standard into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The Department is required to update our rules to be at least as effective as OSHA. The scope of OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard includes requirements for employers as well as chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors, and the Department's comparable requirements are in separate rules at this time. This proposed CR-101 filing constitutes Phase 2 of the rulemaking effort to change the 27 WAC rules affected by the new GHS rules.681.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adopted the final rules updating its Hazard Communication Standard into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). L&I is required to update our rules to be at least as effective as OSHA. The scope of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard includes requirements for employers as well as chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors, and L&I’s comparable requirements are in separate rules at this time. This rulemaking creates a new rule, WAC 296-901-140, incorporating all the elements of the existing L&I rules into one rule to be consistent with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard. The effective dates of the new rule, enforcement and repeal of the old rules will phase in beginning April 15, 2013, (see the compliance schedule here). During the transition period, there is the option to comply with the applicable requirements in the existing rules or the requirements in the new rule or both. Upon completion of the transition period, the existing standards will be repealed. The changes were adopted 3/5/2013 and became effective on 4/15/2013.673.