Globally Hamonized System (GHS) Training Update

Good morning to all I.D.I. Safety Coordinators:  We want to provide you with a training update as to how the training is coming along on the new hazard communication program called the Globally Harmonized System or GHS.  We inserted a series of four toolbox talks into your safety coordinators manuals under the HAZCOM tab to help us roll out this OSHA mandatory training which is required to be done by December, 2013.  We have asked all Safety Coordinators to perform this series of toolbox talks over 4 consecutive Mondays which began on 11/11/13 starting with the first toolbox talk in the series which is named, "Training Requirements for the Revised Hazard Communication Standard" and it is numbered in your Safety Coordinator manual's index as HH2.  We have 48 Safety Coordinators and all 48 Safety Coordinators performed the HH2 toolbox talk and turned in their toolbox talk signature roster.  Awesome job Safety Coordinators as you got us started off on the right foot with this training.  The next toolbox talk in the series to be completed on Monday, 11/18/13 is named "Safety Data Sheet Sections" and it is listed as HH3 in your manuals.  So far this week we have obtained the HH3 toolbox talk signature rosters from 44 of the 48 Safety Coordinators.  This training and training documentation is extremely important to the company.  If you are one of the four Safety Coordinators who has not yet turned in your HH3 toolbox talk signature roster, please do so soon to help us get this 100% completed.  For next Monday, 11/25/13, the next toolbox talk in the series that we are asking all Safety Coordinators to train on is named, "Globally Harmonized System Label" and it is listed as HH4 in your manual.  This toolbox talk explains the new label format that product manufacturers will be required to follow.  Product manufacturers are required to be using this new label format by December 1st, 2015, however, employers are required to train on it now as many manufacturers are starting to implement the new label format already.  The new label format has 6 required elements that are to be on the label and you will learn what those elements are during the toolbox talk session.  This new format will bring consistency to all labels to help people to be able to read them easier.  They will also contain Pictograms which are symbols to help quickly identify the chemical's or product's health hazards and/or physical hazards.  This new label format will make it easier for people of all languages and for those that can't read to be able to understand the labels and the hazards associated with using the products.  The last toolbox talk in the series which is to be completed on Monday, 12/2/13, is named, "Hazard Communication Standardized Pictogram" and it is listed as HH5 in your manuals. 

This GHS toolbox talk series is basically helping us to kick-off the training.  It is to help get all of our employees at least familiar with the new hazcom program.  We will be providing more training on this subject through out the year. 

To All Safety Coordinators - Thank you for getting us off on the right foot with rolling out this mandatory safety training. If you have any questions at all about this training or about GHS in general, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham. 

Have a Safe Day!