When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adopted the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Labeling Chemicals in 2012, more than 20 regulations were affected, including how flammable liquids are defined [29 CFR 1910.106].
OSHA had its own way of defining “flammable” before the organization adopted GHS, and their definition differed slightly from the way most other countries categorized the same liquids. As part of the harmonization process, OSHA incorporated the internationally recognized flammable flashpoints and categories, which most other countries had already adopted, into their regulation. This act made the terms “classes” and “combustibles” obsolete.
So what does this mean for your facility? Other than the new categories, the rest of the flammable liquids regulation has remained fairly intact: Liquids must still be stored in safety cabinets or properly designated areas, transfer systems must be properly bonded and grounded and employees still need to be taught about the hazards of working with flammables.
Although the changes to the flammable liquids regulation might seem small compared to the other GHS changes, it’s still a good idea to pull up a copy of the regulation, review your facility’s plans and make sure that any training modules are up to date.
You tell us: What changes did you have to make as a result of the flammable liquids regulation update? Let us know in the comments section below!
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