Hazard communication safety: the complete GHS compliance guide

Last updated 2026-07-09

What is hazard communication and why does OSHA regulate it?

Hazard communication, called HazCom or Right-to-Know, is the system that makes sure workers know what chemicals they handle and what those chemicals can do to them. The idea is plain. You can't protect yourself from a hazard you don't know exists.

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard lives at 29 CFR 1910.1200 for general industry, with parallel requirements at 29 CFR 1926.59 for construction and 29 CFR 1928.21 for agriculture ^[1]. OSHA first issued it in 1983, covering only manufacturing. It expanded to all industries in 1994. Then OSHA revised it in 2012 to line up with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, or GHS. That 2012 revision brought the standardized Safety Data Sheet and the GHS pictogram diamonds most people recognize today.

The scale is big. OSHA estimates the standard covers roughly 43 million workers at about 5 million workplaces ^[1]. Chemical exposure injuries and illnesses cost employers billions a year, and HazCom sits near the top of OSHA's citation list every year. In fiscal year 2023, it ranked second among all cited standards ^[2].

Here's the practical translation. If you buy, store, use, or generate a hazardous chemical at work, HazCom applies to you. That covers cleaning products, paints, lubricants, welding fumes, and hundreds of other everyday materials.

What are the four core requirements of the HazCom standard?

The standard rests on four pillars. Miss any one and you're looking at a citation.

1. Written Hazard Communication Program You need a written program specific to your workplace. Not a generic template off the internet with another company's name on it. Yours. It describes how you handle labels, how you manage SDSs, and how you train employees ^[1]. It also includes a list of every hazardous chemical present.

2. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) Every hazardous chemical you use needs a current SDS. SDSs follow a standardized 16-section format under GHS. You keep them accessible to employees during their shifts, which in practice means printed binders, a computer terminal, or a phone-accessible system, as long as employees can get to the information fast and without barriers ^[1]. SDSs come from the manufacturer, but if you make your own mixtures, you may need to create your own.

3. Labels Every container of a hazardous chemical must be labeled. Shipped containers carry the manufacturer's GHS-compliant label. Containers you fill in-house need at minimum the product identifier, the right hazard pictograms, a signal word, and hazard and precautionary statements ^[1]. There's a narrow exception for a portable container an employee fills and uses within one shift, but don't stretch it.

4. Employee Training Workers must be trained before their first exposure to hazardous chemicals, and again when new hazards show up. Training covers how to read an SDS, how to read a label, what the physical and health hazards are, and what protective measures exist. It has to be specific to the chemicals in your workplace, not a generic video ^[1].

These four aren't a menu. All four are required.

How do GHS pictograms and labels work?

GHS labels carry six required elements under OSHA's standard: a product identifier, supplier information, a signal word, hazard statements, precautionary statements, and pictograms ^[1]. Each one matters if you're reviewing labels or training employees.

The signal word is either "Danger" or "Warning." Danger flags the more severe hazard category. Warning is less severe. A product with hazards at different severity levels uses only the highest-level word.

There are nine GHS pictograms, each a black symbol on a white background inside a red diamond ^[3]:

Pictogram Name	Symbol	What it signals
Flame	Flame	Flammable, self-reactive, or pyrophoric
Flame over circle	Flame over circle	Oxidizers
Exploding bomb	Explosion	Unstable explosives
Skull and crossbones	Skull	Acute toxicity (severe)
Exclamation mark	!	Irritant, harmful, minor hazards
Health hazard	Person with starburst on chest	Carcinogen, respiratory sensitizer, reproductive toxin, STOT
Corrosion	Liquid eating surface	Skin/eye corrosion, metal corrosion
Gas cylinder	Cylinder	Gases under pressure
Environment	Dead tree and fish	Aquatic toxicity (voluntary in U.S.)

The exclamation mark trips people up. It doesn't mean the chemical is a minor inconvenience. It means the hazard is real but doesn't reach skull-and-crossbones severity. A product that causes skin sensitization, or is harmful if inhaled in quantity, gets the exclamation mark.

Workplace labels on secondary containers (the ones you fill from a larger drum or jug) don't need all six elements in the same format as shipped labels, but they still have to identify the chemical and its hazards. A handwritten label with the product name and the key hazard statements is acceptable in many cases. What's not acceptable is an unlabeled container, or one that says only "chemical" or "unknown."

If you need to read a specific chemical's SDS closely, our guide on an hcl safety data sheet walks through the 16-section format one section at a time.

What must a Safety Data Sheet include?

Under the GHS-aligned standard, every SDS follows a mandatory 16-section format ^[1]. This was one of the biggest practical changes in the 2012 revision. Before GHS, MSDS formats varied wildly from one manufacturer to the next.

Here are all 16 sections:

Section	Title	Key content
1	Identification	Product name, manufacturer, emergency phone
2	Hazard(s) identification	GHS classification, signal word, pictograms, hazard statements
3	Composition/ingredients	Chemical names, CAS numbers, concentrations
4	First-aid measures	What to do for exposure by route
5	Fire-fighting measures	Extinguishing agents, special hazards
6	Accidental release measures	Spill procedures, containment
7	Handling and storage	Safe handling practices, storage conditions
8	Exposure controls/PPE	PELs, TLVs, required PPE
9	Physical and chemical properties	Flash point, boiling point, vapor pressure
10	Stability and reactivity	Conditions to avoid, incompatible materials
11	Toxicological information	Routes of exposure, LD50 values, health effects
12	Ecological information	Environmental fate (not enforced in U.S.)
13	Disposal considerations	Waste disposal guidance
14	Transport information	DOT hazard class, UN number
15	Regulatory information	TSCA, CERCLA, state right-to-know lists
16	Other information	Date of preparation, revision history

Section 8 is where you'll spend the most time day to day. It lists the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV), and the PPE the manufacturer recommends. Manufacturer PPE recommendations aren't always conservative enough. Your actual PPE selection should follow a formal hazard assessment under 29 CFR 1910.132 ^[4].

An SDS isn't automatically compliant just because it's formatted right. If Section 2 is blank, or Section 8 says "see Section 16" with nothing useful there, that's a problem. You're responsible for making sure the SDSs you keep are complete and accurate.

Electronic SDS systems are allowed. OSHA has said in multiple letters of interpretation that computer-based systems satisfy the accessibility requirement as long as there's no barrier to access and employees are trained on the system ^[5]. A break-room computer that needs a manager's password doesn't count.

Who needs to be trained and what must training cover?

Every employee who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in their work area needs training. "May be exposed" is broader than it sounds. A maintenance worker who occasionally walks into a chemical storage room qualifies. An office worker whose desk sits next to a production floor where chemicals are used may qualify, depending on airflow and proximity ^[1].

Training happens before the first exposure. A new hire working with chemicals on day one gets trained before touching anything. When a new chemical arrives, affected employees get trained before it shows up, or at minimum before they work with it.

The required content under 29 CFR 1910.1200(h) includes ^[1]:

• Methods to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals
• Physical, health, simple asphyxiation, combustible dust, and pyrophoric hazards of the chemicals in the work area
• Measures employees can take to protect themselves
• Details of the written program, including how to read labels and SDSs

Training has to name your chemicals. A 10-minute generic video from 2009 that never mentions the actual products in your building doesn't meet the standard. Inspectors ask employees questions. If a worker can't explain the health hazards of a chemical they use every day, or doesn't know where the SDS lives, that's a training deficiency.

How often do you retrain? OSHA sets no fixed interval for HazCom refreshers. The requirement is initial training plus training when new chemicals or new hazards arrive. Even so, many employers run annual refreshers, partly for documentation and partly because turnover means new people need training regularly anyway.

The HazCom standard doesn't spell out a documentation format the way some others do (forklift training under 29 CFR 1910.178 requires written certification ^[6]). But if OSHA asks whether employees were trained and you have no records, you're in a hard spot. Keep sign-in sheets, training content, and dates at a minimum.

If your business needs broader osha training infrastructure, HazCom fits naturally into a general new-hire safety orientation.

What does a written HazCom program actually need to say?

This is where most small businesses fall short. They either have no written program at all, or they have a downloaded template that says nothing about their actual workplace.

Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(e), your written program must ^[1]:

1. Describe how you're meeting the labeling requirements 2. Describe how you maintain and provide access to SDSs 3. Describe how you train employees 4. Include a list of the hazardous chemicals known to be present in each work area 5. Describe how you handle non-routine tasks involving hazardous chemicals 6. Describe how you handle chemicals in unlabeled pipes 7. Be made available to employees, their representatives, and OSHA on request

The chemical list is the piece most employers miss. It doesn't need CAS numbers and concentrations (though those are fine), but it does need to name every hazardous chemical in each work area. An area-by-area breakdown works. The list doubles as your SDS checklist. If a chemical is on the list and there's no SDS for it, you have a gap.

On multi-employer worksites, your program also has to address how you share hazard information with other employers' workers who might be exposed to your chemicals. If you bring chemicals onto a client's site, or if contractors work in your facility, you have duties in both directions ^[1].

SafetyFolio's safety program generator builds a workplace-specific written HazCom program in about 15 minutes, which beats building one from scratch while chasing down every CFR citation.

The program doesn't have to be long. A clear, accurate 3-page document that describes your actual workplace beats a 20-page generic boilerplate every time. Compliance officers don't grade on length.

What are the most common HazCom violations OSHA cites?

HazCom has landed in OSHA's top 10 most-cited standards every year since the agency began publishing the list. In FY2023 it ranked second, with 2,803 violations cited ^[2]. That number tells you something useful. Inspectors do not overlook this standard.

The common violations fall into predictable buckets.

Missing or inaccessible SDSs. The SDS isn't on file, or it's locked in the manager's office, or it's on a system employees don't know how to reach.

Unlabeled or badly labeled containers. Secondary containers without labels, faded labels, labels in a language employees don't read, or labels that name the product but list no hazards.

Missing or thin written program. No program at all, or one that doesn't list chemicals, doesn't describe training, or is clearly generic boilerplate unrelated to the workplace.

Weak training. Training that happened once at hire and was never documented, training that covered label reading but skipped the specific hazards, or training in English for workers whose primary language is Spanish or something else.

On that last point, OSHA's standard requires training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand ^[1]. If your workers read Spanish better than English, English-only materials may not satisfy the requirement. This is a real gap across many industries.

HazCom penalties in 2024 reach $16,131 per serious violation and $161,323 per willful or repeated violation ^[7]. One inspection that finds several problems adds up fast. Fix these issues before an inspector does.

Does HazCom apply to your industry and which chemicals are covered?

If you're in general industry, construction, maritime, or agriculture, yes, HazCom applies. Almost no private-sector employer is fully exempt ^[1].

The standard covers "hazardous chemicals," which OSHA defines as any chemical classified as a physical or health hazard, a simple asphyxiant, combustible dust, a pyrophoric gas, or a hazard not otherwise classified. That's a wide net. Classification follows the GHS criteria, and chemical manufacturers are responsible for classifying their products ^[1].

Some things are exempt from coverage ^[1]:

• Hazardous waste regulated by EPA under RCRA (you still handle it safely)
• Tobacco products
• Wood or wood products that won't be processed further
• Articles (manufactured items that don't release hazardous chemicals under normal use)
• Food, drugs, and cosmetics meant for personal consumption at work
• Consumer products used the way a consumer would use them, at the same duration and frequency

That last exemption, the consumer product one, trips up employers who stock spray paint or cleaning products from a hardware store. If employees use those products more often, in larger quantities, or with more exposure than a typical consumer, the exemption drops away and you need SDSs and training.

Processes that generate hazardous chemicals, rather than use them, are also covered. Welding fume is a hazardous chemical. Silica dust from grinding concrete is a hazardous chemical, and it's separately regulated under 29 CFR 1910.1053 ^[13]. If your process generates the hazard, you still have to communicate it.

Workplaces with other big hazards often find HazCom overlaps with other standards. A facility with powered industrial trucks needs HazCom coverage for battery-charging chemicals and separate forklift certification for operators.

How do you build and maintain a chemical inventory list?

Start with a physical walkthrough. Go through every work area and write down every chemical product present. Look under sinks, in storage closets, in maintenance rooms, on production floors, and in break rooms if cleaning supplies live there. Most employers are surprised how much they find.

For each product, record:

• Product name (as it appears on the container)
• Manufacturer
• Work area or location
• Whether an SDS is on file

You don't need the CAS number or chemical formula unless you want it. The standard requires identification, not a chemistry course.

After the first inventory, the hard part is maintenance. Chemicals get added constantly, often by a supervisor ordering a new product or an employee bringing in something to try. Your written program should build in a control: before a new chemical gets ordered, someone checks whether an SDS is available and whether it belongs on the list. Purchasing is a good chokepoint.

Review the list at least once a year. Compare it against purchasing records and against what's actually on the shelves. Drop SDSs for chemicals you no longer use, but hold SDSs for chemicals that employees were previously exposed to if those chemicals could have long-term health effects. OSHA's standard requires SDSs to be kept for 30 years where employees may have been exposed ^[1][10]. This one surprises employers. Even after you stop using a chemical, its SDS doesn't just go in the trash.

Put the 30-year retention rule in your written program in plain language, because it shapes how you manage records.

How does HazCom connect to other OSHA standards?

HazCom doesn't stand alone. It runs into several other standards in ways that matter operationally.

PPE (29 CFR 1910.132-138): Section 8 of the SDS tells you the PPE the manufacturer recommends, but your PPE program has to rest on a hazard assessment you conduct, more than what's printed on the SDS ^[4]. If the SDS says "nitrile gloves recommended" but your employees face a concentration that needs heavier protection, the SDS recommendation is no shield in an inspection.

Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134): When a chemical has an airborne exposure limit on the SDS, and engineering controls can't bring exposure below that limit, you're into respiratory protection: medical evaluations, fit testing, and a written program.

Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147): When you service equipment that holds hazardous chemicals, knowing those chemicals under HazCom overlaps with lockout tagout rules for controlling energy during servicing. Workers need to understand both.

Process Safety Management (29 CFR 1910.119): PSM applies to facilities with highly hazardous chemicals above specific threshold quantities. HazCom is the baseline. PSM is a much heavier additional requirement for those sites.

GHS and DOT harmonization: The GHS classification system is also the basis for DOT hazmat shipping rules. A chemical classified as a flammable liquid under GHS has transport implications. The systems don't align perfectly, but if you ship hazardous materials, SDS Section 14 gives you the transport hazard class and UN number.

If you're mapping out your full osha compliance picture, HazCom is usually the right place to start, because it touches so many other areas and because the paperwork it produces (chemical lists, SDSs, training records) feeds straight into other parts of your safety program.

What should HazCom training for employees actually look like?

Good HazCom training isn't a 10-minute video and a sign-in sheet. It's a real session where employees can ask questions about the chemicals they touch every day.

A solid program covers:

The GHS basics. What the nine pictograms mean. What the signal words mean. How to find information on a label fast.

How to read an SDS. Walk through an actual SDS for a chemical the employee uses. Section 2 for the hazard summary. Section 4 for first aid. Section 8 for exposure limits and PPE. Section 16 for the revision date.

Your specific chemicals. This is where generic training fails. Name the products. Explain the specific hazards of the specific chemicals in that work area. Training maintenance staff? Cover the lubricants, solvents, and cleaners they actually use, not a hypothetical list.

Where to find SDSs. Show them the binder or the system. Have them find an SDS during training instead of just hearing that one exists.

What to do in an emergency. Spill response, first aid for exposure, who to call.

For a multilingual workforce, train in workers' primary languages. OSHA's standard requires training in a form employees can understand ^[1]. That doesn't mean hiring a bilingual trainer for every session. Bilingual written materials, a bilingual supervisor running the session, or professionally translated content all work.

HazCom training pairs naturally with a broader safety orientation. Tie it to your incident reporting process so employees know what to document if they're exposed. See our guide on how to file an incident report for how exposure events should be recorded.

For employees who want a deeper grounding in OSHA standards, including HazCom, an osha 30 course covers it inside general industry safety.

How do you handle SDSs and HazCom for contractors and multi-employer worksites?

Multi-employer situations are where HazCom gets complicated fast.

If contractors work in your facility, you have two duties. First, tell the contractor employer about any hazardous chemicals their people may be exposed to on your site. Second, tell them where your SDSs are and explain any special labeling you use ^[1]. You don't have to train the contractor's employees directly, because that's the contractor employer's job, but you do have to give the contractor employer the information to run that training.

If your employees go work at a client's site, they need information about the hazardous chemicals there. The host is responsible for giving that information to you, and you're responsible for passing it to your workers.

Get it in writing. A pre-job agreement or a site orientation checklist that covers chemical hazard communication protects both parties. Keep copies.

On large construction sites with many subcontractors, the general contractor often keeps a master SDS binder or system and requires each sub to submit SDSs for the chemicals they bring on-site. That's a good system, and it lines up with how OSHA's multi-employer citation policy works ^[8]. The host employer, the controlling contractor, and the subcontractor all carry potential liability if a hazard isn't communicated properly.

One specific situation. If a contractor brings a chemical onto your site you've never seen, you're entitled to the SDS and your affected employees are entitled to the hazard information. Don't let a contractor claim their formulation is a trade secret and refuse to share any hazard information. Trade secret provisions in HazCom never allow withholding hazard information. They only allow withholding specific chemical identities under narrow circumstances ^[1].

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an SDS and an MSDS?

They're the same concept at different points in regulatory history. MSDS stood for Material Safety Data Sheet, the format used before OSHA's 2012 GHS alignment. SDS stands for Safety Data Sheet and uses the standardized 16-section GHS format. If you still have MSDSs on file, they're likely outdated. Most manufacturers have moved to GHS-formatted SDSs, so get current versions from the manufacturer or their website.

How often do I need to update my Safety Data Sheets?

OSHA requires manufacturers to update an SDS within three months of learning new significant information about a chemical's hazards or protective measures. As an employer, get the updated SDS from your supplier when one becomes available. There's no fixed interval for employer-side updates, but checking annually and whenever a new shipment arrives with an updated sheet is reasonable. Check Section 16 for the revision date.

Can I store Safety Data Sheets electronically instead of in paper binders?

Yes. OSHA allows electronic SDS management as long as employees can reach the information immediately during their shift without barriers. The system can't require a supervisor password, can't be slow to load, and employees must be trained on it. A terminal in the work area, a tablet mounted near chemical storage, or a phone-accessible system all work. A backup plan for power or system outages is good practice, though not explicitly required.

Do I need HazCom training for employees who only work in an office?

It depends on the chemicals in their work area. Cleaning products in the office kitchen or janitorial closet can trigger the requirement if employees could be exposed. Standard office items like toner cartridges are often exempt as articles because they don't release hazardous chemicals under normal use. If an employee's only chemical exposure is their own coffee, they probably don't need training. If there's any real exposure risk, train them.

What languages must HazCom training be provided in?

OSHA's standard says training must be given in a manner employees can understand. That's not an explicit multilingual mandate, but it functions as one in practice. If employees' primary language isn't English and they can't understand English-only training, that training doesn't satisfy the requirement. OSHA has cited employers for English-only training given to workforces with limited English. Translated materials, bilingual trainers, or translated video all work.

What happens if a chemical manufacturer won't give me an SDS?

Manufacturers and importers must provide SDSs under 29 CFR 1910.1200 with the first shipment of a hazardous chemical and on request. If a supplier refuses, you can file a complaint with OSHA or contact your local area office for guidance. Meanwhile, look for the SDS on the manufacturer's website, on commercial SDS databases, or by calling the manufacturer directly. Document every attempt you make to get it.

Are there HazCom requirements for chemicals I mix or produce on-site?

Yes. If you mix chemicals to create a new product used in the workplace, you may need to create your own SDS and label for that mixture. It depends on whether the mixture is classified as hazardous. If you mix chemicals that each carry known hazards, the mixture generally keeps those hazards unless you have testing data showing otherwise. This is common in food processing, cleaning services, and manufacturing. Consult each component's SDS and classify accordingly.

What is the 30-year SDS retention rule?

Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(8), employers must retain an SDS for 30 years when it functions as the record of what chemicals employees were exposed to. This applies when the SDS is the only record of the exposure. The rule connects to OSHA's Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records standard at 29 CFR 1910.1020. In practice, keep SDSs for discontinued chemicals if workers were ever meaningfully exposed to them.

Can a trade secret claim allow a manufacturer to withhold hazard information from an SDS?

No. Trade secret provisions in HazCom let manufacturers withhold the specific chemical identity of a proprietary ingredient in limited cases, but they cannot withhold hazard information. Section 2 must contain all hazard classifications even when specific ingredient identities are protected. A healthcare professional treating an exposed worker can obtain the specific chemical identity from the manufacturer under an emergency disclosure provision, trade secret claim or not.

What are the OSHA fines for HazCom violations in 2024?

OSHA adjusts penalties yearly for inflation. As of 2024, serious violations carry a maximum of $16,131 each. Willful or repeated violations reach $161,323 each. Most HazCom citations are classified as serious, meaning OSHA determined the employer knew or should have known about the hazard. Several violations in one inspection add up quickly. Reductions exist for small employers, good faith, and history, but the baseline numbers are steep.

How does the HazCom standard apply to construction sites?

The construction standard is 29 CFR 1926.59, which pulls in the general industry HazCom standard by reference. The same four requirements apply: written program, SDSs, labels, and training. Construction adds the complexity of multi-employer worksites, where the general contractor and subcontractors each have duties to share hazard information about chemicals their workers bring on-site or may be exposed to. The GC usually maintains site-level SDS access.

Do small businesses with fewer than 10 employees have to comply with HazCom?

Yes. Unlike some OSHA recordkeeping exemptions, there is no small-employer exemption from HazCom. Any employer with one or more employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals must comply with 29 CFR 1910.1200. The four requirements apply regardless of size. OSHA does offer reduced penalties for small employers during inspections, but the compliance obligations are identical to those of large companies.

What is the difference between a PEL and a TLV on an SDS?

A Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) is an OSHA regulatory limit, legally enforceable, set in 29 CFR 1910.1000 and substance-specific standards. A Threshold Limit Value (TLV) is published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). It isn't legally enforceable but is often more current and more protective than OSHA PELs, many of which date to 1971. Both appear in Section 8. Industrial hygienists often use the TLV as the more protective benchmark.

How do I know if my HazCom program is actually compliant?

Walk it against the standard directly. Check 29 CFR 1910.1200(e) for written program requirements, (f) for labeling, (g) for SDSs, and (h) for training. Then run a gap check. Does your chemical list match what's on the shelves? Does an SDS exist for every chemical on the list? Can any employee tell you how to find the SDS system and explain a hazard from it? If any answer is no, you have a gap. Close it before an inspector finds it.

Sources

1. OSHA, Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200: Full text of HazCom standard requirements including written program, SDS, labeling, training, 30-year retention, multi-employer, trade secret, and scope provisions
2. OSHA, Top 10 Most Cited Standards FY2023: HazCom ranked second most-cited OSHA standard in FY2023 with 2,803 violations
3. OSHA, Hazard Communication Pictograms: The nine GHS pictograms, each a black symbol on a white background inside a red diamond border
4. OSHA, Personal Protective Equipment Standard, 29 CFR 1910.132: Employers must conduct hazard assessments to select appropriate PPE, not rely solely on SDS recommendations
5. OSHA, Standard Interpretations (electronic access to SDSs): OSHA has stated that computer-based SDS systems satisfy the accessibility requirement if no barriers exist and employees are trained on use
6. OSHA, Powered Industrial Trucks Standard, 29 CFR 1910.178: Forklift training requires written certification documenting the employee, the trainer, the date, and the equipment, unlike HazCom which has no explicit documentation format requirement
7. OSHA, Penalties: 2024 maximum penalties: $16,131 per serious violation, $161,323 per willful or repeated violation
8. OSHA, Enforcement Directives (Multi-Employer Citation Policy, CPL 02-00-124): Host employers, controlling contractors, and subcontractors each have potential citation liability when hazard information is not properly communicated on multi-employer worksites
9. OSHA, Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records, 29 CFR 1910.1020: SDSs serving as exposure records must be retained for 30 years under 29 CFR 1910.1020
10. ACGIH, Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents: ACGIH publishes TLVs as occupational exposure guidelines; TLVs appear in SDS Section 8 alongside OSHA PELs and are often more current and more protective
11. OSHA, Respirable Crystalline Silica: Silica dust generated by grinding or cutting operations is a hazardous chemical regulated separately from HazCom under a substance-specific standard