scope:

This Standard establishes sound principles and guidelines for the preparation of precautionary labeling for hazardous industrial chemicals. The Standard must be applied in a manner consistent with all statutory and regulatory requirements, including the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS; 29 CFR 1910.1200) and the substance specific standards (29 CFR 1910.1001-1052). This Standard is not intended to provide a rote specification for complying with the HCS or any other government requirements.

Some or all elements of this Standard may be applicable in preparing permissible, alternative workplace chemical labeling approaches, such as stationary process containers and portable containers (29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(7) and (8) respectively). However, this Standard is not intended to address these specific labeling issues.

There are use-specific statutory and regulatory requirements for consumer (Federal Hazardous Substances Act [FHSA]), medical (Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act [FFDCA]), and pesticide (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA]) products, as well as materials in transportation (Department of Transportation [DOT] Hazardous Materials Regulations). There are other federal and state regulations that may contain precautionary labeling requirements. For example, state and local governments may regulate labeling through statutes, including "Right-to-Know" laws. It is not the intent of the Standard to substitute for these requirements or to list each and every unique requirement.

This Standard is not intended to address or incorporate other alternative industry labeling methods, such as the National Paints and Coatings Association's Hazard Material Information System (HMIS® III) or the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) NFPA 704 Standard System for the Identification of Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response.

Precautionary labeling requirements and definitions are subject to change. It is the responsibility of the label preparer to be aware of current regulatory requirements and/or other guidelines. Where there is a conflict between the applicable regulations and this Standard, the regulations must take precedence over this Standard. References to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in the Standard are to the CFR available as of January 1, 2005.