Hazard Communication (HazCom / GHS)
Construction and general industry · Ver en español
Talking points
- Every hazardous chemical on site must have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that is readily accessible to every worker — physically or electronically, in a language they understand.
- GHS labels include six key elements: product identifier, signal word (Danger or Warning), hazard statements, precautionary statements, supplier info, and pictograms.
- Know the nine GHS pictograms — skull and crossbones (toxic), flame (flammable), exclamation mark (irritant), corrosion, exploding bomb, health hazard (carcinogen), gas cylinder, environment, and oxidizer.
- Your employer must maintain a written HazCom program that includes a chemical inventory, SDS management, labeling procedures, and employee training.
- GHS Revision 7 is here — for substances, chemical manufacturers must update SDS and labels by May 19, 2026 and employers must update workplace programs by November 20, 2026, with mixtures following on a later track through 2027.
Ask the crew
Can you find the SDS for the chemicals you're using today — and do you know how to read Section 2 (Hazard Identification)?
Standards this talk is built on
A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.
Run this talk with your crew and keep the record
In Jobsite, workers sign in on their phones in English or Spanish, and you keep who attended, when, and where, with every other talk your crew has had.
Using an AI assistant? Jobsite's free MCP server serves this library, with OSHA rule text, no sign-in: https://jobsitecerts.com/api/mcp/public (/mcp)
Sign-in sheet
Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.
| Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|
© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.