About this course
This course covers OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200 — the rule that governs how chemical hazards are classified, labeled, and communicated to workers. Food manufacturing facilities routinely handle chemicals such as sanitizers, lubricants, cleaning compounds, boiler treatment chemicals, and pest control products, all of which fall under HazCom whether or not the facility makes food directly with them.
HazCom requires employers to maintain a written hazard communication program, ensure every hazardous chemical container is labeled with a harmonized signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement, keep a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) accessible for every hazardous chemical used on site, and train employees before they work with or near a hazardous chemical. OSHA aligned the standard with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS) in 2012 and updated it again in 2024 to match GHS Revision 7, with employer compliance dates for labeling, program updates, and training extending into late 2026.
This training is required for any employee who works with, or in an area with, hazardous chemicals — which in most food plants means sanitation crews, maintenance staff, QA/lab personnel, and production employees on lines that use cleaning-in-place or manual chemical dilution. New employees should complete it before their first exposure to a hazardous chemical, and it should be refreshed whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced.
After completing this course, learners will be able to read and interpret a GHS label and pictogram, locate and use a Safety Data Sheet, understand the difference between health and physical hazard classes, and follow safe handling, storage, and spill-response practices for chemicals used in a food production environment.
Topics covered
- GHS pictograms, signal words, and hazard statements
- Reading and using a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- Container labeling, including secondary/workplace containers
- Chemical storage, segregation, and spill response basics
- The written Hazard Communication program and employee rights to information
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