The US will follow UN regulations for the classification and labelling of its chemicals, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has announced.
The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will modify its existing Hazard Communication Standards to conform to the UN's Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
The US uses about 880,000 hazardous chemicals and over 40 million personnel are potentially exposed to these chemicals in over five million workplaces, according to the OSHA.
The GHS aims to ensure information on chemical hazards is available to protect human life and the environment during the handling, transport and use of these chemicals, the UNECE said.
