ChemOne Compliance assists companies, both small and large, with their chemical compliance needs and helping companies realize the potential of their chemistry as they look to expand their markets globally. Services offered include Risk and Safety Assessments, Safety Program Authoring, (Material) Safety Data Sheet ((M)SDS) Preparation, New Chemical Registrations and Occupational Safety & Regulatory Training.
Selected dates for the 2013 calendar year of regulatory importance are listed. This list is periodically updated and should not be viewed as all inclusive.
Important changes for 2013 include
The initial phase-in of US OSHA's new Hazard Communication Standard with the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The final rule was published in 2012 and training for the new system is required during 2013.
This final rule, issued pursuant to TSCA section 8(d) and its regulations, requires manufacturers (including importers) of cadmium or cadmium compounds, including as part of an article, that have been, or are reasonably likely to be, incorporated into consumer products to report certain unpublished health and safety studies to EPA. Listed in this unit are the reporting requirements for the chemical substances being added by this action to the TSCA section 8(d) model rule. The TSCA section 4(e) Priority Testing List is also being amended. This final rule is effective January 2, 2013.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding new data elements and revising some existing data elements on the Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms (Tier I and Tier II) under Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). State and local implementing agencies requested that EPA add the new data elements since the additional information would be useful to develop or modify their community emergency response plans. EPA is also revising some existing data elements in the chemical reporting section of the Tier II inventory form to make reporting easier for facilities and make the form more user-friendly for state and local officials. This rule becomes effective on January 1, 2014.
The EPA issues a final rule on June 18, 2012 amending the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) regulations. In doing so, it has extended the submission deadline for 2012 reports from June 30, 2012 to August 13, 2012. This is a one-time extension for the 2012 submission period only. The CDR regulations require manufacturers and importers of certain chemical substances included on the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory (TSCA Inventory) to report current data on the manufacturing, processing, and use of the chemical substances.
The CDR is applicable to sites, which manufacture or import 25,000 pound or more of a commercial chemical. The period is being extended mainly due to concerns raised about the interpretation of what constitutes byproduct chemical substances. In making this extension, the EPA believes that it is appropriate in light of some changes to the regulation (from the previous Inventory Update Reporting [IUR] rule to the new CDR).
The Council of Labor Affairs announced a Supplementary Existing Chemical Substance Nomination (ECN) process on April 18, 2012. This will provide an additional opportunity for companies to nominate commercial chemicals to the Existing Chemical Substanes inventory, which has currently been released as a draft. The initial nomination process ended on December 31, 2010.
Supplementary ECN is scheduled to open for three months, beginning on June 1st and ending on August 31st, 2012. Chemical substances imported to or manufactured, handled, used, or sold in Taiwan during January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2011, and are NOT listed in the National Existing Chemical Substance Inventory (draft) as existing chemical substances can be nominated pursuant to this Direction.
Certain substances are exempt and are therefore out of the scope of the nomination process. These include [1] substances or polymers occuring in nature without processing or tranformation, [2] new polymers which adhere to the "2% rule", [3] non-isolated intermediates, [4] articles, [5] by-products or impurities without commercial value and [6] wastes.
The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS - 29 CFR §1910.1200) has now been aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). This update to the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) will provide a common and coherent approach to classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information on labels and safety data sheets. This rule was codefied in March and went into effect on May 26, 2012.
The OSHA GHS rule specifies label, safety data sheet (SDS) and training information. Labels on containers must include an identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and contact information for the responsible party. Safety Data Sheets (as they will be known, replacing the previous MSDS term) will follow an ANSI-like 16-section format. This will be a relatively minor change for companies already using such a format. The biggest difference will be in the hazards identification (Section 2). A more disciplined approach to substance or mixture classification has been constructed for the assignment of signal word, hazard statements, pictograms and precautionary statements. While the new standard under OSHA does not specify the contents of Sections 12 through 15 (Ecological, Disposal, Transport and Regulatory Information), these sections must be included for consistency with the GHS.