INDIANAPOLIS, IN At a recent meeting of the Safety Directors Forum for the Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety, the group heard from Chris Hall of Safety Resources about the implementation of the "Globally Harmonized System" for classifying and labeling chemicals.

"Harmonization," according to Hall, refers to a uniform communication system for worldwide implementation.

While the new labeling requirements are extensive and seemingly complicated, Hall maintains that the new system is "far less complicated than the one that it replaces." 

He said that the system is necessary everywhere and that, since it applies to chemicals that are being transported, will be helpful in the United States since, he said, "there are a lot of products that are moving in to the U.S. from Mexico and Canada and there was not, before this new effort, any uniformity in labeling."

The changeover date for all applicable chemicals is June 2016 and it is applicable to Safety Data Sheets.

The next meeting of the Safety Directors Forum will include a presentation about industrial hygiene presented by T.J. Unger, Director of Business Development for SevenGen, a consultancy with offices in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The meeting will occur on July 22 at the offices of ERMCO located at 1625 West Thompson Road in Indianapolis.