The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Friday that the agency issued a new proposed rule that would update its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to align with the seventh revision of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).

OSHA said the new rule will increase protections for workers and reduce the number of chemical-related illnesses and injuries by improving the information on the labels and Safety Data Sheets for hazardous chemicals. The agency also included modifications to address issues that have emerged since the implementation of the 2012 standard and improve the rule’s alignment with other federal agencies and Canada.

Those interested in commenting on the proposed rule changes can submit information through the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov.

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was introduced in 1983 to reduce workplace hazards associated with exposure to hazardous chemicals. In 2012, the standard was updated to align with the third revision of the United Nations’ GHS.

To read more about the proposed rule, click here.