As part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's efforts to protect workers from the hazards of chemicals, the agency plans to issue new guidance on how to apply the Weight of Evidence approach when dealing with complex scientific studies. On February 16, OSHA will begin accepting comments on its Guidance on Data Evaluation for Weight of Evidence Determination*, which is intended to help employers consider all available information when classifying hazardous chemicals.
The "weight of evidence" approach assists manufacturers, importers and employers to evaluate scientific studies on the potential health hazards of a chemical. It aids in determining what information must be disclosed on the label and safety data sheet for compliance with the Hazard Communication Standard. This draft is a companion document to a recently posted Hazard Classification Guidance* and is intended to help the label and safety data sheet preparer apply the approach when dealing with complex scientific studies.
For more information and to review the draft guidelines and provide comment, visit OSHA's Guidance on Data Evaluation for Weight of Evidence Determination webpage. Comments will be accepted until March 31, 2016 and may also be posted directly towww.regulations.gov. For more information, read the news release.
