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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final rule on January 15, 2026, extending the compliance dates in its Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (29 C.F.R. Section 1910.1200), published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 44144), by four months. 91 Fed. Reg. 1695. The May 2024 final rule adopts a tiered approach to compliance and includes two sets of compliance dates for chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors evaluating substances and mixtures. According to OSHA, members of the regulated community asked for additional guidance to comply with the updated HCS. Although OSHA has been working to issue final guidance about the updated HCS for both the regulated community and agency personnel, it states that it has not been able to complete these documents with sufficient time before the initial compliance date of January 19, 2026. OSHA determined that it is necessary to extend the initial compliance date by four months to allow it time to publish the necessary guidance materials and for the regulated community to review those materials before the revised provisions take effect. To maintain the tiered approach to compliance adopted in the final rule, OSHA is also extending each of the subsequent compliance dates in paragraph (j)(2)(ii) and (j)(3) by four months. The final rule was effective January 15, 2026.
HCS Extended Compliance Dates
- Chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors evaluating substances are required to comply with all modified provisions of the HCS no later than May 19, 2026 (paragraph (j)(2)(i));
- Those entities evaluating mixtures must comply with all modified provisions no later than November 19, 2027 (paragraph (j)(3)(i)); and
- Paragraphs (j)(2)(ii) and (j)(3)(ii) require employers to update any alternative workplace labeling under paragraph (f)(6), update the hazard communication program required by paragraph (h)(1), and provide any additional employee training in accordance with paragraph (h)(3) for newly identified hazards no later than November 20, 2026, for substances and May 19, 2028, for mixtures.
Additional Resources on 2024 HCS Amendments
"OSHA HCS Amendments Primarily Align with GHS Rev 7" (May 30, 2024)
HCS 2024 — A Conversation with Karin F. Baron (July 18, 2024)
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