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What HAZCOM Training Must Cover

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3) states that training must include:

  • Methods used to detect the presence or release of hazardous chemicals in the work area
  • The physical and health hazards of chemicals in the work area
  • Protective measures employees can take, such as proper PPE use and emergency procedures
  • Details of the company’s hazard communication program, including labeling systems and safety data sheets

Our hazard communication training programs cover all of these topics and more, with courses for general industry or for specific chemical hazards. Training is one of the core requirements of OSHA’s HAZCOM standard, alongside a written program, labeling and safety data sheets.

When HAZCOM Training Must Be Completed

HAZCOM training must be completed when employees first start the job and anytime a new chemical is introduced [1910.1200(h)(1)]. The training can cover categories of hazards or specific chemicals. Either way, detailed information about each chemical should always be available on labels and safety data sheets.

How Often HAZCOM Training Is Required

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, also known as the Right-to-Know Law, doesn’t detail specific intervals for training, other than providing training for any new hazards that are introduced. However, to ensure that employees are practicing safe habits, you should provide periodic refresher training. Our reusable training kits make it easy to conduct annual refreshers or retrain employees when needed.

The Five Requirements for HAZCOM

Training is only one element of hazard communication. The Hazard Communication Standard details five HAZCOM requirements that businesses must adhere to if they have chemical hazards in the workplace. These are:

  • Chemical inventory: A list of hazardous chemicals in the workplace
  • Safety data sheets (SDS): Detailed information sheets for all chemicals in the workplace
  • Labeling: Proper labeling of all hazardous chemicals, including pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements
  • Training: Effective training for employees on chemical hazards and protective measures
  • Written hazard communication program: A document that describes how the standard is being implemented and what company procedures are

How the Hazard Communication Standard Has Evolved

In 2012, the HCS was amended to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. Major changes included criteria for hazard classification, labels, safety data sheets, and training. This helped standardize the way chemical hazard information is communicated across different countries.

In addition to OSHA HAZCOM training, we also offer specific GHS training videos. Whether you need general HAZCOM training or GHS-focused instruction, our kits make compliance easy.

Hazard Communication Training: Frequently Asked Questions

What OSHA standard requires HazCom training?

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, paragraph (h), requires employers to give employees information and training on the hazardous chemicals in their work area. The standard has been aligned with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System since 2012 and is often called the Right-to-Know law. Our HazCom kits support that requirement; the training record you keep is what an inspector asks to see.

In 2024 OSHA updated the standard again to align it with the seventh revision of GHS. The 2024 final rule revised several hazard classes and categories, added label provisions for small containers and for chemicals released for shipment, and clarified what a safety data sheet must contain. Chemical manufacturers had until January 19, 2026 to reclassify substances and have until July 19, 2027 for mixtures; employers must update their written program and workplace labels and train employees on any newly identified hazards within six months of each of those dates.

Who needs HazCom training?

Any employee who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals must receive HazCom training. Employers are responsible for providing it and for ensuring employees understand the hazards, how to read labels and safety data sheets, and how to follow the company’s hazard communication program.

When must HazCom training be completed?

HazCom training must be completed when employees first start the job and any time a new chemical hazard is introduced into the work area [1910.1200(h)(1)]. OSHA does not set a fixed refresher interval, but periodic retraining is recommended to keep practices current.

What is the difference between HazCom and GHS training?

GHS is the global system for classifying and labeling chemicals that the Hazard Communication Standard was aligned with in 2012. HazCom training covers your overall right-to-know program, while our dedicated GHS videos focus on pictograms, labels, and safety data sheets. We offer both.

What is included in a HazCom training kit?

Every kit includes the full-length video, an employee quiz and answer sheet, a presenter’s guide and a Certificate of Completion you can edit with each employee’s name and training date and reuse for every session; the general industry kit also includes an editable PowerPoint and talking points. Kits come on USB or DVD, in English or Spanish, and one purchase covers every employee at your facility with no per-seat fees.

How often is HazCom training required?

OSHA sets no fixed interval. 1910.1200(h)(1) requires training at the time of initial assignment and again whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not been trained on is introduced into the work area. When the 2024 update to the standard changes a classification or a label element for a chemical you use, employees must be trained on that change as well. Many employers run an annual refresher as a best practice, and a reusable kit makes that easy to document.

How long does HazCom training take?

Each of our HazCom videos runs about 22 minutes. Add the quiz and a short walkthrough of your own written program, where the safety data sheets are kept and how your containers are labeled, and a session takes 45 minutes to an hour. OSHA does not set a minimum length; it requires that the training cover the topics in 1910.1200(h)(3) and that employees understand them.

Is there a HazCom certification?

No government agency certifies HazCom training. OSHA requires the employer to train employees and to be able to show that the training happened. The Certificate of Completion in each kit, with the employee’s name and the training date, plus the sign-in sheet and quiz, is that record. A “HazCom certificate” from an online course documents the same employer-provided training.

Can HazCom training be done online?

Yes. Every HazCom course here is also available in our online safety training library, where you assign the course, the employee watches it and takes the quiz, and the completion is recorded for you. The online program is $995 per year for up to 50 employees. If you would rather run a group session, the general industry kit is a one-time $239 purchase on USB or DVD.

Did the 2024 HazCom update change the training requirement?

The training rule itself did not change, but what employees must be trained on did. OSHA’s 2024 update aligned the standard with GHS Revision 7: some hazard classes and categories were revised, and labels and safety data sheets for those chemicals are being reissued through 2027. When a chemical in your work area is reclassified or its label changes, that is a new hazard under 1910.1200(h)(1) and employees must be trained on it. Our kits teach the label elements and SDS format the updated standard uses.