Construction workers routinely use products that can create chemical hazards: paints, coatings, adhesives, solvents, fuels, concrete treatments, cleaning products, epoxies and expanding foams, among others. Even familiar products can cause injuries when workers do not understand their hazards, mix incompatible materials, overlook label instructions or use the wrong protective equipment.

Hazard Communication training—commonly called HazCom or GHS training—helps employees recognize these hazards and understand how to work with chemicals safely. For construction employers, it is also an important part of complying with OSHA requirements.

What Is OSHA Hazard Communication Training?

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard is intended to make information about workplace chemicals and their hazards available and understandable to workers. The requirements applicable to construction under 29 CFR 1926.59 are identical to those contained in OSHA’s general-industry Hazard Communication Standard.

The standard requires employers with hazardous chemicals in the workplace to provide appropriate labels, Safety Data Sheets and employee information and training. Depending on the workplace, employers may also need a written Hazard Communication program and a list of the hazardous chemicals employees could encounter.

Training should give workers more than a list of rules. Employees should understand:

  • Which chemical hazards may be present in their work areas
  • How to recognize a spill, leak or chemical release
  • Where to find the company’s written HazCom program
  • How to locate and use Safety Data Sheets
  • How to interpret chemical labels and pictograms
  • What precautions can reduce exposure
  • What protective equipment or emergency procedures may apply

OSHA requires this information and training at the time of an employee’s initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced into the work area.

Why HazCom Matters on Construction Sites

Chemical risks in construction are not limited to large industrial facilities. A remodeling crew may use paint stripper in the morning, construction adhesive after lunch and a solvent-based coating before leaving the jobsite.

Hazards may include skin or eye irritation, chemical burns, fire, harmful vapors and long-term health effects. The correct precautions can differ significantly from one product to another.

HazCom training gives workers a consistent process for finding reliable answers before beginning a task. Instead of relying on the appearance, smell or familiarity of a product, employees learn to consult its label and Safety Data Sheet.

That is especially important when a product is transferred from its original packaging into a secondary container. An unlabeled spray bottle, bucket or jar can leave other workers guessing about both the contents and the necessary precautions.

Understanding GHS Chemical Labels

The Globally Harmonized System provides standardized elements that make chemical hazard information easier to recognize. Under OSHA’s standard, a shipped-container label may include:

  • A product identifier
  • A signal word such as “Danger” or “Warning”
  • One or more hazard statements
  • Hazard pictograms
  • Precautionary statements
  • Contact information for the manufacturer or responsible party

“Danger” is used for more severe hazards, while “Warning” is used for less severe hazards within the applicable hazard classifications.

Workers should not simply memorize the pictograms. Effective GHS training explains how the different label elements work together and how employees can use them to make decisions about handling, storage, ventilation, personal protective equipment and emergency response.

How to Use a Safety Data Sheet

A Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, provides detailed information about a hazardous chemical. OSHA requires SDSs to follow a standardized 16-section format, helping workers find important information more efficiently.

Sections particularly useful on construction sites include:

  • Section 1: Product and supplier identification
  • Section 2: Hazard identification
  • Section 4: First-aid measures
  • Section 5: Firefighting measures
  • Section 6: Accidental-release measures
  • Section 7: Handling and storage
  • Section 8: Exposure controls and personal protection
  • Section 10: Stability and reactivity
  • Section 11: Toxicological information

Employees must be able to access the appropriate SDS during their work shift. Whether a company maintains paper copies, electronic access or a combination of both, workers need to know where the information is located and how to retrieve it without unnecessary delay.

The Written Hazard Communication Program

A compliant HazCom program is not created simply by collecting a binder of Safety Data Sheets. The written program should explain how the employer will address labeling, SDS access, employee training and the workplace chemical inventory.

Construction employers should periodically review their program to confirm that:

  • The chemical inventory reflects products currently in use
  • Current SDSs are available
  • Workplace containers are properly identified
  • Employees know how to access chemical information
  • Training reflects the actual hazards workers encounter
  • New products are evaluated before use
  • Responsibilities are clearly assigned

The program should be practical enough to work on active jobsites—not merely exist as paperwork in the company office.

HazCom on Multi-Employer Construction Sites

Hazard Communication becomes particularly important when employees from several companies are working in the same area.

OSHA’s standard requires employers that use or store hazardous chemicals in ways that could expose another employer’s workers to address how hazard information will be shared. This can include SDS availability, protective measures and the labeling system used at the site.

General contractors and subcontractors should establish how chemical information will be communicated before work begins. Clear coordination helps prevent situations in which one crew introduces a coating, solvent or other hazardous product without nearby workers understanding the potential exposure.

OSHA’s Updated Hazard Communication Standard

OSHA updated the Hazard Communication Standard in 2024 to improve information on chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets and align the standard more closely with a newer revision of the GHS.

On January 15, 2026, OSHA extended the updated rule’s compliance dates by four months. During the transition period, employers may follow the previous standard, the updated standard or both, as applicable.

Construction employers should use this period to review incoming SDSs and labels, determine whether newly identified hazards affect their workplace program, and provide additional training when necessary. Because implementation dates and obligations can depend on the product and employer’s role, companies should consult OSHA’s current guidance or qualified safety professionals when evaluating their responsibilities.

Why Construction Companies Choose LeadSMART Training

LeadSMART Training provides practical, instructor-led safety education designed around the conditions contractors and tradespeople encounter in the field. Classes are taught by experienced professionals who connect OSHA requirements with recognizable jobsite situations.

One student described the difference this approach makes:

“Having contractors train contractors is an incredible business design and I wish more tradesmen did it.”

LeadSMART offers live OSHA construction safety classes, including HazCom/GHS worker training, as well as private training that can help employers educate an entire crew together.

To discuss Hazard Communication training for your employees, contact LeadSMART Training at 888-731-LEAD (5323) or sales@LeadSMARTTraining.com.