Occupational Safety & Health: Employers' Experiences in Complying With the Hazard Communication Standard

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed small businesses' compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to identify work-place chemical hazards, focusing on the: (1) difficulties small employers experienced in complying with HCS, in particular with the material safety data sheet (MSDS) requirements; and (2) methodology underlying the OSHA cost estimates for small nonmanufacturing industries' compliance with MSDS requirements.