Hack Your Hazcom

SDSRP: Building Trust As A Credentialed SDS Author

We welcome Angela Oler and Carrie Johnson from AIHA Registry Programs to discuss the SDS and Label Authoring Registry Program (SDSRP), created to address increasing hazard classification complexity and global GHS implementation. They explain how the credential differentiates authors by independently validating technical competency in hazard classification, regulatory interpretation, and defensible SDS/label decisions, strengthening individual careers and organizational hazard communication programs. The guests outline the comprehensive body of knowledge, the two-part four-hour exam (knowledge and practical skills), use of UN GHS Revision 8, pass rates (about 40% for part one and 80% for part two), retake options, and preparation resources. They cover eligibility requirements including one year of SDS authoring, a 20-point application system, employment verification, and remote or in-person proctoring at the SCHC annual meeting.00:00 Show Intro00:34 Meet The Guests02:03 What Is AIHA02:49 Why SDSRP Exists04:19 SCHC Partnership06:05 Experience Vs Credential07:18 Why Credentialing Matters08:38 Body Of Knowledge09:51 Exam Skills Assessment10:58 GHS Revision Basis11:53 Registered Pro Distinction13:47 Five Year Update Process15:30 Career Impact Benefits17:44 Why Companies Should Hire20:02 Strengthening Hazcom Programs21:15 Exam Format Breakdown23:23 Multiple Choice Explained26:14 Study Resources Prep27:00 Eligibility Requirements27:17 Eligibility Points Explained27:51 Training Resources and SCHC29:21 Application Calculator and Docs31:20 If You Don’t Qualify Yet33:18 Exam Proctoring Options35:41 Global Candidates and GHS36:58 Employment Verification Requirements42:21 Exam Difficulty and Pass Rates43:39 Study Strategy and Blueprint45:56 Final Takeaways and Wrap Up

If You’re Just Hitting ‘Print,’ You’re Doing HazCom Wrong

In this Hack Your Hazcom episode kicking off the show’s second year, Atanu invites audience feedback at hackyourhazcom.com and is joined by labeling experts Steve Donze and Nathan Stellman of Empower Label (formerly Brandywine Drum Labels) to discuss how labeling programs become compliance and safety liabilities. They explain common HazCom breakdowns between requirements and field reality, especially with secondary and small containers that go unlabeled or are illegible, as well as issues with outdated SDS information, inconsistent processes across sites, and insufficient employee training. The conversation covers durability failures from UV, rain, abrasion, solvents, and poor printer settings, plus best practices for replacing labels and identifying unknown containers. They also compare thermal transfer, laser, and inkjet options, emphasize a “three-legged stool” of software, labels, and printers, and highlight how strong labeling improves efficiency, audit readiness, and incident response. 00:00 Year Two Kickoff00:56 Meet the Labeling Pros02:23 Where Hazcom Breaks Down05:51 Secondary Container Pitfalls08:42 Small Container Rule Updates10:35 Real World Label Failures12:54 Harsh Environment Best Practices16:35 Choosing Materials and Printers20:49 Managing Multiple Label Systems22:36 Centralized Labeling Systems27:51 Software Labels Printers Trio31:25 Printing Choices and Durability36:04 Choosing Printer Types37:19 Pictograms and Color Limits39:23 Laser and Inkjet Tradeoffs41:01 Bring Key Stakeholders42:40 Fixing Print Failures47:20 Labeling by Container Size52:10 Solvent Exposure Troubleshooting58:04 Efficiency Beyond Compliance01:01:57 Audit Readiness and Safety01:05:31 Common Hazcom Gaps01:08:19 Final Takeaways and Wrap

Unpacking the Fallacy of "Intrinsic" Chemical Hazards

Atanu joins Rob Mitkus, a PhD toxicologist with 25 years’ experience across pesticides, industrial chemicals, vaccine components, medical devices, and consumer products, to discuss how toxicology underpins Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and HazCom/GHS compliance. Rob defines toxicity as harm under specific conditions and emphasizes SDS content and precautions should be evidence-driven and understandable to downstream users including workers, consumers, and first responders. They discuss reliance on animal “sentinel species,” the rise of new approach methodologies (in vitro, in silico, machine learning), and validation/acceptance via bodies such as OECD and ICCVAM, noting limits for complex endpoints like carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Rob critiques GHS concepts like “intrinsic toxicity,” the definition of sensitization, and hazard-only/binary classifications, stressing dose-response and exposure. He highlights the psychology of threat perception from pictograms and calls for better training and toxicologist involvement in future standards.

Decoding Hazcom Through a Legal Lens

The host interviews Adele Abrams, an attorney and safety professional at Littler Mendelson, about legal and practical risks facing OSHA/MSHA regulation and HazCom. Abrams explains the Allstates Refractory nondelegation argument—revived by Justices Thomas and Gorsuch—and a new Fifth Circuit case that could invalidate many OSHA rules issued under general rulemaking authority, potentially shrinking the CFR and affecting MSHA similarly, amid a broader Trump-era deregulatory review. She warns that weakening HazCom could increase tort exposure for manufacturers and employers by removing a key “sophisticated user” defense tied to robust SDS communication and training. The discussion covers outdated PELs, possible general duty clause enforcement (e.g., a styrene case), the importance of integrating SDS Section 8 into PPE assessments, technology/access failures at remote sites, SDS retention for long-latency illness claims, and why HazCom remains a top-cited, life-saving standard.00:00 Meet Adele Abrams01:07 Allstates Refractory Fallout02:41 Nondelegation Challenge Explained05:31 EPA vs OSHA Authority07:50 Congress and Rulemaking Limits10:55 MSHA Parallels and Disasters14:30 Why HazCom Still Matters15:20 Tort Liability Floodgates18:00 SDS Breakdown in Practice24:21 Tech Reliance and Emergencies29:20 Real World Chemical Incidents32:02 GHS Updates and Bottlenecks35:42 Control Banding Fizzles36:25 GHS Building Blocks37:49 Global Standards Pressure39:54 Training Workers Properly41:08 Multi Employer HazCom Duties42:11 Z Tables and General Duty47:19 Silica Rule Delays Fallout55:11 Reputation and Community Trust58:11 SDS Driven PPE Assessments01:03:55 Dusty Binders and Retention01:08:29 HazCom ROI Final Takeaways01:10:55 Closing Thanks and Contact

Enhancing Safety With Human Firewalls

In this episode we speak with security analyst and bestselling author Robert Siciliano about the “human blind spot” that causes safety and security programs to fail despite strong technology and rules. Robert explains how optimism bias, cognitive ease, fatigue, and reinforced shortcuts drive complacency, making annual check-the-box training feel like white noise and creating “security theater.” He outlines practical ways to make messages stick: shift from lectures to dialogue, use micro-learning and “yes ladder” rapport-building, simplify dense protocols for cognitive fluency with clear icons and prioritized hazards, and treat phishing like a workplace hazard with frictionless one-click reporting. He emphasizes replacing shame-based reactions with empathy and system-focused learning to build a participatory culture where every worker becomes an active sensor, making safety and security a shared reflex and ongoing journey.