The OSHA Hazard Communication Standard's impact on wire and cable

Recent changes in chemicals considered toxic by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and hazardous by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has required the cable industry to reevaluate the "Article" exclusion for wire and cable products under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Many wire and cable products can no longer be considered an Article which was exempt from the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and hazard labeling requirements under 29 CFR 1910.1200. This paper reviews the changes that were made by the EPA, OSHA's clarification of the Hazard Communication Standard, and the impact these changes will have on the manufacture, storage, installation, testing and disposal of wire and cable and its material components. User reporting requirements are also addressed.