ATL Extended Content Label Offers Solution for Manufacturers Grappling with Revised Federal Labeling Standards

    MENOMONEE FALLS, WI, April 10, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Custom label maker ATL has developed an extended content label construction that will give chemical manufacturers the space they need to comply with OSHA's revisions to its Hazard Communication Standard.

"That standard, implemented in 1983, gave workers the right to know, while the new system provides the right to understand," said ATL President Donald Dobert, noting that the U.S. is not alone in moving to the United Nation's Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

"Countries around the world - including Canada, China, Japan and members of the European Union - are adopting the GHS rules," he said.

The June 1 OSHA deadline for GHS-compliant labels, in fact, coincides with the EU's implementation date for the classification of mixtures.

ATL's extended content label construction gives chemical manufacturers and importers the ability to comply with GHS requirements for a greatly expanded amount of information, which some companies find exceeds the space available on their bottles and containers.

"Previously, HazCom labels consisted of the chemical name, hazard information, and company information," Dobert said. "Now, GHS-compliant labels require this same information in addition to signal words, precautionary statements, and pictograms."

He noted that aligning the HazCom Standard with GHS affects far more than just labels, including such areas as:
- The way chemicals are classified
- The format and content of Safety Data Sheets (SDS), formerly MSDS
- The requirements for workplace communications and training

"ATL's extended content labeling solution for GHS-compliant labels can't resolve all of the issues raised by the realignment, but we can significantly ease manufacturers' concerns about providing the necessary information in the most efficient manner possible," Dobert said.

"Our system gives manufacturers the added advantage of being able to use Epson Colorworks printers to generate the labels at their own locations," he said.

For a sample or more information, contact Gina Butler at [email protected] or 800-444-5144.

Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI, ATL is a leading designer and manufacturer of labeling solutions for a wide variety of industries. Visit http://www.atlco.com to learn more.

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