Hazard Communication Standards: Making Warehouse Risk Understandable

Why people cannot avoid hazards they do not understand

If you walk through a modern warehouse, you will see more than boxes and racks. You will see batteries, cleaners, coatings, aerosols, adhesives, sealants, and sometimes flammables or corrosives. All of those products bring chemical risks with them. Hazard communication standards exist because people cannot protect themselves from risks they do not know about.

In the United States, the backbone of hazard communication is OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, also known as HazCom, found in 29 CFR 1910.1200. It says that employers must classify the hazards of chemicals, have Safety Data Sheets available, label containers properly, and train employees on the hazardous chemicals in their work area. OSHA calls this the worker's right to know and right to understand.

For a 3PL handling thousands of SKUs, this is not just a paperwork requirement. It is a daily operating system. When you have lithium batteries in one aisle, flammable coatings in another, and cleaning chemicals on a mezzanine, you need clear information so workers know what they are dealing with and what to do if something goes wrong.

What hazard communication standards actually require

HazCom is built around a few big ideas that show up in 29 CFR 1910.1200.

First, chemical hazard classification. Manufacturers, importers, and employers have to evaluate chemicals and determine their physical and health hazards. That includes flammability, reactivity, toxicity, and other risks. In practice, 3PLs rely on manufacturers to do this work, but they still have to understand what those classifications mean for storage, handling, and emergency response.

Second, Safety Data Sheets. For each hazardous chemical, there must be a Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, that follows a standard 16 section format aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). SDS documents describe the hazards, protective measures, and what to do in emergencies. They must be readily accessible to employees during every work shift.

Third, labels and other warnings. Containers of hazardous chemicals must be labeled with product identifiers, signal words like Dangerous or Warning, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements, and supplier information. Secondary containers in the warehouse also need some form of hazard information so nothing becomes anonymous.

Fourth, employee training. Workers must be trained on the hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced. Training must cover label elements, SDS format, and how to use the information to protect themselves.

That is the legal structure. The question for a brand is whether your 3PL can turn that structure into something people in the warehouse can actually use.

Bringing hazard information into real operations

Director of Vendor Operations Kay Hillmann lives in this space every day. She helps manage everything from paint and sealant to generators and perfumes. "We are certified in all hazardous materials. We were looking at a matches company, that is a hazardous material. We ship concrete sealant, that is hazardous, a different classification. Paint, your everyday paint you get from a home center, that is hazardous material. Flammables, like gas power generators, that is hazardous material. Perfumes, alcohol."

Each of those product types arrives with hazard classifications and SDS documentation. G10's job is to make sure that information does not die in a filing cabinet. It has to show up in slotting decisions, storage rules, handling instructions, and emergency plans.

Hazard communication also intersects with packaging and shipping choices. If a liquid is corrosive or flammable, that affects which inner pack and outer carton are appropriate and how packages are labeled for carriers. While HazCom is an OSHA standard and DOT hazmat rules live in 49 CFR Parts 171 through 180, the same chemical information supports both sets of regulations.

Culture and communication go hand in hand

Hazard communication standards work best in a culture where people feel comfortable asking questions and raising concerns. Rules on paper are not enough.

CTO and COO Bryan Wright talks about that culture at G10. "I think that just comes to being fair with people, understanding, and just being a person. Caring about your employees." When employees feel respected, they are more likely to say, this drum looks wrong, this label is missing, or this smell seems off.

Director of Operations and Projects Maureen Milligan describes G10's culture as "ground up," with a focus on listening to ideas from the warehouse floor. "Just because you happen to work in a warehouse does not mean that your idea is not valid." In hazard communication terms, that means employees are treated as eyes and ears, not just hands.

Maureen also points to the impact of employee longevity. Many G10 workers have been there for years. In safety language, that means more experience identifying what looks normal and what does not. It also supports peer-to-peer communication. When an experienced employee tells a new hire why a certain aisle has special rules, they are extending the hazard communication program in a human way.

Technology as a hazard communication tool

OSHA does not require a warehouse management system to manage hazard communication, but technology can make compliance and safety much easier.

Bryan explains that a strong WMS is part of G10's backbone. "A bad WMS system will not track inventory 100 percent, as it should. A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it." For hazard communication, that inventory data can include flags for hazardous products, storage requirements, and links to SDS documentation.

Because Bryan built the WMS that G10 uses, his team can encode hazard information directly into locations and processes. Certain SKUs can be tagged as flammable, corrosive, or otherwise hazardous. The system can restrict slotting into incompatible areas, trigger special handling instructions, or show warnings at packing stations.

When hazard information is tied to barcodes and scan events, it stops living only in binders and starts living where people actually do the work.

Training that connects dots instead of checking boxes

OSHA's HazCom Standard requires employers to train workers on labels, SDS, and the hazards of chemicals they work with. But the quality of that training varies widely.

At G10, hazmat training is not a one time slide deck. Director of Vendor Operations Kay explains that they built their program with national experts. "We have been certified by the expert in the country on hazardous materials in all classifications." That expert works closely with agencies and large shippers, so the training reflects current regulations, not last decade's rules.

Good hazard communication training helps employees answer simple questions in the moment. What is this product. What hazards does it present. What PPE should I wear. What should I never do with it. What should I do if it spills or leaks.

Training also has to keep up with change. New SKUs, new categories, and new customers can all introduce new chemicals into the building. Every time that happens, the hazard communication program has to absorb the change and push clear information out to the floor.

How hazard communication ties into OSHA and beyond

Hazard communication standards are not isolated. They intersect with many other safety and compliance obligations.

OSHA's general duty clause requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized serious hazards. HazCom helps identify those hazards and give workers tools to protect themselves. Other OSHA standards on personal protective equipment, flammable and combustible liquids, and emergency planning all depend on accurate chemical information.

When hazardous materials are also shipped in commerce, DOT's Hazardous Materials Regulations depend on similar information for classification, packaging, marking, and labeling. A product that is flammable in the warehouse is also flammable in the truck. A corrosive that can burn skin can also eat through packaging if it leaks.

For retailers and marketplaces, hazard communication matters too. They want assurance that products are handled safely in upstream warehouses and that any incidents will be managed professionally. A 3PL that can explain its hazard communication program clearly will be more attractive than one that shrugs and points to a dusty SDS binder.

Practical hazard communication in a busy warehouse

Director of Operations Holly Woods spends a lot of time thinking about what happens when volume spikes. She describes how G10 plans for peaks like Black Friday and Prime Day. "We have very intensive planning as we get close to a peak timeframe. We run forecast models, staffing models, and we audit inventory, equipment. All of these preparations happen ahead of season just to ensure that we can handle anything that comes our way."

Hazard communication has to work under those conditions, not just on a quiet Tuesday.

Holly also talks about introducing Zebra robots to reduce fatigue and walking distance. By keeping people in defined zones and letting robots carry carts, G10 lowers physical strain and makes it easier to control who works around hazardous products. When you know who is in which zone and what chemicals live there, you can aim training and communication more precisely.

VP of Customer Experience Joel Malmquist sees the customer side of this story. He talks about employees advocating for merchants and going the extra mile in crunch moments, like sending someone with a flatbed to the FedEx hub to hit a Prime Day cutoff. That kind of dedication is powerful, but it has to sit on a foundation where people also know when to stop and handle a hazard safely instead of just pushing through.

What brands should ask about hazard communication

If your products involve any kind of chemical risk, hazard communication standards should be on your due diligence list when you choose a 3PL.

Ask how they manage SDS access. Is it a binder, a portal, or integrated into systems. Ask how they train workers on chemical hazards and how often that training is refreshed. Ask how they flag hazardous SKUs in their WMS and how that affects slotting, handling, and emergency planning.

Most importantly, ask who owns hazard communication inside their organization. If the answer is vague, that is a red flag. If the answer is detailed and includes references to OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, SDS management, and integration with hazmat shipping rules, that is a good sign.

Turning hazard communication into an advantage

It is easy to treat hazard communication as a regulatory chore. In reality, it is a way to build trust with your own employees, with carriers, and with retailers.

When workers know what they are handling and how to protect themselves, they are more confident and less likely to make dangerous mistakes. When carriers see that your operation understands the hazards of what you ship, they are more comfortable hauling your freight. When retailers know you are handling chemicals responsibly, they are more comfortable expanding your footprint in their network.

Kay sums up the mindset that makes hazard communication work. "We follow regulations and guidelines to a T because we want to make sure that we are doing it legally, correctly, and safely." That is exactly what OSHA had in mind when it wrote the Hazard Communication Standard.

If your products bring chemical risk into the warehouse, talk with G10 about how a strong hazard communication program can keep your teams informed, your regulators satisfied, and your customers confident as you grow.