After a decade of hearing complaints about inaccurate, complicated, and shallow material safety data sheets, OSHA decided to take a second look at its hazard communication standard in 1995. The agency's advisory committee--the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health--stepped in to study the problem and recommend solutions.

In late 1996, the group issued a 90-page report. OSHA endorsed the findings, but put off taking any action until a global agreement on harmonizing hazard communication requirements can hopefully be reached. So the MSDS headache continues to plague companies large and small.