Hazard Communication in Puerto Rico: PR OSHA and the 2024 HazCom Update

Short answer: Not adopted as far as we could find; unconfirmed. Hazard communication in Puerto Rico is enforced by PR OSHA under Puerto Rico’s State Plan, and State Plans adopt federal OSHA’s 2024 update on their own timelines. Status, rule citation and dates checked October 10, 2026 against official sources linked below; not legal advice.

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Who enforces HazCom in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico runs its own OSHA-approved State Plan. Workplace hazard communication is enforced by the Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR OSHA), part of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources.

“The Puerto Rico State Plan applies to private sector workplaces in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico”, except areas federal OSHA keeps, including marine construction and maritime employment, private employment on federal property where federal employees are regularly present, federal contractor-operated sites and construction on federal property, private employment inside secured U.S. military installations, and aircraft cabin crew on aircraft in operation. The plan also covers state and local government workers, but not federal government employers (osha.gov/stateplans/pr).

The Puerto Rico HazCom rule

PR OSHA adopts each federal standard as its own regulation filed with the Puerto Rico Department of State; the Hazard Communication rule on file is Regulation 8221 (filed June 18, 2012), which adopts the 2012 federal rule (77 FR 17574) for general industry (Part 4 OSH 1910), with corrections in Regulation 8421 (August 13, 2013).

Is the 2024 HazCom update in effect in Puerto Rico?

“PR OSHA has identically adopted all OSHA standards and regulations applicable to state and local government and private sector employment with minor revisions to the recordkeeping regulation.” — osha.gov: Puerto Rico State Plan

Puerto Rico-specific differences

We found no Puerto Rico-specific hazard communication requirement. osha.gov lists PR OSHA’s own standards as workplace violence (including domestic violence incidents at work), boilers and pressure vessels, and elevators, none of them about hazard communication (osha.gov/stateplans/pr). PR OSHA publishes its standards in Spanish translation on its site (trabajo.pr.gov/prosha).

The federal dates, for context

Federal OSHA’s updated standard was published May 20, 2024 (89 FR 44144) and took effect July 19, 2024. The compliance dates in 29 CFR 1910.1200(j) (eCFR, checked October 10, 2026) are:

Between May 20, 2024 and those dates, anyone covered may comply with the revised standard, the version in effect as of July 1, 2023, or both ((j)(4)). These dates already include the four-month extension OSHA published on January 15, 2026 (91 FR 1695); the 2024 rule as first published said January 19, 2026, July 20, 2026, July 19, 2027 and January 19, 2028. A State Plan that adopted the 2024 rule but not the extension, or that set its own dates, can have different deadlines, which is why the state section above matters.

What to do now (true in every state)

Every State Plan’s HazCom rule must be at least as effective as the federal one, so these basics apply whichever version your state enforces today:

• A written hazard communication program with a list of the hazardous chemicals on site, using the product identifier on each SDS. See what the written program must contain.
• A current SDS for every hazardous chemical, readily accessible to employees on every shift in their work areas. Your supplier writes the SDS and must send it with the first shipment; your job is to obtain, keep and give access to it. See SDS requirements for employers.
• Labels on shipped containers left intact, and workplace labels on containers you fill yourself. See secondary container labels.
• Training at initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced. See HazCom training requirements.
• The 2024 update: as revised SDSs arrive from suppliers, swap them in, and update workplace labels, the written program and training by the date that applies in your state (see above). If your state’s date is unclear, ask the agency and plan for the earliest possible date.

SDSentry keeps your library of supplier SDSs current and reachable from any phone, so swapping in revised sheets during the 2024 update is quick. SDSentry manages the SDSs your suppliers publish; it does not write them.

Tier II is a different law

EPCRA Tier II chemical inventory reporting comes from a separate federal law (the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, an EPA program) and is filed with emergency planning agencies, not with PR OSHA. See EPCRA Tier II reporting.

Other State Plan states

See the 2024 HazCom update status in all State Plan states we cover.

Sources (checked October 10, 2026)

• Puerto Rico Department of State: register of regulations
• Regulation 8221 (Hazard Communication, 2012)
• Regulation 8421 (Hazard Communication corrections, 2013)
• PR OSHA
• osha.gov: Puerto Rico State Plan
• eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.1200(j)
• Federal Register 91 FR 1695 (January 15, 2026)

Questions about how PR OSHA applies a rule to your workplace: contact PR OSHA.

Educational information only, not legal or compliance advice. Requirements can vary by product, use and jurisdiction — verify at osha.gov/hazcom and 29 CFR 1910.1200, or consult a qualified professional.