Hazard Not Otherwise Classified (HNOC)

What Does Hazard Not Otherwise Classified (HNOC) Mean?

A Hazard Not Otherwise Classified (HNOC) is an OSHA term that is defined in the 2012 version of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200 paragraph c) as "an adverse physical or health effect identified through evaluation of scientific evidence during the classification process that does not meet the specified criteria for the physical and health classes identified in this section. This does not extend coverage to adverse physical and health effects for which there is a hazard class addressed in this section, but the effect either falls below the cut off value / concentration limit of the hazard class or is under a GHS hazard category that has not been adopted by OSHA."

Safeopedia Explains Hazard Not Otherwise Classified (HNOC)

In applying the definition of an HNOC, the following guidance should be followed:

• "Adverse physical or health effect" relates to material impairment of health or functional capacity that is directly caused by workplace exposure to the chemical
• The health effect is determined in accordance with the weight of evidence criteria in the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (A.O.3)
• The term 'physical effect' refers to an adverse physical or health effect caused by the use of chemical hazard under normal conditions