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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Chapter 3716 | Labeling of Hazardous Substances

 
 
 
Section
Section 3716.01 | Labeling of hazardous substances definitions.
 

As used in sections 3716.01 to 3716.07, inclusive, of the Revised Code:

(A) "Department" means the department of health.

(B) "Director" means the director of health.

(C) "Person" includes an individual, partnership, corporation, or association.

(D) "Hazardous substance" means any substance or mixture of substances which is toxic, corrosive, an irritant, strong sensitizer, flammable, or which generates pressure through decomposition, heat, or other means, if such substance or mixture of substances may cause substantial personal injury or illness during any customary or reasonably anticipated handling or use.

(E) "Toxic" applies to any substance which has the inherent capacity to produce bodily injury to man through ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through any body surface.

(F)(1) "Highly toxic" means any substance which falls within any of the following categories:

(a) Produces death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more laboratory white rats each weighing between two hundred and three hundred grams, at a single dose of fifty milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight, when orally administered;

(b) Produces death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more laboratory white rats each weighing between two hundred and three hundred grams, when inhaled continuously for a period of one hour or less at an atmospheric concentration of two hundred parts per million by volume or less of gas, vapor, mist, or dust provided such concentration is likely to be encountered by a human being when the substance is used in any reasonably foreseeable manner;

(c) Produces death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more rabbits tested in a dosage of two hundred milligrams or less per kilogram of body weight, when administered by continuous contact with the bare skin for twenty-four hours or less.

(2) If the director finds that available data on human experience with any substance indicates results different from those obtained on animals in the above named dosages or concentrations, the human data shall take precedence.

(G) "Corrosive" means any substance which in contact with living tissue will cause destruction of tissue by chemical action; but shall not refer to action on inanimate surfaces.

(H) "Irritant" means any substance not corrosive within the meaning of division (G) of this section which on immediate, prolonged, or repeated contact with normal living tissue will induce a local inflammatory reaction.

(I) "Strong sensitizer" means any substance which will cause on normal living tissue, through an allergic or photodynamic process, a hypersensitivity which becomes evident on reapplication of the same substance and which is designated as such by the director. Before designating any substance as a strong sensitizer, the director shall, after public hearing following due notice, find that the frequency of occurrence and severity of the reaction indicate a significant potential for causing hypersensitivity.

(J) "Extremely flammable" applies to any substance which has a flash point at or below twenty degrees Fahrenheit as determined by the tagliabue open cut tester.

(K) "Flammable" applies to any substance which has a flash point of above twenty degrees to and including eighty degrees Fahrenheit, as determined by the tagliabue open cut tester; except that the flammability of the contents of self-pressurized containers shall be determined by methods generally applicable to such containers and established by regulation of the director.

(L) "Label" means a display of written, printed, or graphic matter upon or attached to the immediate package or container of any substance. Any word, statement, or other information required by sections 3716.01 to 3716.07, inclusive, of the Revised Code, to appear on the label must also appear (1) on the outside container or wrapper, if any, unless it is easily legible through the outside container or wrapper, and (2) on all accompanying literature where there are directions for use, written or otherwise.

(M) "Immediate container" does not include package liners.

(N) "Misbranded package" means any container of a hazardous substance intended or suitable for household use which fails to bear a label:

(1) Which states conspicuously:

(a) The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor;

(b) The common or usual name, or the chemical name or the recognized generic name (not trade name only) of the hazardous substance or of each component which contributes substantially to its hazard;

(c) The signal word "DANGER" on substances which are extremely flammable, corrosive, or which:

(i) Produce death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more laboratory white rats each weighing between two hundred and three hundred grams, at a single dose of one gram or less per kilogram of body weight, when orally administered;

(ii) Produce death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more laboratory white rats each weighing between two hundred and three hundred grams, when inhaled continuously for a period of one hour or less at an atmospheric concentration of two thousand parts per million by volume of gas, vapor, mist, or dust, provided such concentration is likely to be encountered by a human being when the substances are used in any reasonably foreseeable manner;

(iii) Produce death within fourteen days in half or more than half of a group of ten or more rabbits tested in a dosage of one gram or less per kilogram of body weight, when administered by continuous contact with the bare skin for twenty-four hours or less;

(iv) If the director finds that available data on human experience with any substance indicates results different from those obtained on animals in the above named dosages or concentrations, the director may require the use of the signal word "DANGER" on such substance or permit use of the signal word "WARNING" or "CAUTION" on such substance.

(d) The signal word "WARNING" or "CAUTION" on all other hazardous substances;

(e) An affirmative statement of the principal hazard or hazards, such as "Flammable," "Vapor Harmful," "Causes Burns," "Absorbed Through Skin," or similar wording descriptive of the hazard;

(f) Precautionary measures describing the action to be followed or avoided;

(g) Instructions, when necessary, for the first-aid treatment in case of contact or exposure, if the substance is hazardous through contact or exposure;

(h) The word "poison" for any hazardous substance which is defined as "highly toxic" by division (F) of this section;

(i) Instructions for handling and storage of packages which require special care in handling or storage;

(j) The statement "Keep out of the reach of children," or its practical equivalent.

(2) On which any statements required under division (N)(1) of this section are located prominently and are in the English language in legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color with other printed matter on the label.

The director shall, by regulations, provide for minimum information which shall appear on the labels for small packages, which labels need not include all of the information required by this section. The director may permit less than the foregoing statement of the hazard or precautionary measures for labels of hazardous substances presenting only minor hazards; and the term "misbranded package" does not apply to packages of economic poisons subject to the "Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act," 61 Stat. 163 (1947), 7 U.S.C.A. 135, nor to packages of foods, drugs, and cosmetics subject to the "Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act," nor to sections 3715.01 to 3715.72, inclusive, of the Revised Code.

Section 3716.02 | Prohibited acts.
 

The following acts and the causing thereof are hereby prohibited:

(A) The sale or delivery for sale of any misbranded package of a hazardous substance;

(B) The alteration, mutilation, destruction, obliteration, or removal of the whole or any part of the label of, or the doing of any other act with respect to a hazardous substance, if such act is done while the substance is held for sale and which results in the hazardous substance being in a misbranded package;

(C) The refusal to permit entry or inspection as authorized by section 3716.03 of the Revised Code;

(D) A re-use of food, drug, or cosmetic containers still bearing original labels or identifiable as such by characteristic shape, impression, or closures as containers for hazardous substances is prohibited.

Section 3716.03 | Director of health - powers and duties.
 

The director of health shall:

(A) Adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for the efficient enforcement of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code;

(B) Conduct examinations, inspections, and investigations for the purpose of establishing such regulations, through such officers of the department of health or the boards of health, as the director delegates;

(C) Designate officers and employees to enter at reasonable times any factory, warehouse, or establishment in which hazardous substances are held, or to enter any vehicle being used to transport or hold such hazardous substance:

(1) For the purpose of determining the nature of such substances;

(2) To inspect or copy all records showing the movement of any such hazardous substance, or the holding thereof during or after such movement, and the quantity, shipper, and consignee thereof; provided, evidence obtained under this subdivision shall not be used in a criminal prosecution of the person from whom obtained;

(D) Inspect and sample, upon tender of reasonable price for such sample, at reasonable times and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, finished hazardous substances in retail packages and labeling thereon in such factory, warehouse, establishment, or vehicle.

Section 3716.04 | Handling of violations not constituting serious danger to public health.
 

(A) Whenever the director of health finds or has probable cause to believe that any hazardous substance is misbranded as defined in division (N) of section 3716.01 of the Revised Code, he shall, unless he finds that the article is so misbranded as to constitute a serious danger to the public health, give the manufacturer or distributor, whose name appears on the label, written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to reply to such notice within ten days. If the director finds that the article is so misbranded as to constitute a serious danger to the public health, or if after ten days following the written notice of the suspected violation he finds that the article is misbranded, he may, affix to such article a tag or other appropriate marking, giving notice that such article is, or is suspected of being in violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code, and has been detained or embargoed, and warning all persons not to dispose of such article by sale or otherwise until permission for removal is given by the director or the court. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or dispose of such detained or embargoed article by sale or otherwise without such permission.

(B) When an article detained or embargoed has been found by the director to be in violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code, he shall petition to any court of competent jurisdiction in whose jurisdiction the article is detained or embargoed for an order for condemnation of such article. When the director has not found within ten days that an article so detained or embargoed is in violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code, he shall remove the tag or other marking. When the director institutes proceedings under this section the embargo upon such goods shall remain in full effect until a final determination of such proceeding.

(C) If the court finds that the detained or embargoed article is in violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code, such article shall, after entry of the decree, be destroyed at the expense of the claimant thereof, under the supervision of the director, and all court costs, fees, storage, and other proper expenses shall be charged against the claimant of such hazardous substance or his agent; provided, that the violation can be corrected by proper labeling or processing of the substance, the court, after entry of the decree and after such costs, fees, and expenses have been paid and a good and sufficient bond, conditioned that such substance shall be so labeled or processed, has been executed, may by order direct that the substance be delivered to the claimant therefor for such labeling or processing under the supervision of the director. The expense of such supervision shall be paid by such claimant. Such bond shall be returned to the claimant on representation to the court by the director that the substance is no longer in violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code, and that the expenses of such supervision have been paid.

Section 3716.05 | Injunctions.
 

In addition to the remedies provided in section 3716.04 of the Revised Code, and irrespective of whether or not there exists an adequate remedy at law, the director of health is hereby authorized to apply to the court of common pleas wherein any of the provisions of section 3716.02 are being violated for a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from such violation.

Section 3716.06 | Publication of reports - dissemination of information.
 

The director of health may cause to be published from time to time reports summarizing any judgments, decrees, or court orders which have been rendered under sections 3716.01 to 3716.07, inclusive, and 3716.99 of the Revised Code, including the nature of the charge and the disposition thereof.

The director may also cause to be disseminated information regarding hazardous substances in situations involving, in the opinion of the director, imminent danger to health. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the director from collecting, reporting, and illustrating the results of the investigations of the department of health.

Section 3716.07 | Notice and hearing required before violation reported to prosecuting attorney, city director of law, or village counsel.
 

Before any violation of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code is reported by the director or board to any prosecuting attorney, city director of law, or village counsel for institution of a criminal proceeding, the person against whom such proceeding is contemplated shall be given appropriate notice and opportunity to present his views, either orally or in writing, with regard to the contemplated proceeding.

Section 3716.08 | Lack of knowledge of misbranding.
 

No person shall be held to have violated any of the provisions of sections 3716.01 to 3716.07, inclusive, of the Revised Code, nor be subject to the penalties provided in section 3716.99 of the Revised Code, if such person sells or delivers for sale the hazardous substance which he has purchased for resale where the hazardous substance bears a label at the time of such purchase for resale by such person and such person does not alter or change such label in any way and has no knowledge that such hazardous substance is in a misbranded package.

Section 3716.11 | Placing harmful or hazardous objects in food or confection.
 

No person shall do either of the following, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that any person may suffer physical harm or be seriously inconvenienced or annoyed thereby:

(A) Place a pin, needle, razor blade, glass, laxative, drug of abuse, or other harmful or hazardous object or substance in any food or confection;

(B) Furnish to any person any food or confection which has been adulterated in violation of division (A) of this section.

Section 3716.99 | Penalty.
 

(A) Whoever violates section 3716.02 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree on a first offense. On each subsequent offense such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.

(B) No person is subject to prosecution for a violation of division (A) of section 3716.02 of the Revised Code with respect to any hazardous substance shipped or delivered for shipment for export to any foreign country, in a package marked for export and branded in accordance with the specifications of the foreign purchaser and in accordance with the laws of the foreign country.

(C) Whoever violates section 3716.11 of the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.