Opinion ID: 543586
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: manufacturer's tort law duty to warn

Text: 19 Finally, we reject the Company's claim that the Secretary's interpretation of the HCS disclosure requirement interferes with its duty, under state tort law, to warn employees of the health hazards posed by its products. Specifically, the petitioner contends that the Secretary's construction of the Standard forces it to bury the warnings that properly belong in the MSDS amidst a mass of obscure and unnecessary information. This is overly dramatic, however. The MSDS for Durez 153 consists of four sparsely filled-in pages of a form, only a few entries on which would have to be elaborated to accommodate the risks to hearts, lungs, and kidneys. Realistically, therefore, OSHA's interpretation of the Standard does not force the manufacturer to choose between complying with the HCS and complying with the teachings of state tort law. 20 For these reasons, the petition for review is 21 Denied.