PPG's Safety and Health Index System: a 10-year update of an in-plant Hazardous Materials Identification System and its relationship to finished product labeling, industrial hygiene, and medical programs.

The Safety and Health Index System (SHIS) has developed beyond its initial role as an in-plant labeling system. It has evolved into a classification scheme to rank the hazards found in the workplace and is useful in prioritizing industrial hygiene monitoring programs, installation of engineering controls, and implementation of medical monitoring for chronic hazards. In addition to providing objective criteria on which to evaluate physical and acute health hazards, this system addresses chronic health hazards such as carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, and reproductive toxins.