# Presentation: 177130

## The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Hazard Classification and Labelling

- Development of a Worldwide System for Hazard Communication

## What is the GHS?

- A common and coherent approach to defining and classifying hazards, and communicating information on labels and safety data sheets.
- Target audiences include workers, consumers, transport workers, and emergency responders.
- Provides the underlying infrastructure for establishment of national, comprehensive chemical safety programs.

## Why is the GHS needed?

- No country has the ability to identify and specifically regulate every hazardous chemical product.
- For example, in the United States, there are an estimated 650,000 such products.
- Adoption of requirements for information to accompany the product helps address protection needs.

## Why? (cont.)

- Many different countries have come to the same conclusion about using information dissemination as a regulatory means to address chemical hazards.
- While similar, they are different enough to require multiple labels and safety data sheets for the same product in international trade.

## Why? (cont.)

- Countries with systems have different requirements for hazard definitions as well as information to be included on a label or material safety data sheet.
- For example, a product may be considered flammable or toxic in one country, but not in another to which it is being shipped.

## Why? (cont.)

- These differences impact both protection and trade.
- In the area of protection, users in countries that don’t have specific requirements may see different label warnings or data sheet information for the same chemical.

## Why? (cont.)

- In the area of trade, the need to comply with multiple regulations regarding hazard classification and labelling is costly and time-consuming.
- Small to medium enterprises are effectively precluded from international trade in chemicals due to the regulatory burden of compliance.

## Benefits of Harmonization

- Countries, international organizations, chemical producers and users of chemicals all benefit.
- Enhance protection of humans and  environment.
- Facilitate international trade in chemicals.
- Reduce need for testing and evaluation.
- Assist countries and international organizations to ensure the sound management of chemicals.

## International Mandate

- An international mandate to harmonize was adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 in Brazil:
*A globally-harmonized hazard classification and compatible labelling system, including material safety data sheets and easily understandable symbols, should be available, if feasible, by the year 2000.*

## Major Existing Systems

- UN Transport Recommendations
- European Union (EU) Directives on Substances and Preparations
- Canadian Requirements for Workplace, Consumers and Pesticides
- US Requirements for Workplace, Consumers and Pesticides

## Principles Of Harmonization

- Protections will not be reduced;                                        comprehensibility will be key.
- All types of chemicals will be covered; will be based on intrinsic properties (hazards) of chemicals.
- All systems will have to be changed.

## Process of Harmonization

- Under the umbrella of the Interorganization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC).  Coordinating Group for Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems (CG/HCCS) managed the process.
- Technical work divided among international focal points.

## The Technical Focal Points

- The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- The UN Committee of Experts for the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNCETDG)
- The International Labor Organization (ILO)

## The Scope of the GHS		

- Covers all hazardous chemical substances, dilute solutions, and mixtures.
- Pharmaceuticals, food additives, cosmetics and pesticide residues in food will not be covered at the point of intentional intake, but will be covered where workers may be exposed, and in transport.

## The GHS Elements

- Classification Criteria
- Health and Environmental Hazards
- Physical Hazards
- Mixtures
- Hazard Communication
- Labels
- Safety Data Sheets

## Health & Environmental Hazards

- 		Acute Toxicity
- Skin Corrosion/Irritation
- Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation
- Respiratory or Skin Sensitization
- Germ Cell Mutagenicity
- Carcinogenicity
- Reproductive Toxicity
- Target Organ Systemic Toxicity – Single and Repeated Dose
- Hazardous to the Aquatic Environment

##        Tiered Approach to Classification

- Generally use test data for the mixture,   when available
****
- Use bridging principles, if applicable
****
- For health and environmental hazards, estimate hazards based on the known ingredient information

## Physical Hazards 

- Definitions, test methods and classification criteria for transport were used as a basis for the work since they were already harmonized.

**Notes:**
Based on existing TDG requirements, changes were made to address needs of other sectors.

##      Physical Hazards

- Explosives
- Flammability – gases, aerosols, liquids, solids
- Oxidizers – liquid, solid, gases
- Self-Reactive
- Pyrophoric – liquids, solids
- Self-Heating
- Organic Peroxides
- Corrosive to Metals
- Gases Under Pressure
- Water-Activated Flammable Gases

**Notes:**
Focal Point:  UN Committee of Experts on Transport of Dangerous Goods, in cooperation with the ILO.

## Comprehensibility 

**Guiding principles:**
- Information should be conveyed in more than one way.
- The comprehensibility of the components of the system should take account of existing studies and evidence gained from testing.
- The phrases used to indicate the degree (severity) of hazard should be consistent across different hazard types.

## Labels

- The Working Group identified about 35 different types of information that are currently required on labels by different systems.
- To harmonize, key information elements needed to be identified.
- Additional harmonization may occur on other elements in time, in particular for precautionary statements.

##      Key Label Elements 

- Product identifier
- Supplier identifier
- Chemical identity
- Hazard pictograms*
- Signal words*
- Hazard statements*
- Precautionary information
***Standardized**

## Pictogram Shape and Colour

- For transport, pictograms will have the background and symbol colours currently used.
- For other sectors, pictograms will have a black symbol on a white background with a red diamond frame.  A black frame may be used for shipments within one country.
- Where a transport pictogram appears, the GHS pictogram for the same hazard should not appear.

##   Transport Pictograms

-   Transport Pictograms

## !

**!**

##   Signal Words

-            “Danger” or “Warning”
- Used to emphasize hazard and discriminate between levels of hazard.

## Hazard Statements

- A single harmonized hazard statement for each level of hazard within each hazard class
- Example:  Flammable liquids
- Category 1: Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
- Category 2: Highly flammable liquid and vapour
- Category 3: Flammable liquid and vapour
- Category 4: Combustible liquid

## Precautionary Information

- GHS label should include appropriate precautionary information.
- The GHS document includes examples of precautionary statements which can be used.
- The intent is to harmonize precautionary statements in the future.

## Role of the SDS in the GHS

- The SDS should provide comprehensive information about a chemical substance or mixture.
- Primary Use:  The Workplace
- Employers and workers use the SDS as a source of information about hazards and to obtain advice on safety precautions.

## SDS Format:  16 headings

- 1.		Identification
- 2.		Hazard(s) identification
- 3.		Composition/information on ingredients
- 4.		First-aid measures
- 5.		Fire-fighting measures
- 6.		Accidental release measures
- 7.		Handling and storage
- 8.		Exposure control/personal protection

##  Format:  16 headings (cont.)

- 9.		Physical and chemical properties
- 10.	Stability and reactivity
- 11.	Toxicological information
- 12.	Ecological information
- 13.	Disposal considerations
- 14.	Transport information
- 15.	Regulatory information
- 16.	Other information

## Confidential Business Information

- National authorities should establish appropriate mechanisms for CBI protection.  CBI will not be harmonized under the GHS.
- The provisions for CBI protection should not compromise the health and safety of users.
- CBI claims should be limited to the names of chemicals and their concentrations in mixtures.
- Mechanisms should be established for disclosure in emergency and non-emergency situations.

## Status of the GHS

- Technical work is done.
- A new UN group has been established to address implementation and maintenance of the GHS.
- The GHS was adopted in December 2002 in the UN.
- It will be available for countries to adopt in 2003.

## Status in the US

- US agencies with requirements for labels and MSDSs have been actively involved in the development process.
- Could be adopted either:
- Legislatively in Congress; or
- By regulation in each affected agency.

## Conclusion

- Development of the GHS has been a long and complicated process.
- Hopefully, it will be adopted by countries around the world and will achieve the projected benefits for protection and trade.

## Information Sources

- OSHA has a web page on the GHS:
- http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/
- hazardcommunications/global.html
- Includes links to the completed GHS document & international organizations.