The GHS:The Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Classification and Labelling

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What is the GHS?

• A common and coherent approach to defining and classifying hazards, and communicating information on labels and safety data sheets.
• Provides the underlying infrastructure for establishment of comprehensive national chemical health and safety programs.

International Mandate

• 1992 UNCED Agreement (Rio Earth Summit), endorsed by the UN General Assembly:
  
  • 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. (Programme Area B, Chapter 19, Agenda 21).
    
• The GHS is one of the successes of the Rio Earth Summit.

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 duplicate testing and evaluation.
  • Assist countries and international organizations to ensure the sound management of chemicals.

Major Existing Systems

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

Principles Of Harmonization

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

The Scope of the GHS

• 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.

How the Canadian Position has been Developed

• Through consensus
• Interdepartmental Committee includes: HC (PSP: WHMIS, consumer chemical products; foods; therapeutic products; vet drugs; PMRA) TC, HRDC, IC, DFAIT, NRC, EC, CFIA.
• WHMIS Harmonization Task Force
• Consumer Chemicals Harmonization Task Force

The GHS

• Hazard Classification
  
  • Physical
  • Health
  • Environmental
    
• Hazard Communication
  
  • Labelling
  • Safety Data Sheets

The GHS: Classification

Physical Hazards:

• Explosives
• Flammability
• Oxidizers
• Self-Reactive
• Pyrophoric
• Self-Heating
• Organic Peroxides
• Corrosive to Metals

Health & Environmental Hazards:

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

The GHS: Hazard Communication

• Key label elements:
  
  • Product identifier
  • Supplier identifier
  • Chemical identity
  • Hazard pictograms (standardized)
  • Signal words (standardized)
  • Hazard statements (standardized)
  • Precautionary information

The GHS: Label Elements Standardized Pictograms

• 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

GHS pictograms

The GHS: Label Elements Standardized Signal Words

"Danger" or "Warning"

• Used to emphasize hazard and discriminate between levels of hazard

The GHS: Label Elements Standardized Hazard Statements

• A single harmonized hazard statement for each level of hazard within each hazard class.
  
  • Example: Flammable Liquids

The GHS: Safety Data Sheets

• SDS format - 16 Headings
• Similar to the ISO format which WHMIS allows

The Status of the GHS

• The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has international responsibility and oversight of the GHS.
• New parent committee responsible for GHS and TDG
  
  • Existing Subcommittee of Experts on TDG
  • New Subcommittee of Experts on the GHS
    
• The parent committee approved the GHS at its Dec 2002 meeting.
• The UN Economic and Social Council endorsed the GHS in July 2003
• The GHS is now ready for implementation.
• There is international consensus that all countries should have the GHS fully operational by 2008.
• The GHS will be a non-binding agreement, similar to the UN Recommendations for the Transport of Dangerous Goods.
• Countries and sectors within countries will decide whether and how to implement.
  
  However...
  
• Canada has been a leader in the development of the GHS.
• The GHS is a collection of building blocks with which to form a regulatory approach.
  
  • Hazards covered by a sector/system should be consistent with GHS requirements.
  • Not all systems will use all hazard classes, e.g., chronic hazards in transport.

Implementation Considerations - Key Sectors

• Health Canada
  
  • Consumer Chemical Products
  • Pest Control Products
  • Workplace Chemicals (WHMIS)
    
• Transport Canada
  
  • Transport of Dangerous Goods

Conclusion

• The GHS will provide all countries with a structure to classify and label hazardous chemicals.
• It will facilitate both protection and trade by ensuring that consistent and coherent information is provided on all imported and exported chemicals worldwide.
• This information will form the basis of systems for the sound management of chemicals worldwide.
• Development of the GHS has been a difficult and long-term process. The work that has been completed has required much discussion and compromise.
• It is expected that the system will be widely applied, and significant benefits to human health and the environment will be the result of that application.

For more information...

 www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/officialtext.html