What is the purpose of globally harmonized system of classification and labeling of chemicals?

GHS provides a common, coherent approach to defining and classifying chemical hazards and the protective measures necessary to prevent exposure. It requires standard labels for all chemicals regardless of manufacturer.  This is the first and most obvious change you will see.  Each label has; the chemical name, a signal word, a hazard statement, pictograms representing the hazards associated with the chemical, precautionary statements and the name and address of the manufacturer.

Click here for an example label.

Signal Words: Danger and Warning
The two signal words that are on every label are 'Danger' and 'Warning'.  What you need to know is that chemicals with the signal word 'Danger' pose the greater hazard. 

Hazard Statements: Key Words
Hazard statements on chemical labels describe the nature of the hazard with key words indicating the severity of the hazard.
Click here to see example hazard statements.

Pictograms
Standard pictograms are used to represent the physical and health hazards related to each chemical. 
Click here to see the GHS pictograms.

Safety Data Sheets

The next significant change was Safety Data Sheets replaced Material Safety Data Sheets.  Unlike the former MSDS, the SDS format has been standardized.  All manufacturers were required to provide safety information in the same format.  This makes it easier to find the pertinent information needed to handle a chemical safely. Click here for a list of the SDS sections.

Hazard Ratings - Significant Change!!!

Be aware of the fact that a significant change has occurred with respect to hazard ratings under GHS. Numeric hazard ratings in GHS are the OPPOSITE of what they were with the Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).  Now, the lower the rating, the higher the hazard! The numeric hazard ratings for a chemical is included on the SDS.  In most cases, this should be found in the Hazards Identification section (section 2). Recent experience however has shown that this may not be the case for every SDS.  Hazard ratings have also been found in section 15 (Regulatory information) and section 16 (Other information).

Click here for a visual reference regarding this change. It will be very important to pay attention to which numeric system is being used!

The GHS

All over the world there are different laws on how to identify the hazardous properties of chemicals (called 'classification') and how information about these hazards is then passed to users (through labels and safety data sheets for workers).

This can be confusing because the same chemical can have different hazard descriptions in different countries. For example, a chemical could be labelled as 'toxic' in one country but not in another. This also acts as a barrier to international trade.

The Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the World Summit held in Johannesburg in 2002 recognised this as an important global issue.

Given the expanding international market in chemical substances and mixtures, to help protect people and the environment, and to facilitate trade, the United Nations (UN) has therefore developed a 'Globally Harmonized System' (GHS) of classification and labelling of chemicals.

The GHS is a single worldwide system for classifying and communicating the hazardous properties of industrial and consumer chemicals. GHS sits alongside the UN 'Transport of Dangerous Goods' system.

The UN brought together experts from different countries to create the GHS with the aim to have, worldwide, the same:

• criteria for classifying chemicals according to their health, environmental and physical hazards
• hazard communication requirements for labelling and safety data sheets

The GHS is not a formal treaty, but instead is a non-legally binding international agreement. Therefore countries (or trading blocs) must create local or national legislation to implement the GHS.

The EU CLP Regulation adopts the GHS throughout Member States of the European Union. Following the UK's exit from the EU, the CLP Regulation has been retained in GB law, with some minor changes, to become the GB CLP Regulation. These arrangements mean GB continues to adopt GHS.

The GHS aims to ensure that information on the hazardous properties of chemicals is available throughout the world in order to enhance the protection of human health and the environment during the handling, transport and use of chemicals. GHS also provides the basis for harmonising regulations on chemicals at national, regional and worldwide level. This is important for facilitating trade. At a more basic level, GHS also aims to provide a structure for countries that do not yet have a classification and labelling system.

The UN anticipates that once fully implemented, the GHS will:

• enhance the protection of human health and the environment by providing a system for hazard communication that is comprehensible throughout the world
• provide a recognised framework for those countries without an existing system
• reduce the need for testing and evaluation of chemicals (agreeing/harmonising classification will help to reduce the need for animal testing)
• facilitate trade in chemicals whose hazards have been properly assessed and identified on an international basis

The UN work programmes continue to develop and refine the GHS in biennial work programmes.

The GHS is sometimes referred to as the 'Purple Book' reflecting the purple binding of the published version of GHS. This is in keeping with the Transport of Dangerous Goods system which is often referred to as the 'Orange Book'!

• UN Globally Harmonized System

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