A Guide to The Globally Harmonized System of ...

1 A Guide to The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) i Acronyms/Abbreviations The following list presents some acronyms and abbreviations used in this document. The - Glossary contains a more complete list. ANSI: American National Standards Institute APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ASTM: American Society of Testing and Materials CA: Competent Authority CAS: Chemical Abstract Service CBI: Confidential Business Information CFR: Code of Federal Regulations CG/HCCS: Coordinating Group for the Harmonization of Chemical Classification Systems CPSC: Consumer Product Safety Commission DOT: Department of Transportation EINECS: European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances EPA: Environmental Protection Agency EU: European Union FIFRA.

2 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act GHS: Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals HCS: Hazard Communication Standard IARC: International Agency for the Research on Cancer IFCS: International Forum on Chemical Safety ILO: International Labor Organization IOMC: Inter-organization Program on the Sound Management of Chemicals ISO: International Standards Organization IUPAC: International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry LD50 : Lethal dose 50 mg/kg: Milligram per kilogram MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration OECD: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development QSARs: Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships iiSDS: Safety Data Sheet SME: Small and medium sized enterprises TFHCL: Task Force on the Harmonization of Classification and Labeling TSCA: Toxic Substances Control Act UN: United Nations UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCETDG: United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods UNCETDG/GHS.

3 United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and Research WG: work group WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System WSSD: World Summit on Sustainable Development iii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Background ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ------- 1 What is the GHS? ---------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- 1 Why was the GHS developed?

4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------- 2 What was the International Mandate? ---------------------------------------- ----------- 4 How was the GHS developed? ---------------------------------------- ------------------- 4 How will the GHS be maintained and updated? --------------------------------------- 5 When will the GHS be implemented? ---------------------------------------- ----------- 6 What are the benefits? ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 6 2. How is the GHS to be applied? ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- 8 Are all chemicals covered by the GHS?

5 ---------------------------------------- -------- 8 Will all hazardous chemicals require a GHS label and Safety Data Sheet? --------9 How will the GHS impact existing regulations? --------------------------------------- 9 What is meant by GHS Building Blocks? ---------------------------------------- ----- 10 How should the GHS Building Blocks by applied? ---------------------------------- 10 Transport ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- 11 Workplace ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 12 Consumer ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- 12 Pesticides ---------------------------------------- --------------------------------- 12

6 How will the GHS impact countries without existing regulations?-----------------12 3. What is Classification? ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ 13 What are the GHS Physical Hazards? ---------------------------------------- ---------- 13 Explosives------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- --- 14 Flammable Gases ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ 15 Flammable Aerosols ---------------------------------------- --------------------- 15 Oxidizing Gases ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- 15

7 Gases Under Pressure-------------------------------- ---------------------------- 16 Flammable Liquids ---------------------------------------- ---------------------- 16 Flammable Solids ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ 16 Self-Reactive Substances ---------------------------------------- --------------- 17 Pyrophoric Liquids--------------------------------- ------------------------------ 18 Pyrophoric Solids ---------------------------------------- ------------------------ 18 Self-Heating Substances ---------------------------------------- ---------------- 18 Substances Which in Contact with Water Emit Flammable Gases ------- 18 Oxidizing Liquids ---------------------------------------- -----------------------18 Oxidizing Solids

8 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- 18 Organic Peroxides ---------------------------------------- ----------------------- 19 Substances Corrosive to Metal ---------------------------------------- -------- 19 What are the GHS Health and Environmental Hazards?----------------------------- 20 Acute Toxicity-------------------------------- ------------------------------------ 21 Skin Corrosion------------------------------- ------------------------------------- 21 Skin Irritation ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- 22 Eye Effects

9 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 22 Sensitization ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ 22 ii Germ Cell Mutagenicity---------------------------- ----------------------------- 23 Carcinogenicity------------------------- ---------------------------------------- -- 23 Reproductive Toxicity ---------------------------------------- ------------------- 24 Target Organ Systemic Toxicity.

10 Single Exposure & Repeated Exposure-------------------------------- ------------------------------- 24 Aspiration Toxicity-------------------------------- -------------------------------25 Environmental Hazards ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- 26 Hazardous to the Aquatic Environment --------------------------------------- 26 Acute Aquatic Toxicity ---------------------------------------- -------- 26 Chronic Aquatic Toxicity ---------------------------------------- ----- 26 What is the GHS approach to classifying mi