Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Hazard Classification and Labelling – Potential Misconceptions and Challenges Ahead
标签：classification, GHS, hazard communication, labeling, No.177, SDS, trade compliance • 2013年2月20日 • 0 条评论
Origins of GHS
The origins of GHS can be traced back to 1989 when the International Labor Organization (ILO) adopted a Resolution pertaining to the harmonization of systems of classification and labeling for the use of hazardous chemicals at work, which was followed a year later with a Convention (No.170) and a Recommendation (No.177) concerning safety in the use of chemicals at work (1). Countries adopting this convention were required to have a system in place for hazard classification and labeling. This international instrument laid the cornerstone for subsequent developments culminating in the UN Conference on the Environment and Development, Rio 1992, whereby GHS was endorsed as a priority for international cooperation (2). The first edition of GHS, which was intended to serve as the initial basis for the global implementation of the system, was approved by the Committee of Experts at its first session in 2002 and published in 2003 (3). Since then, the GHS has been updated, revised and improved every two years as needs arise and experience is gained in its implementation.
This article compares three localized SDS writing rules under China GHS, the EU CLP regulation and the US OSHA HCS.
