Beginners Guide To Ghs Based Hazardous Material Labeling

By Author: thecompliance center
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The GHS is a standardizing system to classify and label chemicals. It is a standard that is adopted across the globe. GHS or Globally Harmonized System is actual a logical approach to present a harmonized approach to label chemicals and other hazardous substances. The system defines health, physical and environmental hazards associated with such products. It includes the classification of materials according to their nature and potent content. The standard also lays importance to enlist protective measures on labels and safety data sheets while transporting them. GHS was introduced to have sound management over such items as they influence basic human life. Any carelessness in their transportation could lead to a major catastrophe. Moreover there was a need to have a common globally adopted system in this domain rather than different specification criteria across different geographical locations.

The system brings common labels for all audiences rather than different one for various sectors or target audiences in US and Europe. It is so because it led to confusion in the worker’s mind and made great pressure ...
... on the concerned company to maintain additional resources for varied regulations.

What are GHS chemical hazard labels elements?

These labels are identical with no sort of variation and depend upon the hazard level of the concerned product. The standardized label elements included in the globally harmonized system are:

Symbols- The presence of this element in a label conveys health, physical and environmental hazard information related to that chemical. These symbols are incorporated in pictograms to be used on the ghs label. It also includes other graphic symbols that convey specific information. There are color and background specific variations for various kinds of shipments.

Signal words- Specific alert wordings such as Danger or Warning is used to emphasize the relative level of severity associated with it. The word danger is used for quite severe and potent material while warning indicates a comparatively less severe hazard. Only one signal word is used on a particular label. If the chemical to be transported has low potent level according to the GHS guidelines then there could be cases that no signal word is used with it.

Hazard Statements- These statements actually include phrases that describe the nature of hazard. An appropriate statement to explain every individual hazard associated with the chemical should be included in the label.

Other elements include precautionary statements, product identifiers (ingredient disclosure), supplier information etc.

This system is beneficial for companies as it increases efficiency and reduces costs when compared to earlier varied compliance regulations. It enhances the credibility of the company as well as makes transportation safer. Therefore it is advised for shippers to follow GHS regulations. If you find this packaging and labeling criteria difficult to implement then you can take the help of specific companies that offer complete packaging and consultation solution in this regard.

Compliance Centre is prominent provider of regulatory compliance during transportation of chemical consignments especially in the case of chemical hazard labels and safety solutions according to the globally harmonized system or GHS.