GHS regulations state that all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) need to be converted to GHS format by June 1, 2015. The goal is to make the handling and transportation of chemicals safer and easier with a structured set of uniformed international guidelines.
But who is affected by these laws? If you are a manufacturer, supplier, or a user of chemicals, you are required to comply with these new directives for the classification and labelling of hazardous materials. In most cases, this applies to:
- – Workplace chemicals
- – Consumer chemicals
- – Pesticides
- – Products regulated under the transportation of dangerous goods
If you are not sure if these regulations apply to your chemicals and if you are required to provide a GHS SDS, check the criteria listed in the GHS purple book. In the U.S. OSHA estimates that 5 million workplaces employing over 40 million workers will be impacted. A similar impact is expected in other countries around the world.
In order to make sure that your business complies with the GHS regulations, the following steps should be taken:
- Classify all chemicals according to GHS criteria – the criteria is listed in the GHS purple book
- Use labels that are formatted according to the standardized GHS regulation
- Convert all MSDSs to GHS SDSs
- Train employees on new label elements and SDS format
