AN OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBALLY HARMONIZED SYSTEM FOR THE HHW/CESQG OPERATOR

Kari Meyer, Hazardous Waste SpecialistMetro, Portland Oregon

6/24/14

• Background – Scope and Development of the GHS as an International System

• Hazard Classification– Physical Hazards– Health Hazards– Environmental Hazards

• Hazard Communication Elements

• Labeling– Pictograms– Signal Words– Hazard Statements– Precautionary Statements

• Safety Data Sheets

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

• A set of guidelines developed by the UN to ensure safe production, transport, handling, use and disposal of hazardous materials. (1992 Earth Summit)

• US (OSHA) officially adopted 3/26/12 as HazCom 2012

• Target Audience - workers, employers, consumers, transport workers and emergency responders

• GHS is NOT a law or regulation. It is a logical and comprehensive system intended to harmonize definition, classification and communication of hazard.

SCOPE AND DEVELOPMENT OF GHS

Hazard Criteria, Class and Category

• Hazard Class – The nature of the physical or health hazard

(environmental not in OSHA scope)

• Hazard Category – The division of the criteria within each hazard class

– Categories compare hazard severity within the class

HAZARD CRITERIA

PHYSICAL HAZARDS (16 CLASSIFICATIONS)• Explosives• Flammable gases / Chemically Unstable Gases• Flammable and Non- Flammable aerosols• Oxidizing gases• Gases under pressure• Flammable liquids• Flammable solids• Self-reactive substances• Pyrophoric liquids• Pyrophoric solids• Self-heating substances• Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases• Oxidizing liquids• Oxidizing solids• Organic peroxides• Corrosive to metals

GHS - PHYSICAL HAZARDS

• Substances and Mixtures – generally same criteria

• Same criteria as current for transport classes (some additional categories added)

• Most hazard classes are divided into categories

• In general categories = transport packing groups

GHS HEALTH HAZARDS• Acute toxicity• Skin corrosion/ Irritation• Serious eye damage/ Eye irritation• Sensitization• Germ cell mutagenicity• Reproductive toxicity• Carcinogenicity• Specific target organ toxicity (STOT)

– Single Exposure– Repeat Exposure

• Aspiration Toxicity

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS • Currently only Aquatic Toxicity (acute and chronic) and Hazardous to the Ozone Layer

• A composition that is intended to convey specific physical, health, and environmental hazard information (GHS hazard class and category)

• Eight pictograms are adopted in Hazcom 2012– Red border, black symbol, white background

SYMBOLS (HAZARD PICTOGRAMS)

• Unstable Explosives• Explosives (Divisions 1.1-1.4)• Self-reactives (Type A and Type B with Flame)• Organic Peroxides (Type A and Type B with Flame

EXPLODING BOMB SYMBOL

• Flammable Gases• Flammable Aerosols• Flammable Liquids (Categories 1-3)• Flammable Solids• Self-Reactives (Type B with bomb, Types C-F)• Pyrophoric liquids and solids• Self-heating substances• Substances which in contact with wateremit flammable gases• Organic Peroxides (Type B with bomb, Types C-F)

FLAME SYMBOL

• Oxidizing Gases• Oxidizing Liquids• Oxidizing Solids

FLAME OVER CIRCLE SYMBOL

• Compressed Gas• Liquefied Gas• Refrigerated Liquefied Gas• Dissolved Gas

GAS CYLINDER SYMBOL

• Corrosive to Metals (steel or aluminum >6.25mm/year at 55C)• Skin corrosion/ irritation – category 1 (A, B and C)• Serious eye damage/irritation – Category 1

CORROSION SYMBOL

• Acute Toxicity –Categories 1-3 (oral, inhalation or dermal routes)

SKULL AND CROSSBONES SYMBOL

• Acute Toxicity – Category 4(oral, inhalation or dermalroutes)• Skin Irritation/ Corrosion –Category 2• Serious Eye damage/ irritation –Category 2A• Skin Sensitizer• STOST (single exposure) –Category 3 (respiratory tractirritation, narcotic effects)• Hazardous to the Ozone Layer

EXCLAMATION MARK SYMBOL

• Respiratory Sensitizer• Germ Cell Mutagenicity• Carcinogenicity• Toxic to Reproduction• STOST (single exposure) –Categories 1-2• STOST (repeated exposure) –Categories 1-2• Aspiration Hazard

HEALTH HAZARD SYMBOL

• Acute hazards to the aquaticenvironment – Category 1(Categories 2 and 3 no symbolor signal word)• Chronic hazards to the aquaticenvironment – Categories 1and 2 (Categories 3 and 4 nosymbol or signal word)

ENVIRONMENT SYMBOL

• A word used to indicate the relative level of severity of hazard and alert the reader to a potential hazard on the label

“Danger” – used for the more severe hazards“Warning” – used for the less severe hazards

LABELS: SIGNAL WORD

• Hazard statement for each level of hazard (category) within each hazard class HAZARD: Category

1 highest2 high3 medium4 low

Example: Flammable liquids• Category 1: Extremely flammable liquid and vapour• Category 2: Highly flammable liquid and vapour• Category 3: Flammable liquid and vapour• Category 4: Combustible liquid

Note: This is in reverse order to NMIS/NFPA

LABELS: HAZARD STATEMENTS

• Precautionary statement means a phrase that describes recommended measures that should be taken to minimize or prevent adverse effects.

• There are 4 types of precautionary statements– Prevention– Response– Storage– Disposal

The precautionary phrases are numbered in the GHS but not the Hazcom Standard.

LABELS: PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF GHS LABEL

• Symbols (hazard pictograms) assigned to GHS hazard class and category

• Signal words (danger or warning)• Hazard statements• Precautionary statements• Product identifier (ingredient disclosure)• Supplier identification• Supplemental information

• Label elements located together on the label, tag or mark

• Pictograms must have red border wide enough to be visible and must not be blank

• Where a DOT label appears on a shipped container, the same OSHA pictogram shall not appear.

• Must not conflict with DOT regulations.

• Labels must be in English (other languages also permitted)

LABELS: ARRANGEMENT

• Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import.

• Employers shall have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use.

• Must be in English (additional languages permitted)

• If no relevant information for a sub-heading, must be marked to indicate no data

• SDS can cover similar mixtures

SAFETY DATA SHEETS

1. Identification2. Hazard(s) identification3. Composition/information on ingredients4. First-aid measures5. Fire-fighting measures6. Accidental release measures7. Handling and storage8. Exposure control/ personal protection9. Physical and chemical properties10. Stability and reactivity11. Toxicological information12. Ecological information13. Disposal considerations14. Transport information15. Regulatory information16. Other information

SAFETY DATA SHEETS

kari.meyer@oregonmetro.gov