Update and Latest Developments on the GHS GHS Stocktaking Workshop For Southeast, East and Central Asia 15-17 September 2010 Beijing, People’s Republic

Update and Latest Update and Latest Developments on the GHSDevelopments on the GHS

GHS Stocktaking Workshop For Southeast, East and Central GHS Stocktaking Workshop For Southeast, East and Central Asia Asia

15-17 September 201015-17 September 2010

Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaBeijing, People’s Republic of China

Dr Peter DawsonDr Peter DawsonERMA New ZealandERMA New Zealand

http://www.bmu.de/english/aktuell/4152.php

2

Implementation update

Country/region updates

Building block approach

GHS membership

Technical developments

Updates from Rev.2 to Rev.3

Current and on-going work

Implementation issues

OutlineOutline

Implementation updateImplementation update

4Implementation Status (overview)Implementation Status (overview)

Slide from UNECE SCEGHS Secretariat

Detailed information about the status of implementation worldwide:

http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/implementation_e.html

In force Capacity-buildingpreparation No information available



5Implementation Status (update)Implementation Status (update)

European Union

Implemented 20 January 2009 (Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation – CLP) Regulation (EC) No 1272/ 2008

Based on 2nd revised edition of GHS, some GHS categories not adopted

Chemicals must comply with c&l by 1 Dec 2010, Mixtures (products) must comply by 1 June 2015

1st amendment entered into force 25 September 2009

2nd amendment to bring into line with 3rd revised edition of GHS expected first half of 2011

CLP regulation (Annex VI) includes list of GHS classified chemicals – available online


New Zealand

Implemented July 2001 (for new substances) and applicable to all (new and existing substances) since July 2006

Implemented by regulations under Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996

Implementation based on draft GHS (pre first edition)

Amendments to bring into line with 3rd revised edition of GHS underway, expected to be in force early 2011

Published lists of GHS classified substances, available online


Australia

Following sectoral Building Block Approach

SafeWork Australia (workplace sector) – Australian Criteria for the Classification of Hazardous Chemicals (draft October 2009) – closely follows EU but adopts GHS 3rd edition

Implementation expected start 2012, over 5 years

2 years for chemicals, additional 3 years for mixtures

Office of Chemical Safety and Environmental Health (public health sector) – health hazards only – discussion paper April 2009 (GHS 2nd edition)

Adoption of all GHS classification criteria

Not proposing to adopt GHS pictograms or signal words

Risk based labelling approach


USA

Following sectoral Building Block Approach

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) – workplace sector

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on application of GHS to workplace chemicals – 30 September 2009

Adopts GHS 3rd revised edition

Comment periods and public hearings completed

Moving forward with drafting Final Rule

No confirmed publication date yet

Proposed date of entry into force – within 3 years of publication, during transitional period either existing or new (GHS) system may be used

9Implementation: Building Block Approach Implementation: Building Block Approach

What is the Building Block Approach?

Harmonised elements of the GHS – hazard classes, hazard categories – can be considered as components for forming a regulatory system

Provides flexibility to regulatory approaches

Accommodates sector specific needs

But, could lead to complexity and lack of harmonisation

Use of the same ‘building blocks’ at worldwide level for a given sector is encouraged

Transport sector has achieved GHS implementation internationally by adopting same ‘building blocks’ through UNRTDG (Re.16 aligned with GHS Rev.3)

GHS implementation: BBAGHS implementation: BBA Countries are implementing the GHS using BBA:

GHS hazard USA (Workpl)

EUCLP Reg.

NZ AUS(Workpl)

Korea Singapore

Flammable gas, Cat.2

Flammable liquid, Cat.4 4

Acute toxicity, Cat.5 1

Skin corrosion, Cat.3 1

Skin corrosion, Sub-Cat 1A/1B/1C

Serious eye damage Cat.2 (no sub-categ)

Serious eye damage Sub-cat.2A (only)

Respiratory/skin sensitization Cat.1A/1B

CMR, Cat.1A/1B

Aspiration hazard Cat.2 2

Aquatic hazard, Acute 1 n/a 3

Aquatic hazard, Acute 2 to 3 n/a 2 3

Aquatic hazard, Chronic 1, 2 n/a 3

Aquatic hazard, Chronic 3, 4 n/a 3

Green = adopted Red= not adopted1/ Consumer and domestic chemicals only - proposed change 2/ Proposed3/ Not mandatory (for information only) 4/ Diesel only n/a = not applicable* Data for USA, NZ and AUS according to draft proposals available at the time of writing (still subject to discussion and final adoption).

11Implementation: SummaryImplementation: Summary

Different levels of implementation

By country/region

EU, NZ implementing GHS in several sectors simultaneously

different ‘building blocks’ adopted

By sectors within countries

USA, Australia starting with workplace sector

Different transitional periods for implementation but most countries trying to match EU timeline (mid-2015)

GHS Sub-CommitteeGHS Sub-Committee Member States 36 full members:

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, USA, Zambia

Observers*:

Cambodia, Cyprus, Gambia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Philippines, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand, Uruguay, VietNam

* Countries which have participated as observers in at least one session (Slide courtesy UNECE SCEGHS Secretariat)

GHS Sub-CommitteeGHS Sub-Committee

Membership: member states (April 2010) (slide courtesy UNECE SCEGHS Secretariat)

= Full members = Observers

14GHS Sub-CommitteeGHS Sub-Committee

Observers

International organizations (IO’s) and UN specialized agencies

IMO, ILO, UNITAR, UNEP, WHO, FAO

Inter-governmental organizations (GO’s)

OECD, European Union

Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s)

Many industry related NGO’s

No labour or civil society NGO’s?

Technical developmentsTechnical developments

16Development of the GHSDevelopment of the GHS

GHS Sub-committee has 2-yearly work programmes (biennium)

GHS First edition: 2003

First version of GHS endorsed Dec 2002, published July 2003

GHS First revised edition: 2005

Aspiration hazard, developmental toxicity – ‘effects on or via lactation’, target organ toxicity - respiratory tract irritation/narcotic effects

GHS Second revised edition: 2007

Guidance on application of building block approach

Codification of hazard and precautionary statements

GHS Third revised edition: 2009

17Updates from GHS Rev.2 to Rev.3Updates from GHS Rev.2 to Rev.3

Classification criteria

Miscellaneous changes to clarify some classification criteria

Sub-categorization of respiratory and skin sensitizers

Subcategory 1A – strong sensitizers

Subcategory 1B – other sensitizers

Optional for competent authorities

Same label elements apply to Category 1 and to subcategories 1A and 1B

Different concentration cut-off values for mixture classification apply to subcategories 1A and 1B


Classification criteria

Hazardous to the aquatic environment

Revision of classification criteria for long-term aquatic hazard depending on whether adequate chronic toxicity data available and whether or not rapidly degradable

Different approach to classifying mixtures

New environmental hazard class

Hazardous to the ozone layer

Substances listed in Annexes to Montreal Protocol

Mixtures containing ≥ 0.1% of those substances

Introduces label elements for ODP substances


Labelling

New combined hazard statements for health hazards

Guidance on labelling of small packages

20Current biennium & beyondCurrent biennium & beyond

Work of Sub-Committee in 2009-2010 biennium and on-going

Explosives and related matters – classification of desensitized explosives, fireworks hazards, etc

Classification of chemically unstable gases and gas mixtures

Classification of metals for long-term aquatic hazards

Water activated toxicity (toxic gas released when wet)

Editorial revisions of chapters on skin corrosion/irritation and eye corrosion/irritation (chapters 3.2 and 3.3)

Further alignment of corrosivity criteria in UNRTDG with GHS


Work of Sub-Committee Working Groups in 2009-2010 biennium and on-going

Practical classification issues – development of classification examples for mixtures

Feeds into UNITAR training materials

Improvements of Annexes 1, 2 and 3 on label elements

Precautionary statements – rationalize and improve useability

Dust explosion hazards

Workplace hazard, but is it a GHS matter as not solely related to the instrinsic hazardous properties of a substance – difficult to classify



Labelling of small packages – further guidance needed


Consistent application of ‘building block’ approach – across sectors at national level, for single sector at international level. More guidance needed?

Management of different implementation timelines

Need for new hazard classes/ hazard categories

eg. For nanomaterials? Introduction of physical and chemical properties into safety data sheets considered

Further harmonisation of precautionary statements

Statement P410 – gases under pressure – ‘Protect from sunlight’

Flammable aerosols - pictogram for ‘gases under pressure’




Sector specific guidance material

Eg. IPIECA Guidance on application of GHS to petroleum substances

Need for a list of GHS harmonized classifications for chemicals?

Lists currently published by EU, NZ, Japan, Republic of Korea, UNECE secretariat for some substances in UNRTDG

Differences in classification noted – UNITAR survey, OECD study of classifications of Rotterdam chemicals

China, Japan, Republic of Korea working on joint project for GHS classification of chemicals

OECD eChem Portal – some GHS classified lists available there already



Classification lists

Reasons for differences in results – different datasets used, differences in data interpretation

Need for more guidance, worked examples

For harmonized list using existing lists need to consider

Selection of data used for existing classifications

Development and maintenance of list – who/how?

Need to ensure transparency and record keeping for decisions taken on classifications

Suitable engagement process with stakeholders

Development of harmonized list a challenging issue – to be considered further by SCE GHS

Thank you!Thank you!

Documents

Update and Latest Developments on the GHS GHS Stocktaking Workshop For Southeast, East and Central Asia 15-17 September 2010 Beijing, People’s Republic