Como elaborar etiquetas SGA en 3 Pasos
Si su lugar de trabajo usa productos químicos peligrosos, recuerde que necesita tener etiquetas químicas actualizadas que reflejen el estándar del Sistema Globalmente Armonizado (SGA) para el etiquetado químico.
Las etiquetas SGA deben contener información específica, pero una vez que sepa cómo encontrar esa información y dónde colocarla en sus etiquetas, la creación de etiquetas no será difícil.
Así es como puede comenzar a crear etiquetas SGA en 3 pasos:
1. Familiarícese con el formato de etiqueta SGA y el contenido de la hoja de datos de seguridad
Las etiquetas del Sistema Globalmente Armonizado deben incluir 6 elementos clave para cumplir con el estándar 2012 de Comunicación de Peligros (HazCom) de OSHA.
Cada etiqueta o contenedor de GHS debe contener los siguientes elementos
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Nombre o identificador del producto: indica el nombre del producto químico para que los espectadores lo vean de inmediato.
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Palabra de advertencia del SGA: permite a los usuarios determinar rápidamente el nivel de peligro del producto químico de un vistazo.
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Pictogramas de peligro: Transmitir visualmente los peligros de la sustancia química.
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Declaraciones de peligro: Frase (s) que describen los riesgos inherentes a la sustancia química. Estos deben ubicarse dentro de la hoja de datos de seguridad (SDS) y se definen con un código H (por ejemplo, H-101).
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Declaraciones de precaución / primeros auxilios: frases relacionadas con cada declaración de peligro que proporcionan instrucciones de uso o información de primeros auxilios. Al igual que las declaraciones de peligro, se definirán con un código P en la hoja SDS (por ejemplo, P-101).
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Nombre, dirección y número de teléfono de la empresa: indica el nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del fabricante.
Pictogramas SGA
Pictogramas SGA:
Examinemos la parte 3 de la etiqueta GHS, los pictogramas de peligro, un poco más de cerca. Hay 9 pictogramas de GHS que identifican el riesgo en 3 categorías: física, de salud o ambiental.
Su etiqueta puede contener uno o varios pictogramas dependiendo de los peligros que presente el químico.
Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Safety Data Sheets (SDS):
The information you need to make a GHS label is included on a chemical's safety data sheet (SDS), which you should receive from the manufacturer. All the necessary details can be found in the "Product and Company Identification" and "Hazards Identification" sections of the SDS (Sections 1 and 2). Look for company information, required pictograms, H/P-codes, as well as any relevant first aid, handling, and storage instructions.
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Section 1: Product and Company Identification - Product Name, CAS # (where applicable), Manufacturer Name, Address, and Phone #
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Section 2: Hazard Identification - Hazard Pictograms, Signal Word, Hazard Phrases, Precautionary/First Aid Statements, Storage and Disposal
2. Collect the Information for Your GHS Label
Collect the Information for Your GHS Label
Once you've familiarized yourself with the 6 parts of a GHS label and where to find that information on a chemical's SDS, you can start compiling specific information to make your first label. We've provided examples of where you can place this information on your label.
Start with the basics:
Product Name & Manufacturer Information
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Product Name: Begin by finding the product's name and any relevant CAS # located in Section 1 of the SDS.
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Manufacturer's Info: Manufacturer's information is typically located at the end of Section 1. Include the name, address, and phone #.
Next, determine which hazard pictograms are necessary.
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Hazard Pictograms: Pictograms can be found at the start of Section 2 of the product's SDS.
Finally, find the necessary information pertaining to the chemical's hazards
Signal Word & Hazard/Precautionary/First Aid Statements
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Signal Word: Located in Section 2 of the SDS. Will state either Warning or Danger.
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Hazard, Precautionary, and First Aid Statements: Include any/all Hazard, Precautionary, and First Aid Statements listed in Section 2 of the SDS. The actual "H" and "P" Codes do not need to be written (e.g. "H-100: Causes eye irritation" would be written as "Causes eye irritation").
3.-Format and Print you GHS Label Using and Printer
3. Format and Print Your GHS Label Using an Printer
Now you can use the information you collected to create a custom GHS label. To print you can either use a software program you're familiar with such as Microsoft Porwer Point, Word or GHS Label Creator. Either program will let you enter your data and format the template to your liking. There is no exact required format for GHS labels, but they still must contain the 6 required label components.
The sample label below shows a possible label format.
The easiest way to transfer your chemical's information from the SDS sheet is to copy and paste it from the SDS to your label template. Once you've moved the text, you can format it to better fit your template. GHS Label Creator has preformatted GHS templates you can use to build your label. You can also create a template yourself. In Microsoft Word, for example, you can simply use text boxes and shapes to add the information you need.
Tips for Printing Labels:
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If your printer only prints in one color at a time, consider using pre-printed GHS label supply that includes red diamonds for hazard pictograms. This way, you can just print the black symbols and text to complete your label.
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If you plan to print on label supply that contains pre-printed red diamonds, but your chemical will not use all of them, you will need to cover the extra diamonds completely using a black diamond. To do this within your label creation software, you can insert a black diamond over the red outline by choosing "Insert > Shape" or "Insert > Picture" (depending on the software you're using).
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When adding hazard, precautionary, and first aid statements to your label, you may need to reduce the font size to fit all the information you need. Remember, you don't need to include the H or P codes, just the statements themselves.
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Make sure product identifiers/chemical names and signal words are noticeable. We've used bold, all caps text in the example above.