What is GHS?
Globally Harmoized System
The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (SGA or GHS) establishes harmonized criteria for classifying substances and mixtures with respect to their physical hazards, for health and for the environment. It also includes harmonized elements for hazard communication, with requirements on labels, pictograms and safety data sheets. The criteria established in the GHS are based on what is described in a document called Purple Book.
Who is the SGA aimed at and what matrices does it include?
The GHS applies to all chemical products, except those products that are regulated through their own laws or regulations, these are: pharmaceutical products, food additives, cosmetic items and pesticide residues in food.
The public to whom the System is directed are the consumers of chemical products, workers related to the transport sector and those who provide emergency services
What are the advantages of implementing the Globally Harmonized System?
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Improve the protection of human health and the environment, through an unintelligible hazard communication system at the international level.
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Provide a recognized classification framework for those countries that lack the System.
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Reduce the need for testing and evaluations of chemical products, through the availability of information.
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Facilitate international trade of those products that have been evaluated and classified according to this System.
GHS Hazard Class and Hazard Category
GHS describes the nature and severity of a chemical hazard by hazard class and hazard category:
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GHS hazard class represents the nature of a chemical hazard, i.e., flammable liquids, carcinogen.
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GHS hazard category is the division of criteria within each hazard class. For example, hazard class flammable liquids can be divided into 4 categories among which flammable liquids category 1 represents the most severe hazard.
There are 29 GHS hazard classes in total in UN GHS Rev. 6. They are used to describe 3 main types of chemical hazards: physical hazards, health hazards and environmental hazards. If you wish to find hazard statements and signal word for each hazard category, please use our hazard statement and signal word finder.
physical
Physical Hazards(17 classes)
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Explosives
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Flammable Gases
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Aerosols
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Oxidizing Gases
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Gases Under Pressure
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Flammable Liquids
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Flammable Solids
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Self-Reactive Substances
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Pyrophoric Liquids
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Pyrophoric Solids
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Self-Heating Substances
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Substances which, in contact with water emit flammable gases
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Oxidizing Liquids
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Oxidizing Solids
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Organic Peroxides
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Corrosive to Metals
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Desensitized explosives[Added in GHS Rev. 6]
health
Health Hazards(10 classes)
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Acute Toxicity (Oral/Dermal/Inhalation)
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Skin Corrosion/Irritation
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Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation
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Respiratory or Skin Sensitization
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Germ Cell Mutagenicity
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Carcinogenicity
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Reproductive Toxicology
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Target Organ Systemic Toxicity - Single Exposure
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Target Organ Systemic Toxicity - Repeated Exposure
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Aspiration Toxicity
environmental
Environmental Hazards(2 classes)
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Hazardous to Aquatic Environment (Acute/Chronic)
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Hazardous to the Ozone Layer
Determination of GHS Hazards Class and Hazard Category
Adoption of GHS Hazard Class & Hazard Category in Individual Countries.
Determination of GHS Hazard Class and Hazard Category
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GHS has provided standard chemical classification criteria which are used to determine the hazard class and hazard category of a chemical. The picture below is an example of GHS classification criteria for flammable liquids. A liquid with a flash point between 23 and 60 Celsius degrees will be classified as flammable liquid category 3. A liquid with a flash point above 93 Celsius degrees does not meet GHS classification criteria and will not be regarded as a hazardous chemical.
Download GHS Classification Criteria
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Standard hazard pictograms, hazard statements and precautionary statements will be assigned once the hazard class and hazard category of a chemical has been determined. (see example below).
Adoption of GHS Hazard Class & Hazard Category in Individual Countries.
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GHS allows individual countries or regions to choose which hazard classes or hazard categories to implement to meet their domestic needs. For example, EU has not adopted flammable liquids category 4. The United States has not adopted Hazardous to the Ozone Layer yet. This is often called GHS Building Block approach.
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Reference & Resources
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Advanced GHS Readings
2016-01-06
In this article, we will give you a brief summary of global GHS label requirements in 2018, including pictogram size requirement and font size requirement.
2016-01-06
In this article, we have summarized how different countries/regions define small containers and which elements can be omitted for a typical GHS labels.
2016-01-06
It is generally expected that the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) will be adopted for pesticides. The biggest impact of GHS on pesticides will be pesticide classification and product labels.
2016-01-27
Many countries or authorities have published their own GHS classification lists for common chemical substances to help chemical companies comply with local GHS regulations, prepare safety data sheets and labels. The GHS classifications can be mandatory or non-mandatory (recommended classification).
2016-02-16
GHS has given different competent authorities capabilities to make their own provisions to protect confidential business info in SDSs or on labels as along as such provisions do not compromise the health and the safety of workers and consumers
2016-04-11
When authorities adopt GHS for their own chemical hazard communication system, they often issue their own GHS regulations or GHS standards. In this article, we have summarized the latest list of GHS-related regulations, standards and resources with an aim to help you quickly find labeling and SDS requirements in different jurisdictions.