Lessons Learned About Chemicals

Significance of GHS Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Many countries across the world have adopted the United Nation’s Globally harmonized system of labeling and classifying chemicals. This is done to attain some objectives.
One objective of doing this is to protect the health of people who transport, store and process chemicals. Another objective is to protect the environment. A uniform classification system enhances the proper identification of the chemical’s hazardous levels. Some countries had no method of classification before. Other countries on the other had different methods of chemical classification. This resulted in a lot of confusion in chemical handling and brought about risky situations.

GHS safety data sheets were made from a big study. The study was meant to solve the classification differences. It aimed at unifying the classification an as well as the categorization while ensuring that the protection levels were still high.

The classification considers the hazardous properties of the chemicals and the chemical formulation. It also takes into account the reactivity of the chemical with other chemicals, air, and water. GHS SWDS hence aims at protecting the user as well as the people who are in the production, storage and transportation of the chemical. GHS went through various revisions over years. GHS provides for the complete exposure of the hazardous content without hiding anything even if the information is confidential or could affect any proprietary formulations. This is an essential feature especially when training employees how to use SDS and the correct procedures about the handled chemicals and safety labels.

In case a distributor or an importer receives a sealed chemical container, it is his or her duty to make sure that the labels are intact. In case the container is open, a manufacturer should ensure that the data sheets are easily available to the employers handling the chemical.
GHS does not have a uniform testing method. it relies on the tests that are conducted by internationally accepted agencies. Such agencies include OECD or WHO. The information is usually about health and environmental hazards. It refers to UNSCETDG tests for physical hazards such as explosives and flammability. GHS relies on available data. When new data come in place, it also incorporates it. Therefore, distributors and manufacturers should keep these changes in mind. There is no need for labeling some chemicals. These include rodenticides, fungicides and other pesticides.

As it is evident above, GHSD has a lot of benefits in chemical classification and categorization. It is also complex with anomalies as well as exemptions widely. Professionals therefore ought to prepare compliant GHS SDS labels. The experts will also guard the proprietary formulations as they take care of exceptions and anomalies.

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