Chemicals

Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals IntroductionGlobally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (short for GHS), published by United Nations, is a normative document for guiding countries to control chemical hazards and to protect human health and environment. United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development encouraged countries to implement the GHS by 2008. APEC members promised to implement the GHS since 2006. United Nations Economic and Social Council Resolution 2011/25 demanded that GHS Sub-Committee Secretariat invited countries which hadn& acute;t implemented the GHS to implement the GHS through the national legislative process as soon as possible.1.The purpose of establishing GHSThere are about millions of chemicals in the world, around 70,000 chemicals commonly used. Approximately thousands of new chemicals come out each year.Many chemicals have adverse effects on human health and environment, such as corrosive, teratogenicity, carcinogenicity chemicals. As part of the chemical workers lack operation awareness of safe use, in the process of production, storage, handling, transport, waste disposal, it will inevitably damage their health or have negative impacts on the environment.Over the years, the relevant United Nations agencies, the United States, Japan, Europe and other industrialized countries have made specific provisions on chemical hazard classification, packaging and labelling by legislation. Due to differences in national definitions of hazardous chemicals, it will cause that one chemical is considered as flammable and hazardous chemical, and in other country it is considered a non-flammable and non-hazardous chemical.In international trade, it increases the cost of trade and consumes time to comply with different national legislation of hazard classification and labelling. In order to improve the management of hazardous chemicals, protect human health and environment, provide developing co