What are the GHS Regulation Compliance Solutions?

The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a UN initiative for global hazard communication. GHS introduces an improved system of classification for chemical substances by type of hazard, and harmonized hazard communication elements including phrases and symbols.
The GHS Regulation Compliance provides the following services:

1.Classification of substances to meet the new requirements set out by the newly adopted Globally Harmonized System
2.Safety Data Sheet (SDS) updates to verify that all requirements are met and that classification of substances have been properly assigned
3.Label formulation for compliance with GHS and correspondence with safety data sheets

The GHS standard was established on the building block basis; in this case a building block according to the GHS regulation is a hazard class. Within a hazard class, each hazard category can be seen as a building block: for a given hazard class competent authorities have the possibility not to apply all categories. GHS Regulation gives a government the freedom to determine which of the building blocks will be applied in different part of their system. However, where a system covers something that is in the GHS, and implements the GHS Regulation, that coverage should be consistent.

Common Issues of a WHMIS MSDS:

I believe my MSDS is WHMIS compliant but how do I tell for sure?

There are multiple requirements stated under the Hazardous Product Act (HPA) and Controlled Products Regulations (CPR) that must be present on a WHMIS MSDS to make sure it is compliant with Canadian law. However there are a few specific sections to keep your eye out for when determining whether a document is WHMIS compliant:

Hazardous data – The amount of each ingredient required to be disclosed by WHMIS must be stated on the MSDS using a prescribed concentration range.

Physical data – WHMIS requires a vast amount of data to be specified in this section of the WHMIS MSDS. The list particularly includes; physical state, odour and appearance, odour threshold, specific gravity, vapour pressure, vapour density, evaporation rate, boiling point, freezing point, pH, and coefficient of water/oil distribution. If there is no data available for any of these measurements then it must be declared as “not available” on the WHMIS MSDS.

Toxicological data – WHMIS requires each component of the chemical product to state the individual LD50 and LC50 for the disclosed components present in the mixture.

Transportation data – A WHMIS MSDS must specify the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) requirements of the chemical product.

When does a MSDS translation take place?

There are many different countries, languages and jurisdictions a MSDS can be translated into. In North America there are three different jurisdictions, which follow the three countries of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. A Canadian MSDS must be WHMIS compliant and needs to be presented in both English and French. In the United States a MSDS must be OSHA compliant, or alternatively ANSI compliant. The MSDS must be written in English within the U.S. In Mexico a MSDS needs to follow the Mexican NOM-018-STPS-2000 laws and be written in Spanish. Across in Europe, MSDSs are currently written using the CLP regulations, which is an adopted version of GHS. New Zealand has also adopted and is currently using GHS, while Australia is using NOHSC:2012(1994) as the MSDS regulations. There are also many other areas using different chemical regulations such as China, Japan, and other European countries all of which require different formats, statements and languages.

All of these areas around the world have such varying levels of chemical regulations that they almost never can be combined into a single compliant document. If you find a reliable MSDS translation and regulatory compliance specialist however, they will ensure that your company follows the best procedures to obtain compliant documents while keeping a cost efficient budget.