Hazardous Material Labeling

There are several conventions of classifying and labeling hazardous chemicals across various continents.However, in an effort to develop a uniform, global system of classification of chemicals, labels and safety data sheets, the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) was initiated by the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in1992. The work was co-coordinated and managed under the auspices of the Interorganization Programme for Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) Coordinating Group for the Hamonization of Chemical Classification Systems(CG/HCCS). The technical focal points of completion of the work were the International Labour Organization (ILO), The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s Sub-Committee of Experts on Transportation of Dangerous Goods (UNSCETDG). The first version became available in 2003 in the form of the so called purple book (compared to the orange book for transportation). The GHS harmonizes most classification criteria for supply and transportation and is based on the intrinsic properties of substances.
            The following table 3 provides the signs used to label different types of hazardous substances enlisted in the UNG lobally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).More details on the system are available at : http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_rev03/03files_e.html

Table 3 Labels Representing Various Chemical Hazard Classes

^* From US Department of Transportation