Hazard Communication: Using GHS to Improve Health and Safety
How the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) improves hazard communication.
I once had an experience working with a manufacturing operation that included painting processes for the main production line and a small spray-painting area in the repair section. The facility regularly handled hundreds of gallons of solvent-based paint and had a solid understanding of manufacturing controls. Despite this, when I reviewed their repair area, some of the paint had different formulations, which included components that presented an increased sensitization and toxicity hazard.
What quickly stood out to me in differentiating the different hazards of the solvents were the signal words and hazard statements on the label and in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). While those of us who work with chemicals are accustomed to warning labels and SDSs, I have found that many people do not recognize that the specific terms used are defined in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), and understanding them can be very helpful for hazard recognition.
By comparing the ratings on the label and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), I was able to identify the different and increased hazards of the paints used in the repair area. I was then in a better position to work with the facility to ensure that the appropriate communications and hierarchy of controls were in place.
Danger and Warning
The use of the terms “danger” and “warning” are defined in GHS. When looking at container labels, the use of the term “danger” was the first indication of hazard potential. Danger is usxed to indicate a higher hazard category for the particular health or physical hazards of the chemical. This term combined with a warning for sensitivity quickly indicated that the chemical was in a high sensitizer hazard category. The term “warning” indicates a lower hazard category, and no signal word can indicate a low hazard category or that the chemical does not have a hazard defined in the GHS criteria.
Pictograms and Precautionary Statements
GHS can help us quickly identify hazards and their severity with pictograms and hazard statements. Pictograms are used when chemical hazards meet the GHS hazard criteria. The health hazard pictogram combined with a danger warning statement on the label was a pretty good indication that this material could present a significant risk.
Precautionary statements, the written hazard information and warnings on the label, are also well defined in the GHS system, which is another way that it helps assess the type and level of hazard. Different manufacturers and suppliers following GHS will have similar information on their labels and SDS. So, a reasonable comparison of the hazards is still possible when there are different solvents from different suppliers.
