GHS and its impact on laboratory safety

In a process that began in the early 1990s, the United States and other countries are moving forward to adopt the United Nations “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals” (GHS) that seeks to protect human health and the environment by standardizing labeling and hazard information for all chemicals sold or traded in world-wide commerce. GHS will have a significant impact on the chemical industry that manufactures and supplies chemicals and it will also have impact on the users of chemicals. Chemists and other scientists working in laboratories handle collectively thousands of chemicals in relatively small quantities in their experiments, procedures, and other laboratory operations. Recognition of chemical hazards, an essential component of laboratory safety, depends upon the availability of clear and accurate information about specific chemical hazards on labels and other sources, such as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). This paper examines the opportunities and challenges for laboratory safety resulting from implementation of GHS. Noteworthy is that the new GHS rating system is the opposite of the existing National Fire Protection Association Diamond rating system.