A couple of weeks ago, Glenn Demby asked for writers to submit articles describing the Global Harmonized System (GHS) for hazard communication. I decided to answer the call. I don't consider myself anything like a first rate author. But I am familiar with the GHS. So I'm going to take a crack at explaining what it's all about.

How GHS Came About

Most of the world's industrialized nations have established a system of chemical hazard regulation that, among other things, requires manufacturers, suppliers and employers to communicate information about the physical properties and dangers of hazardous substances to workers and consumers. (Note: Through the course of this article, when I refer to "substances," I mean not just pure substances but mixtures.) In the U.S., the system is known as HAZCOM; in Canada it's called WHMIS.

Although the various national schemes are similar to one another, they contain certain inconsistencies, especially with regard to safety data sheets and the labeling of hazardous substances. For example, there are some significant differences from country to country in requirements regarding the types of warning labels and Material Safety Data Sheets. These differences in requirements have proven confusing and have encumbered the transaction of global business.

So, in the mid-1980s, the International Labor Organization called for a development of a uniform standard that could be followed globally. The United Nations responded in 1992 by proposing GHS--the Global Harmonization System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

What GHS Is

GHS is an international system designed to standardize the communication of hazardous substances according to their health, environmental and physical hazards. In developing GHS, the UN reviewed existing national and multinational systems and formed a nucleus of a new system around their features. GHS is largely based on:

• HAZCOM and WHMIS (especially requirements on the use of labels and MSDSs to notify workers and consumers of hazardous properties of substances);
• The EU (European Union) system for preparation, classification and labeling of substances; and
• The UN Transportation of Dangerous Goods system for communicating hazards.

Conclusion

Now that I've put GHS into context and explained what it is, we need to talk about its features and how it works. I'll do that in next week's issue. So thanks for listening and stay tuned.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Track Workers Couldn't Hear Train Approaching

By Dave Duncan

Most people believe they could hear a train coming and have enough warning time to get out of the way. But an incident in Rhode Island that killed one track worker and injured two others shows that approaching trains aren't always heard.

An Amtrak Acela electric train struck the workers in a "blind spot" just past a stone overpass near downtown Providence. Traveling between Washington, DC and Boston, MA, the train was moving at a speed somewhat below the 55 mile-per-hour (90 km/h) limit for that section of track.

Older trains could be heard coming for some distance, but this incident shows that not only track workers, but anyone walking or driving in areas where trains pass, must be extra-vigilant for approaching train traffic.

Share this story with your workers to remind them that they can't rely on their ears alone to know when trains are approaching.

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