Understanding the Globally Harmonized System: Safely Managing Hazardous Materials

1. An overview of the Globally Harmonized System for the HHW/CESQG OperatorKari Meyer, Hazardous Waste SpecialistMetro, Portland Oregon6/24/14

2. Essential elements • Background – Scope and Development of the GHS as an International System • Hazard Classification – Physical Hazards – Health Hazards – Environmental Hazards • Hazard Communication Elements • Labeling – Pictograms – Signal Words – Hazard Statements – Precautionary Statements • Safety Data Sheets

3. Scope and Development of GHS • • A set of guidelines developed by the UN to ensure safe production, transport, handling, use and disposal of hazardous materials. (1992 Earth Summit) • • US (OSHA) officially adopted 3/26/12 as HazCom 2012 • • Target Audience - workers, employers, consumers, transport workers and emergency responders • GHS is NOT a law or regulation. It is a logical and comprehensive system intended to harmonize definition, classification and communication of hazard.

4. HAZARD CRITERIA Hazard Criteria, Class and Category • Hazard Class – The nature of the physical or health hazard (environmental not in OSHA scope) • Hazard Category – The division of the criteria within each hazard class – Categories compare hazard severity within the class

5. Physical Hazards (16 classifications) • Explosives • Flammable gases / Chemically Unstable Gases • Flammable and Non- Flammable aerosols • Oxidizing gases • Gases under pressure • Flammable liquids • Flammable solids • Self-reactive substances • Pyrophoric liquids • Pyrophoric solids • Self-heating substances • Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases • Oxidizing liquids • Oxidizing solids • Organic peroxides • Corrosive to metals

6. GHS - Physical Hazards • Substances and Mixtures – generally same criteria • Same criteria as current for transport classes (some additional categories added) • Most hazard classes are divided into categories • In general categories = transport packing groups

7. GHS Health Hazards • Acute toxicity • Skin corrosion/ Irritation • Serious eye damage/ Eye irritation • Sensitization • Germ cell mutagenicity • Reproductive toxicity • Carcinogenicity • Specific target organ toxicity (STOT) – Single Exposure – Repeat Exposure • Aspiration Toxicity

8. Environmental Hazards • Currently only Aquatic Toxicity (acute and chronic) and Hazardous to the Ozone Layer

9. Symbols (hazard pictograms) • A composition that is intended to convey specific physical, health, and environmental hazard information (GHS hazard class and category) • Eight pictograms are adopted in Hazcom 2012 – Red border, black symbol, white background

10. Exploding Bomb Symbol • Unstable Explosives • Explosives (Divisions 1.1-1.4) • Self-reactives (Type A and Type B with Flame) • Organic Peroxides (Type A and Type B with Flame

11. Flame Symbol • Flammable Gases • Flammable Aerosols • Flammable Liquids (Categories 1-3) • Flammable Solids • Self-Reactives (Type B with bomb, Types C-F) • Pyrophoric liquids and solids • Self-heating substances • Substances which in contact with water emit flammable gases • Organic Peroxides (Type B with bomb, Types C-F)

12. Flame over Circle Symbol • Oxidizing Gases • Oxidizing Liquids • Oxidizing Solids

13. Gas Cylinder Symbol • Compressed Gas • Liquefied Gas • Refrigerated Liquefied Gas • Dissolved Gas

14. Corrosion Symbol • Corrosive to Metals (steel or aluminum >6.25 mm/year at 55C) • Skin corrosion/ irritation – category 1 (A, B and C) • Serious eye damage/irritation – Category 1

15. Skull and Crossbones Symbol • Acute Toxicity –Categories 1-3 (oral, inhalation or dermal routes)

16. Exclamation Mark Symbol • Acute Toxicity – Category 4 (oral, inhalation or dermal routes) • Skin Irritation/ Corrosion – Category 2 • Serious Eye damage/ irritation – Category 2A • Skin Sensitizer • STOST (single exposure) – Category 3 (respiratory tract irritation, narcotic effects) • Hazardous to the Ozone Layer

17. Health Hazard Symbol • Respiratory Sensitizer • Germ Cell Mutagenicity • Carcinogenicity • Toxic to Reproduction • STOST (single exposure) – Categories 1-2 • STOST (repeated exposure) – Categories 1-2 • Aspiration Hazard

18. Environment Symbol • Acute hazards to the aquatic environment – Category 1 (Categories 2 and 3 no symbol or signal word) • Chronic hazards to the aquatic environment – Categories 1 and 2 (Categories 3 and 4 no symbol or signal word)

19. Labels: Signal word • A word used to indicate the relative level of severity of hazard and alert the reader to a potential hazard on the label “Danger” – used for the more severe hazards “Warning” – used for the less severe hazards

20. Labels: Hazard statements • Hazard statement for each level of hazard (category) within each hazard class HAZARD: Category 1 highest 2 high 3 medium 4 low Example: Flammable liquids • Category 1: Extremely flammable liquid and vapour • Category 2: Highly flammable liquid and vapour • Category 3: Flammable liquid and vapour • Category 4: Combustible liquid Note: This is in reverse order to NMIS/NFPA

21. Labels: Precautionary Statements • Precautionary statement means a phrase that describes recommended measures that should be taken to minimize or prevent adverse effects. • There are 4 types of precautionary statements – Prevention – Response – Storage – Disposal The precautionary phrases are numbered in the GHS but not the Hazcom Standard.

22. Symbols (hazard pictograms) assigned to GHS hazard class and category • Signal words (danger or warning) • Hazard statements • Precautionary statements • Product identifier (ingredient disclosure) • Supplier identification • Supplemental information Essential elements of GHS label

23. Labels: Arrangement • Label elements located together on the label, tag or mark • Pictograms must have red border wide enough to be visible and must not be blank • Where a DOT label appears on a shipped container, the same OSHA pictogram shall not appear. • Must not conflict with DOT regulations. • Labels must be in English (other languages also permitted)

26. Safety data sheets • Chemical manufacturers and importers shall obtain or develop a safety data sheet for each hazardous chemical they produce or import. • Employers shall have a safety data sheet in the workplace for each hazardous chemical which they use. • Must be in English (additional languages permitted) • If no relevant information for a sub-heading, must be marked to indicate no data • SDS can cover similar mixtures

27. Safety data sheets 1. Identification 2. Hazard(s) identification 3. Composition/information on ingredients 4. First-aid measures 5. Fire-fighting measures 6. Accidental release measures 7. Handling and storage 8. Exposure control/ personal protection 9. Physical and chemical properties 10. Stability and reactivity 11. Toxicological information 12. Ecological information 13. Disposal considerations 14. Transport information 15. Regulatory information 16. Other information

28. kari.meyer@oregonmetro.gov